display cages?

[trivium160]

Hi,

My t's are all in 5 gallon tanks but i'm running out of room and they seem rather large for most of the species i have. I like to display all of them in my office and was looking to get some more.

Is there anything out there that looks nice? I don't really care for the Tupperware look. I like the natural habitat look.

I bought an arboreal cage from tarantulacages.com.....Its nice but too costly with shipping and all.


any ideas?

 

[gvfarns]

If you are handy and have access to some good tools (probably best if you have a table saw, but you can do it with lesser tools) you can buy big sheets of acrylic and make your own enclosures. I did that and they are really nice for display. I mean really nice. Sheet acrylic is not cheap, though. Actually it's quite expensive.

 

[Bonedog]

No Acrylic

I see a number of post where people call for acrylic. Save your self the hassles of blown out drill holes and cracking plastic, Buy polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is stronger and takes machining (i.e. drilling or cutting) with no splitting. Where you might use 1/4" acrylic you can use 1/8" poly. Even after cutting you could hit poly against a wall and still be likely to be holding the same piece, try that with acrylic and it WILL break.

 

[trivium160]

i'll check em both out

 

[gvfarns]

Google both thoroughly before you make a decision. Essentially all cages of all types (zoos, displays, etc) are made of acrylic because it's a better display material (unless you are expecting very hard impacts) and generally considered easier to work with. The other thread has a little more detail but you should look to google and see why people choose to use acrylic for cages, aquariums, etc. instead of polycarbonate.

When I was researching this subject all my sources were in agreement that acrylic is the material to use. The only downside I really know is that because it is harder (not stronger), it cracks easier. You should use a drill bit meant for hard plastics. Otherwise the bit kind of melts its way through or cracks around the edges of the hole.

 

[MizM]

Keep in mind, your collection will grow... and grow... and grow! I use Kritter Keepers for most everything. The are inexpensive, stack very nicely, are easily cleaned, have nice ventilation and come in so many sizes. They are even coming out with some neat colors that AREN'T neon! I've tried many different enclosures, and these work best for me. I DO use larger, glass tanks for the big girls with leg spans around 7" or higher.

 

[Paulie B]

You could also cut some acrylic or plexi and divide the tanks that you already have in 2. I have done this with 3 tanks with good results.

 

[gvfarns]

You could also cut some acrylic or plexi and divide the tanks that you already have in 2. I have done this with 3 tanks with good results.

What did you use to glue the acrylic in place? Silicone? Just wondering.

 

[gvfarns]

Keep in mind, your collection will grow... and grow... and grow! I use Kritter Keepers for most everything. The are inexpensive, stack very nicely, are easily cleaned, have nice ventilation and come in so many sizes. They are even coming out with some neat colors that AREN'T neon! I've tried many different enclosures, and these work best for me. I DO use larger, glass tanks for the big girls with leg spans around 7" or higher.

Yeah I use kritter keepers for most of my T's also. Very convenent and cheap, but it's really annoying that it always shakes the T like crazy when I try and remove the lid. Puts them out of the mood to eat and also out of the mood to be friendly. Acrylic is better for that, and for viewing. But it's so expensive!

The other think kritter keepers suck for is arboreals. If you put the KK on its side it always leaks substrate out. Grrrr!

Some day I'd like to make acrylic enclosures for all my T's. Not today, though.

 

[Paulie B]

What did you use to glue the acrylic in place? Silicone? Just wondering.

Yeap, a bead of silicone and job done.

 

[T-Harry]

I have all of my T's (well, with exception of the slings) in glass terrariums with perforatet stainless stell plates for ventilation.
A 30x30x30 cm cube goes for about € 20,-

Here you can take a look at some of them:

close look:

 

[J_dUbz88]

Yeah... silicone does not hold Acrylic too well. I tried constructing some acrylic cages but they all ultimately fell apart. If you really want to seal acrylic you gota go with a nasty chemical the name isent coming to mind at this current moment but i ave some downstairs and i will post its name later. This stuff seals it perfectly as it is an epoxy, it literally liquefies the acrylic and re-sets it together.

 

[Red Eyes]

Yeah... silicone does not hold Acrylic too well. I tried constructing some acrylic cages but they all ultimately fell apart. If you really want to seal acrylic you gota go with a nasty chemical the name isent coming to mind at this current moment but i ave some downstairs and i will post its name later. This stuff seals it perfectly as it is an epoxy, it literally liquefies the acrylic and re-sets it together.

Would this be the stuff made by Weld On ... http://www.ipscorp.com/industrial/acrylics.html ?

 

[gvfarns]

Would this be the stuff made by Weld On ... http://www.ipscorp.com/industrial/acrylics.html ?

That's the hud I used when I built mine. It works well if you have a nice and straight cut edge. They also sell stuff that's basically the solvent mixed with acrylic, so it kidn of has the properties of the capillary solvent and a glue. Hardens into an acrylic bead.

I have heard that not many glues attach to acrylic,w hich is why i was wondering.

 

[Fluke]

Yeah... silicone does not hold Acrylic too well. I tried constructing some acrylic cages but they all ultimately fell apart. If you really want to seal acrylic you gota go with a nasty chemical the name isent coming to mind at this current moment but i ave some downstairs and i will post its name later. This stuff seals it perfectly as it is an epoxy, it literally liquefies the acrylic and re-sets it together.

Ya that is some serious stuff. The bond itself is actually stronger than the acrylic!

 

[Paulie B]

I have all of my T's (well, with exception of the slings) in glass terrariums with perforatet stainless stell plates for ventilation.
A 30x30x30 cm cube goes for about € 20,-

Here you can take a look at some of them:

close look:

Real nice set up Harry. Very cool.

 

[Red Eyes]

Here's some weld-on stuff available at this craft place (smaller containers) http://www.craftics.com/products.cfm?Category=80. Did you look at this knowledge base from Altuglas International http://www.plexiglas.com/expert (look under fabrication).

 

[LasidoraGT]

Wow, those are some kick butt enclosures, I wish I could have mine in things like that cept I dont have any arboreals

 

[hairmetalspider]

If you don't have the time/energy/know how to build custom cages, arts and crafts stores (Michaels, JoAnnes, etc.) have nifty plexi "cages" in a ton of different sizes at amazingly cheap prices. (0.49-3.99)
Originally made for protective or display cases, but drill a few holes in them and you're good to go. (Mind the amount of pressure you put on these when drilling as they crack easily.)