Enclosures with aluminium mesh

[Urzeitmensch]

I want to rehouse most of my juvie and adult Ts into bigger enclosures as soon as I get an appropriate shelf.

I want to have clear acrylic or glass display enclosures for them.

However, basically all enclosures I could find in Germany or even Europe are - like the Exo Terras - have some kind of mesh top, generally aluminium.

I have heard a lot about the downsides of such a setup. I was told that

a) The T couls get stuck in the mesh and lose a leg or worse. I have enclosures with very small holes (plastic or metal) and don't know why this would be a difference.

b) The T could gnaw through the mesh and escape. Did this ever really happen to anyone?

Does anyone have personal experience with those meshs? Are they realy that bad?

I know Tom Moran replaces then with custom made acrylic sheets but I am not sure if I am capable of crafting then to be honest ...

 

[moricollins]

Theta is a fairly high risk that your Tarantulas will get caught in the metal mesh. I would replace it with acrylic pieces instead, and drill some ventilation holes.
I'm really not good at that kind of thing but I've made about 5 lids this way in the past, it's quite simple once you get the hang of it

 

[Thekla]

I think there's a difference between the mesh lids used in Exo Terra enclosures and the aluminium mesh (Lochblech) they're using in European enclosures. One is wired, kinda webbed, made from really thin metal threads, the latter one is an aluminium sheet with actual holes in it. I've no proof, but I think the aluminium sheets with holes that are used in Germany should be safe, otherwise, we'd hear about way more incidents. And I doubt they could chew through them.

For example, HX-Terraristik makes pretty neat enclosures for tarantulas... look them up, they're great quality and quite cheap as well. I got a custom made enclosure for my dart frogs from them and for a reasonable fee they deliver it right into your living room, which comes in handy with a huge glass enclosure.

I know @boina loves their T enclosures, maybe she can tell you more.

 

[Urzeitmensch]

I think there's a difference between the mesh lids used in Exo Terra enclosures and the aluminium mesh (Lochblech) they're using in European enclosures. One is wired, kinda webbed, made from really thin metal threads, the latter one is an aluminium sheet with actual holes in it. I've no proof, but I think the aluminium sheets with holes that are used in Germany should be safe, otherwise, we'd hear about way more incidents. And I doubt they could chew through them.

For example, HX-Terraristik makes pretty neat enclosures for tarantulas... look them up, they're great quality and quite cheap as well. I got a custom made enclosure for my dart frogs from them and for a reasonable fee they deliver it right into your living room, which comes in handy with a huge glass enclosure.

I know @boina loves their T enclosures, maybe she can tell you more.

I have one of those enclosures with "Lochblech" for my H. nilgirinus. However, most of them I see in Germany are front-opening and I prefer top-opening.

I have never hears of HX, I'll contact them. Sadly, almost everyone involved in Ts and enclosures seems to be located in the North of Germany

 

[Thekla]

I have one of those enclosures with "Lochblech" for my H. nilgirinus. However, most of them I see in Germany are front-opening and I prefer top-opening.

Same here (I only have front doors with my arboreals). That's why I don't have any T enclosures made by HX, although because the front is in an angle you can put them into shelves and still be able to open them. That's really neat.

I have never hears of HX, I'll contact them. Sadly, almost everyone involved in Ts and enclosures seems to be located in the North of Germany

Well, that's probably because it's the better part of Germany. Just kidding. I'm sure it's really nice where you live (where do you live?*).

HX delivers in different parts of Germany, they're located in Höxter which isn't quite around the corner from where I live. Still not sure if they would do top opening enclosures, but it's worth a try.

* Somehow, I think I asked that question before... If so, you have to excuse an old women for her pitiful memory.

 

[Ellenantula]

Granted, I use KKs for my Ts. But my bearded dragon and ball python enclosures have more of a metal grate for lids, not what I'd call mesh. Are these types safe for Ts? The grate holes (triangular shaped) look big enough for a leg to poke through -- yes -- but also looks large enough for a T to pull their leg (or fang) back through easily. (Sort of assuming here they aren't going to poke their whole leg through all the way to their body, just leg in grate hole 1/2 -1 inch or so).

I like the acrylic with holes idea, but I wouldn't have tools to cut these -- and they'd probably crack if I tried to drill holes. Anyway, I've avoided anything but large/X-large KKs for my Ts because I am not sure I'm correct about the safety of metal grate lids for Ts.

 

[viper69]

Did this ever really happen to anyone?

Yes, quite a few threads. All a convict has is time in a box, they are always looking to escape

Does anyone have personal experience with those meshs? Are they realy that bad?

The European glass cubes as we call them here, don't use the mesh screen as found in ExoTerra and other brands, at least not the ones I have seen.

You are better off getting the cubes, they are far cheaper than acrylic there.

 

[Rhino1]

Hmm, if the mesh is made from fine strands of wire like flyscreen it's a problem, the other type is a perforated aluminium sheet style which is generally fine to use.