My first mid-sized arboreal enclosure

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Arachnobaron
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Jan 27, 2017
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This thread is a spin-off of a couple posts in the photo thread.

Arboreal

This one is based on a Hobby Lobby display case (5.5 x 6.5 x 8.5) and is my first attempt at an arboreal enclosure with minimal substrate. The current occupant is an S calceatum whose previous home was short of ventilation and decoration. (it was a rush build for a 3.5" T which was supposed to be a 1.5" T)

The base is a coco fiber sheet (find it in the hermit crab section) with about an inch of moss, a handful of coco fiber substrate, and a water dish. Along the back are a cork bark tube (open at both ends), a twig, and a section of plastic vine wrapped around the twig.

The vine, twig, and tube were hot glued into the enclosure, and so is the coco fiber sheet.

All in all I am pleased with the look but if I had to do it again I would distress the edges of the fiber sheet and use a vine which wasn't so beat up. (But I am going to wait for critiques before trying again, anyway.)

Mini helmet case? It's a great size. I very much like the interior design!

Construction-wise I worry that there may not be adequate ventilation. I ended up adding a great number of holes after mine was a stagnant bog.it will help with convenience & containment to cut the lid about 1/3 of the way up & install a hinge. @CyclingSam has a tutorial:


Nicely done!
I don't like the hinge mods; they're just not appealing. (Also, I don't have the skills to add hinges and make it look good.) That's what pushed me to go for minimum substrate.

Coincidentally, this brings up a flaw with my design: there are no pins holding the front of the enclosure on. I'll need to fix that the next time around.

As for ventilation, I have 4 holes in the front/lid/door and two holes on the left and right sides and top. (I forgot to put holes on the backside, darnit.)

Isn't that enough?
 
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