In a bit of a pickle with an l.para tank?

[Torrid]

Well I got my l. para awhile back, a beautiful 7" female, and she's still doing well- she's been in a large plastic container with holes drilled in, nothing fancy, but I want something that's a bit easier on the eyes. This works just find for housing her, but I'd like something aesthetically pleasing, too.

I could get a 10 gallon tank and stick a mesh top on there, but I'm worried about her chewing through it-- all the stories I've heard about that has gotten me frightened!

So, I need some opinions. I'd really prefer something glass for the visibility, and I'm not wanting to spend a small fortune on a custom made tarantula tank, I'm mainly just looking for opinions between tops on a 10 gallon glass tank.

Enough of my rambling though, here's my questions:

Tarantulas chewing through the mesh/wire: Does this only apply to the flimsy screen mesh that is rather soft, or does this hold true to the thicker metal tops sold in pet stores as well? (I THINK the ones I'm thinking of are made of steel.)

If this does apply to the thicker metal tops in pet stores, what about the wire tops that look almost like the top of a rodent's cage? I'm not really sure how to describe them better and couldn't find a single picture after searching for half an hour. They're made for glass tanks and pretty much look like the top of a rodent's cage.

Bottom line is that I'd like to have a glass tank without worrying about Shelob chewing her way out of her tank.

 

[Hobo]

I would think the thicker metal tops (dipped chicken wire, right?) would be fine, and those ones made for rodents to be absolutely fine.
Alternatively, you could place The Phial of Galadriel on the top, and she wouldn't even go up there.

 

[Wiggles92]

Get a piece of acrylic, cut it to fit the top, and drill as many holes in it as needed for proper circulation.

 

[SgtSparkles]

indeed use some plexi and cut it to fit, attach some handles from the local hardware store and drill as many small holes as you need

 

[Torrid]

Thanks for the suggestions guys-- I'm a bit weary about cutting plexiglass because I'm not sure I have the tools to safely cut it I'll try to research exactly what kind of material the tops are made of and see if anyone has had escapees with it before.

 

[Fuma]

Get a piece of acrylic, cut it to fit the top, and drill as many holes in it as needed for proper circulation.

done this many times, works wonders and keeps the humidity where i need it

---------- Post added 03-08-2012 at 04:04 PM ----------

Thanks for the suggestions guys-- I'm a bit weary about cutting plexiglass because I'm not sure I have the tools to safely cut it I'll try to research exactly what kind of material the tops are made of and see if anyone has had escapees with it before.

ive learn a easy way to do this.. all you need is a strait peace of wood ( longer the the plexi) and a razor... mark where the cuts need to be then place the wood from point to point.. take the razor... cut it all the way from point to point about 10 times... turn the plexi over and place the wood in the same spots.. now place you knees on the wood.. grab under the plexi and pull.. it will be load but its a perfect cut every time... works great.. also they have cheep plaxi at Homedepot and Lows

 

[Projecht13]

Thanks for the suggestions guys-- I'm a bit weary about cutting plexiglass because I'm not sure I have the tools to safely cut it I'll try to research exactly what kind of material the tops are made of and see if anyone has had escapees with it before.

I picked up a utility knife set from Lowes for 10 bucks, its cobalt brand and has tons of different razor blade designs. One included is actually for scoring plexiglass. It works wonders for me. Alternately you can just take the exact measurments to Lowes or Home Depot and they will cut it with their machine for very cheap.

 

[zonbonzovi]

What's the brand/model? Scoring is so much cleaner than using a table saw unless you have the appropriate blade.

 

[Torrid]

Unfortunately, there isn't a single Lowes or Home Depot within driving distance. I'd have to take a ferry to the mainland just to shop there. @_@ I may have found a solution, though, I'll update if I snagged this deal.