ideas for tank lids

[tarantula love]

Hey guys can I use a lid with mesh if its realy hot some days?

 

[Kymura]

A lot of folks do use them. Problem arises when the T gets its claws stuck in it. Then can end up seriously damaging themselves or losing a leg. Everyone always says well, mine don't climb, bottom line is; not seeing it happen doesn't mean it doesn't do it, just that we haven't seen it do it.... I'd be really careful or just use plexiglass drilled well for ventilation.

Edit-> to correct the iPhone auto corrects

 

[Tomoran]

@Kymura hit the nail right on the head. The screens can become a hazard when the tarantulas get their claws stuck and are left dangling (often resulting in a lost limb). I had an Exo terra nano that I left the screen on a few years ago, and I came home one afternoon to discover my B. boehmei hanging from her leg. Lord only knows how long she was there. I learned my lesson and replaced the mesh with drilled Plexiglas.

Another thing to consider is that the screen tops allow for a LOT of evaporation, which means that water dishes and substrate will dry out much faster when it gets hot. That can easily lead to a dehydrated spider. I have four almost identical arboreal cages. The only difference is that one has a 2" screen vent on the top. When I fill up the water dishes and it warm, the one with the screen top is dry within a couple days while the others are still quite full.

 

[tarantula love]

A lot of folks do use them. Problem arises when the T gets its claws stuck in it. Then can end up seriously damaging themselves or losing a leg. Everyone always says well, mine don't climb, bottom line is; not seeing it happen doesn't mean it doesn't do it, just that we haven't seen it do it.... I'd be really careful or just use plexiglass drilled well for ventilation.

Edit-> to correct the iPhone auto corrects

Thanx ! Yeah that's true

 

[tarantula love]

@Kymura hit the nail right on the head. The screens can become a hazard when the tarantulas get their claws stuck and are left dangling (often resulting in a lost limb). I had an Exo terra nano that I left the screen on a few years ago, and I came home one afternoon to discover my B. boehmei hanging from her leg. Lord only knows how long she was there. I learned my lesson and replaced the mesh with drilled Plexiglas.

Another thing to consider is that the screen tops allow for a LOT of evaporation, which means that water dishes and substrate will dry out much faster when it gets hot. That can easily lead to a dehydrated spider. I have four almost identical arboreal cages. The only difference is that one has a 2" screen vent on the top. When I fill up the water dishes and it warm, the one with the screen top is dry within a couple days while the others are still quite full.

Yeah if noticed wth some other tanks I build that the tank with the gaps at the lid get dried very quickly

 

[KevTK]

My way of avoided all that is to stand the fish tank (2 gal) on it's end a make a new front with acrylic. Little holes drilled at the top and the middle for ventilation, and some magnets keep the door shut.
For terrestrials the Container Store has a clear acrylic box made for high heeled shoes. There are a few holes predrilled and I cut two more circles and added bug screen. The screen is there but in such a small amt they have to be *very* lucky (unlucky) to get their claws caught. Just my 2¢.

This was my first one so it's not quite as neat as I would have liked.

My Chromatus came out to say hi!

 

[SpiderDad61]

Hey guys can I use a lid with mesh if its realy hot some days?

U can BUT get clear packing tape and make a border around the entire inner edge like a frame so that if a T climbs it cannot hook into the mesh....the tape will keep it from reaching.

 

[SpiderDad61]

My way of avoided all that is to stand the fish tank (2 gal) on it's end a make a new front with acrylic. Little holes drilled at the top and the middle for ventilation, and some magnets keep the door shut.
For terrestrials the Container Store has a clear acrylic box made for high heeled shoes. There are a few holes predrilled and I cut two more circles and added bug screen. The screen is there but in such a small amt they have to be *very* lucky (unlucky) to get their claws caught. Just my 2¢.

This was my first one so it's not quite as neat as I would have liked.

My Chromatus came out to say hi!

Yup and I went even further and drilled cross vent holes around the sides of the glass for airflow. They look amazing....almost professional, and cheap to make.