DIY Arboreal Enclosure Advice

[Elliott]

Hey guys, I’m fairly new to the boards but since I’m here I was looking for some advice...

I’m working on designing a series of arboreal enclosures for a future Caribena versicolor I’m planning getting. I’d like to get all of the materials at once to build a juvenile, sub-adult, and full grown tarantula enclosure using a combination of plexiglass and glass. I live in the US in pennsylvania and am trying to find a reliable place in the US I can order these materials cut to size and have them delivered to my house.

If anyone has any good recommendations or tips for the process of building a DOY enclosure that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to any and all who read this!

 

[MetalMan2004]

I’d go with acrylic personally because I haven't been able to find a good place that’ll cut things to size for me. I’ve cut glass in the past and it can be tough to make exact cuts. It’s also easier to add ventilation to acrylic.

 

[Nonnack]

I use glass. It is cheaper, better looking (imo), easier to clean, not easy to scratch so you will have it good looking for years. I get it cut at local glazier for quite low price.

 

[jrh3]

I use glass. It is cheaper, better looking (imo), easier to clean, not easy to scratch so you will have it good looking for years. I get it cut at local glazier for quite low price.

Do you use silicone to assemble it? Is it tempered? Im guessing you get the edges beveled?

I been debating building one like this, but was wondering about ventilation.

 

[Nonnack]

Do you use silicone to assemble it?

Yes.

Is it tempered?

No.

Im guessing you get the edges beveled?

I did it myself. No need to pay for it, it is easy. I used grinding foam, or whatever it is called in English Looks like this:

I been debating building one like this, but was wondering about ventilation.

For top vent I use strip of perforated steel, for front i leave small, few millimeters gap.

I also leave a little gap in back bottom, to avoid damp spots if I overdo with watering.

 

[Vanisher]

I use glass. It is cheaper, better looking (imo), easier to clean, not easy to scratch so you will have it good looking for years. I get it cut at local glazier for quite low price.

I went the same route as you when i builded terrariums back in the day! Just seeing your pics with the glasspanels makes me want to build one again! Damn!!!

 

[Vanisher]

Do you use silicone to assemble it? Is it tempered? Im guessing you get the edges beveled?

I been debating building one like this, but was wondering about ventilation.

Yes i guess he uses silicon. I did anyways! About ventilation. I bought perforated sheets like those on the picture! The nice thing with building tanks is that its fun and you can do terrariums with the measurment you want! I builded small cubes that was 20cm×20cm×20cm up to large tanks measured 50cm×40cm×30 cm!

 

[Elliott]

Yes.

No.

I did it myself. No need to pay for it, it is easy. I used grinding foam, or whatever it is called in English Looks like this:

For top vent I use strip of perforated steel, for front i leave small, few millimeters gap.

I also leave a little gap in back bottom, to avoid damp spots if I overdo with watering.

That’s a brilliant design, I really like that. Nice work there and thank you for sharing your design! I live more in a city area and it’s been difficult for me to find somewhere that will cut glass that is t crazy expensive for the cutting service. In the research I’ve been doing on this, I have found that the cost for glass is generally cheaper than acrylic but it’s the cost for cutting it that makes it more expensive from what I’ve found. When I finally build mine I’ll be sure to post. Currently all the enclosures I have for my T’s are good in size but my b. albo is really close to a rehouse.

 

[CJJon]

Glass has many disadvantages for me. It is hard to cut accurately, it breaks, it's heavy, difficult to drill,... In my area the glass shops are run by dicks and as soon as they figure out you are building a "charanchala cage" they won't give you the time of day let alone cut your glass with any accuracy.

I use cast acrylic. It costs more than glass, more than extruded acrylic, but I don't really care. I have not had any problem with scratches or warping. It is easy for me to work with and for my designs it works best. Plastics shops will cut it for you and they are used to making little plastic boxes accurately with perfect 90 degree cuts (they clean up the edges with a router table-very accurate). They will cut to a 16th of an inch. I rather doubt anyone could (or would want to) make an enclosure just like mine out of glass.

 

[Jim Cricket]

Glass has many disadvantages for me. It is hard to cut accurately, it breaks, it's heavy, difficult to drill,... In my area the glass shops are run by dicks and as soon as they figure out you are building a "charanchala cage" they won't give you the time of day let alone cut your glass with any accuracy.

I use cast acrylic. It costs more than glass, more than extruded acrylic, but I don't really care. I have not had any problem with scratches or warping. It is easy for me to work with and for my designs it works best. Plastics shops will cut it for you and they are used to making little plastic boxes accurately with perfect 90 degree cuts (they clean up the edges with a router table-very accurate). They will cut to a 16th of an inch. I rather doubt anyone could (or would want to) make an enclosure just like mine out of glass.

 

[Jim Cricket]

Absolutely beautiful. Love the top and side access. How do you get such precise hole placement?

 

[l4nsky]

Absolutely beautiful. Love the top and side access. How do you get such precise hole placement?

More than likely a paper template and patience, but I too would like to know this answer.

Thanks,
--Matt

 

[Tortuga]

@CJJon did you use UV glue? Your seams look really clean. I've been researching bonding methods and UV glue appears to be the superior method. Silicon seams look really sloppy IMO

 

[overwrite123]

I make my own acrylic enclosures

You can laser cut the acrylic or you can CNC it. I prefer to laser cut it because the inside corners are way better.

This is the type of enclosure I use for my juvenile arboreal tarantulas :
The dimensions are 130mm*130mm*200mm . I use 4mm thick plexiglass

For gluing I use this stuff(If you want more info about my gluing technique , just ask) :

This is how my seams look:

The acrylic needed for 3 enclosures and 3 water dishes costs 29$ (including cutting)

and an empty one:

I prefer acrylic over glass because you cannot really drill glass for ventilation(it costs a LOT to waterjet cut holes in glass) and the metal mesh type ventilation looks bad in my opinion. Acrylic is clearer then glass and it weights less.

But glass is more durable(acrylic scratches easily) and some acrylic warps(especially in damp enclosures)