new enclosure

[rénee]

Sorry for this double post here, but my bf and I have decided that we are going to build our girl a enclosure, I feel like it will be a very fun project and you can make it to what you want! So does anybody have experience with this, like what works best (glass or plexi/acrylic plastic) is it best to drill holes, if so is it best to do so on the sides, top or both, or do I get those ventilation screens? Would I use aquarium silicone or is there a better product out there? Is it best to create a door on the front or the top, what's a appropriate comfortable size and height for a G.Rosea, any tips or advice could help.

I have done some research on some enclosures but there is so many different kinds and ways people set theirs up, I would just like yo hear people's opinions and what other people have done, and have experienced

Thanks!

 

[rénee]

Oh I forgot to add in that I kind of want to make it look like the ones from jamies, I like the look of them, and since I only have the 1 T and arnt allowed alot in my province I might as well make it look a bit nicer then if I was a collector and was more so on a budget.

I could just buy one from Jamies but again I want to have that experience and joy of building my own

 

[Kymura]

Check Youtube for tutorials on how to build acrylic enclosure, there are several! Lots of good information out there on how and
Jamies actually sells the hinges and latch's

 

[rénee]

Omg I never even thought of you tube... wow hahaha! And yes I will be purchasing those hinges and other little things from jamies very soon

 

[Lady Arachnid]

I've gathered a lot of ideas online. YouTube is very helpful!

I made mine out of an old 10 gallon tank. I have Avics, so my tank is oriented vertically. The bottom glass was shattered so I made this first one with double doors. I divided it in the center. One half is for my larger juvenile, and the other half I have my other two in separate small critter keepers.

I like the acrylic. It's clearer than glass,very light, and easy to work with. The down side is, it can crack easily when drilling, and it can scratch easier then glass. I drilled holes with an acrylic drill bit and still cracked mine in places. You have to be very careful so it doesn't crack/shatter while drilling. If it does, the plus side is that you can fix it. It's a little ugly, but fixable.

 

[Lady Arachnid]

Here is my home made 10 gal arboreal double sided terrarium.

 

[rénee]

That is a very cool setup you have there! I think for the most part it will be easy, but like you said drilling will probably be a challenge..

 

[Kymura]

You could try melting the holes with a soldering iron or a hot nail, just do it where it's well ventilated,?

 

[rénee]

You could try melting the holes with a soldering iron or a hot nail, just do it where it's well ventilated,?

That's a good idea, perhaps that may even work better, I have a dremmel too if I need to sand off the edges!

 

[Kymura]

sounds like a win win to me, take a bunch of pictures as you go along so we can see too!

 

[kormath]

tape the acrylic before drilling, it will help to prevent cracking. Duct tape works well but can be a pain to clean off if left on the acrylic too long. Acrylic bits are best for drilling acrylic of course, but if you can't find those a metalworking drill bit is the next best. Woodworking drill bits aren't sharp enough and will cause cracks. The key is taking your time, and making sure the drill bits are sharp.

Soldering iron will work on thin acrylic, but it's a mess with thicker pieces, and if the acrylic melts and drips from the hole i've never been able to clean that off without ruining the clarity.

I've never made a spider cage with acrylic, but i've done some small containers for other hobbies.

Luckily my T's are all small enough i can resist making my own enclosure, for a while anyway

Good luck!

 

[Lady Arachnid]

Thanks Renee!
Kymura, I thought of that. But I hate the smell of burning plastic!
Kormath,


I'll have to try the tape idea though on my next one! I'll have to work on getting a dremel. I used a bench grinder with much success, but a dremel would be more convenient.

 

[Kymura]

going to send you a few links I have saved for my future enclosures ^.~ You may have seen them already but just in case

 

[rénee]

Thanks you guys, very helpful info! And that would be awesome kymura, I'm sure there is some I havnt come across!

 

[kormath]

Thanks Renee!
Kymura, I thought of that. But I hate the smell of burning plastic!
Kormath,


I'll have to try the tape idea though on my next one! I'll have to work on getting a dremel. I used a bench grinder with much success, but a dremel would be more convenient.

A sharp knife, like a utility knife or exacto knife can be used to trip the edge off the holes also. It's just more work

As for a Dremel or similar tool, I went with the knockoff brand WEN. It's held up to everything my son and I have put it through and will do just fine to touch up your acrylic work. http://www.amazon.com/WEN-2307-Vari...ie=UTF8&qid=1449247178&sr=1-3&keywords=dremel

 

[SpiderDad61]

Omg I never even thought of you tube... wow hahaha! And yes I will be purchasing those hinges and other little things from jamies very soon

It's actually easy once u get the hang of it. My advice on drilling acrylic is after marking where ur gonna drill ur holes, start with a much smaller bit, and drill the holes about 1/2 speed. Then go with the bit size that the holes will finally be and drill thru the smaller holes. That will keep the holes from chipping and looking crappy. It u drill with larger bits first, there's a great chance small chips will show. I personally want it to look as nice as possible when I'm making em myself, and this trick works great. Good luck!! It's so fun and exciting to build a home for a T.

 

[rénee]

So I'm trying to get the measurements together, I was thinking about a 12" length, 12" width, 10" height (I will be filling with about 5-6" substrate), and I was going to drill/melt in about 140-160 holes in, and make the door at the top and make it about 6" wide, I have a G.Rosea who is about 3" right now but will hopefully be about 5-6" in adulthood, I figured a good double her size is good so she has enough room.

Yay or nay, perhaps shorten the height a bit maybe? More holes?

 

[Thistles]

So I'm trying to get the measurements together, I was thinking about a 12" length, 12" width, 10" height (I will be filling with about 5-6" substrate), and I was going to drill/melt in about 140-160 holes in, and make the door at the top and make it about 6" wide, I have a G.Rosea who is about 3" right now but will hopefully be about 5-6" in adulthood, I figured a good double her size is good so she has enough room.

Yay or nay, perhaps shorten the height a bit maybe? More holes?

Definitely sounds large enough. Mine are in 2.5 gallon tanks with plenty of substrate although I've never seen them dig at all. Better to offer them the option and let them decline than for them not to have it I suppose. Mine were also in larger tanks at one point and they never really used the space so I downgraded them.

 

[rénee]

Definitely sounds large enough. Mine are in 2.5 gallon tanks with plenty of substrate although I've never seen them dig at all. Better to offer them the option and let them decline than for them not to have it I suppose. Mine were also in larger tanks at one point and they never really used the space so I downgraded them.

Ya I have a 20 gallon right now for my T and I found that she literally uses like a quarter of her tank other than going to her water dish, so I figured might as well downsize, plus the top of her enclosure is mesh. . I would like to get rid of that ASAP.

 

[SpiderDad61]

That's a good idea, perhaps that may even work better, I have a dremmel too if I need to sand off the edges!

When I drill my acrylic, I use a very small but to start, and go a lil bigger each time until I reCh the desired size. That way there are no chips, and the holes are nice n clean