# Custom 12"x12"X12" enclosure for both arboreal and terrestrial



## CBickert (Oct 20, 2014)

So this may be a bit premature thinking about adult enclosures while all of my Ts are slings (except for a 3.5" G. pulchripes female) but my curious mind can't help it.
 I have thought about and looked at the following enclosures:
Shoe boxes/tupperware
2.5, 5, and 10 gallon aquariums
Exo-Terra Terrariums 
Custom acrylic cages (like those from tarantulacages.com)

After looking at these possibilities I considered how much it would cost to house my collection in each, and how much space would it take. I found that getting all tarantulacages.com would be much too expensive for me. Exo-Terra is also quite pricey. The aquarium options are surprisingly expensive, unless you find a deal on them, but are the best option so far. And finally the shoe box is the cheapest but not the best in terms of aesthetic. 

Now that I have that out of the way, I can tell you I have come up with my own that I would like advice on. Essentially it is a cheaper replica of the Exo-Terra 12" cube but made with all acrylic. I can make these for about $30 a piece. They also aren't as large and sticking all of my collection in 10 gallon aquariums. Another down side to the aquariums is that only the lid can have ventilation considering the other sides are glass. 

Here is my reasoning behind it. The arboreal get the same height as a 2.5 gallon- 12" (many keepers have Avics in 2.5 gallons just fine.) BUT at the same time they can be used for terrestrial and they get 144 sq. in. of floor space. That is a bit more than a 5 gallon on it's side. With my custom enclosure I can also have better passive (or cross) ventilation while still controlling humidity. Notice the vents in the door and the top. Essentially is a Ex0-Terra without too much ventilation at half of the cost. These give the Ts plenty of room, while not requiring a  whole room to keep them in. 

Here is a photo of it by itself. 




And here it is next to a 10 gallon in both forms. 




Is this a horrible design? Will it work? Any limitations?


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## Mysteryavic (Oct 20, 2014)

Hey there,

Only thing i saw is that for a terrestrial T that u can not put that much sub inside. I am sure u can fix this easily enough but just letting u kno my thoughts. I like the ida and hope to see some being made with some Ts in them!


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## CBickert (Oct 20, 2014)

Mysteryavic said:


> Hey there,
> 
> Only thing i saw is that for a terrestrial T that u can not put that much sub inside. I am sure u can fix this easily enough but just letting u kno my thoughts. I like the ida and hope to see some being made with some Ts in them!


That is the one thing I see people say about the Exo-Terra as well. The thing is that I would not have the substrate level at 3" but it would slope to the back at an angle. I have been seeing a lot of German keepers enclosures and they all slope to the back. Check out Michel156 or Alex Rauch on YouTube. Now I know YouTube is not the be-all end-all source. 

Modifying a 10 gallon is actually cheaper at about $20 per enclosure and it almost double the space. But therein lies the problem, it is double the space to keep my Ts. I am trying to find a middle ground. Also by using an adaptable set up, I can reuse it for an arboreal or a terrestrial, unlike the aquariums. I may build 1 as a prototype and see how I can make it work.


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## skippydude (Oct 21, 2014)

CBickert said:


> That is the one thing I see people say about the Exo-Terra as well. The thing is that I would not have the substrate level at 3" but it would slope to the back at an angle. I have been seeing a lot of German keepers enclosures and they all slope to the back. Check out Michel156 or Alex Rauch on YouTube. Now I know YouTube is not the be-all end-all source.
> 
> Modifying a 10 gallon is actually cheaper at about $20 per enclosure and it almost double the space. But therein lies the problem, it is double the space to keep my Ts. I am trying to find a middle ground. Also by using an adaptable set up, I can reuse it for an arboreal or a terrestrial, unlike the aquariums. I may build 1 as a prototype and see how I can make it work.


Use it upright for arboreals and roll it so the lid is on top for terrestrials. Placing it lid side up will allow for more substrate

Reactions: Like 1


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## CBickert (Oct 21, 2014)

skippydude said:


> Use it upright for arboreals and roll it so the lid is on top for terrestrials. Placing it lid side up will allow for more substrate


I thought about that as a possible idea, and it works, until it comes to feeding and maintenance. That configuration would require me to take the enclosure from it's shelving and move it to another spot in order to open from the top. Thanks for the feedback though. 

I guess the big question I have is will it fit an LP or larger 7"+ terrestrial or arboreal.


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## skippydude (Oct 21, 2014)

CBickert said:


> I thought about that as a possible idea, and it works, until it comes to feeding and maintenance. That configuration would require me to take the enclosure from it's shelving and move it to another spot in order to open from the top. Thanks for the feedback though.
> 
> I guess the big question I have is will it fit an LP or larger 7"+ terrestrial or arboreal.


For a 7" terrestrial you need about 20" of floor width. For a 7" arboreal you need about 20" of height.


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## CBickert (Oct 22, 2014)

skippydude said:


> For a 7" terrestrial you need about 20" of floor width. For a 7" arboreal you need about 20" of height.


Yeah. It will be better to go with the 10 gallon. I just wanted to hear I could get away with these 12" cubes. Lol 
That's okay. 10 gallon is cheaper for me and I get more space to play with when it comes to naturalistic setups. 
Thanks for your input.


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## xirxes (Oct 24, 2014)

Check out tatantula-cage.com

A bit of a rip off of tarantulacages.com, but he was at local show and prices are much better.

Ends up being very close to build cost before ship.


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## Oumriel (Oct 24, 2014)

CBickert said:


> That is the one thing I see people say about the Exo-Terra as well. The thing is that I would not have the substrate level at 3" but it would slope to the back at an angle. I have been seeing a lot of German keepers enclosures and they all slope to the back. Check out Michel156 or Alex Rauch on YouTube. Now I know YouTube is not the be-all end-all source.
> 
> Modifying a 10 gallon is actually cheaper at about $20 per enclosure and it almost double the space. But therein lies the problem, it is double the space to keep my Ts. I am trying to find a middle ground. Also by using an adaptable set up, I can reuse it for an arboreal or a terrestrial, unlike the aquariums. I may build 1 as a prototype and see how I can make it work.


I use 12x12 exo terras for my med terrestrials.  To solve the issue of not enough sub, I used cork bark tubes and pieces of cork to create deep burrows then cover it all with sub.  I do this to create a sort of wall and ceiling structure so deep burrow won't collapse. All my burrows are around 4 inches deep and about 5-6 in length. I am also able to give each t at least one branching tunnel.  I no longer have ts climbing and they all seem to be content with these burrows.  I like the exo terras and I have made them work for me.  I will be using tall acrylics for my avics.

Reactions: Like 1


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## tweakz (Oct 28, 2014)

Craigslist is your friend in this hobby. Usually can find tanks and exoterras for cheap and occasionally a nice T find.


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## Halftrak (Oct 31, 2014)

Actually the best design I've seen so far is probably the one sold by Jamie's Tarantulas

http://www.jamiestarantulas.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=00001

It serves as an arboreal OR a terrestrial cage depending on how you orient it. Not sure why no one else has produced anything similar but the price on Jaime's is a real punch to the gut at $70...

The taller high-heeled shoe boxes from the Container Store work great for my OBT and Rose hair though currently. Everything else is in 5 gallon tanks or acrylic cubes.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/shoeStorage/shelf?productId=10023923


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## viper69 (Nov 1, 2014)

OP I'd add more ventilation on sides and top for Avics. ExoTerras have full screen tops.


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## viper69 (Nov 1, 2014)

Halftrak said:


> Actually the best design I've seen so far is probably the one sold by Jamie's Tarantulas
> 
> http://www.jamiestarantulas.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=00001
> 
> ...



What's good about Jamie's design, and I haven't seen anyone copy them yet, is the door is offset from the top. The benefit for aboreals is that it gives the Ts a bit of room to make an arboreal hide up top w/out having a door opening and closing and wrecking their 'home'. It helps the keeper. I don't know why all the other designs have the door go all the way to the top. Sure Ts can make a new home, but it's better if they aren't disturbed. Helps w/those fast Ts.


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## EricsPlasticShop (Nov 5, 2014)

two problems with a tank that orients in two directions: the wet dirt in contact with clear acrylic and scratches. this sounds like a good idea but I think over time, when you switch from terrestrial to arboreal, you'll see what I mean.

---------- Post added 11-05-2014 at 06:45 PM ----------

I don't think they're a rip off of tarantulacages.com. maybe a copy. tarantula-cage.com uses black abs plastic on the bottom of all the tanks. abs plastic is hard to scratch and takes the impact better than acrylic. black vents are also use instead of silver. the vent size is also taken in consideration with tarantula-cage.com. as they buit their styles, gauges were used to determine correct temps and humidity with specific vent size. and the prices are a lot better than anywhere else.


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## Akai (Nov 5, 2014)

I wish I could apply this to a large collection but for space reasons and cost, large acrylic enclosures just aren't practical.  However I would buy one of these fancy enclosures for a few of my finest display Ts.  I have a few of Jaimes enclosures but over time acrylic can get beat up like EricsPlastics stated.  The offset door on JTs design is fantastic though for arboreal setups and anyone who owns Avics would most certainly agree.   Something to ponder and I wish I was as creative as you Cbickert.


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## vespers (Nov 10, 2014)

viper69 said:


> What's good about Jamie's design, and I haven't seen anyone copy them yet, is the door is offset from the top. The benefit for aboreals is that it gives the Ts a bit of room to make an arboreal hide up top w/out having a door opening and closing and wrecking their 'home'. It helps the keeper. I don't know why all the other designs have the door go all the way to the top. Sure Ts can make a new home, but it's better if they aren't disturbed. Helps w/those fast Ts.


 That's a feature in those enclosures that I _don't_ like. Arboreals will shoot poo up under that lip above the door, and you have to reach inside the cage to clean it well. Not fun if you're keeping an Asian arboreal in it. Stopped using that in favor of designs that the door goes all the way to the top, like Exo Terras.


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## viper69 (Nov 15, 2014)

I never thought of that, gives me pause - will have to think about it


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