Attractive display tank for a full grown Lasiodora Bird Eater tarantula?

[gambite]

My L. klugi is growing up, so I want to go ahead and set up a tank large enough to house her at full adult size. Her old tank is a low "breeder" style 5g tank;

Terrariums — Aquarium Masters

www.aquariumindustrial.com

> AMR61004 - 5-Breeder - 16x8x6”

I went ahead and got the next size up in 10g equivalent;

> AMR61009 - 10-Breeder - 20x10x6”

However I am having second thoughts about this tank. I already had issues with her, and other tarantulas, chewing holes through the screen lids. I am also finding that the tops of these low tanks greatly impair visibility. Its starting to get annoying to not be able to clearly see her sitting out in the open due to being obscured by the lids.

I saw on some YouTube channels, people were using tanks that were completely clear acrylic. But I have been digging around on Amazon and cant seem to find any that match a full 10 gallon or larger size, especially in a low~ish form factor to optimize floor space.
Examples; https://www.amazon.com/s?k=acrylic+tank+10+gallon+for+tarantula+xl&i=pets&crid=2CEB98F6WHAH1&qid=1694184273&sprefix=acrylic+tank+10+gallon+for+tarantula+xl,pets,103&ref=sr_pg_1

most of these ^^^ are all roughly 5g in size, and even smaller than the 20"x10" I currently have (but havent moved her into yet). Also worth mentioning that I am trying to avoid a DIY solution, would rather get a pre-made one that matches the desired size and attributes.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[TLSizzle]

Any screen lid should be replaced with acrylic anyway. Once that's done, perhaps that would solve your visibility problems?

For my 10 gallon, I got this lid conversion from Amazon

Amazon.com

 

[gambite]

Any screen lid should be replaced with acrylic anyway. Once that's done, perhaps that would solve your visibility problems?

For my 10 gallon, I got this lid conversion from Amazon

Amazon.com

Thats a good idea, I will look into this one for sure. I originally liked the screen lids on these tanks because they slide into a track on the top, and have a single small clamp holding it in place, much nicer than the old route of using something like a aquarium 10G then needing multiple gnarly clips to hold shut. I actually had a plan to cut thin plexiglass to lay inside the lid to keep them from chewing the screen, but that doesnt help with the visibility issue if the screen is still in place. I was not aware there could be full conversion kits to get rid of the screen completely. Mostly I just liked the locking mechanism.

Also worth noting that there are other threads on here about tanks for e.g. Lasiodora parahybana (salmon pink bird eater), but I have not seen a lot of threads anywhere specifically about the best looking tanks at this size. Definitely not trying to use an old plastic storage bin these days.

Lasiodora parahybana-final enclosure. What's this I hear about bioactive terrariums?

I currently have 3 0.5" Lasiodora parahybana slings and given how fast these grow, I'm thinking about the final enclosure for the single female I intend to keep. A lot has changed since I last kept tarantulas, and it's hard to keep track of everything. The fossorial enclosures from Tarantula...

arachnoboards.com

Enclosure for adult Lasiadora parahybana

Is this enclosure large enough to keep an adult Lasiodora parahybana? It is the Zoo Med low profile 6 gallon tank. Same floor space as a 10 gallon tank just not as tall.

arachnoboards.com

How big of a tank (in gallons) would an adult Lasiodora parahybana need?

How big of a tank does an adult Lasiodora parahybana need?

arachnoboards.com

 

[TLSizzle]

I can't believe how difficult it's been to find decent enclosures. With how popular the hobby is, you'd think there would be a plethora of options.
I didn't notice that the tank you have has the track style lids, but im sure you can figure something out. Even take off the screen and glue the acrylic conversion lid to the main structure of the lid(?)
I don't feel like I explained that very well lol

ETA-- the conversion lid fits inside my frame. So I'm going to remove the mesh and silicone the acrylic to the frame. To give the lid weight and stability.



Sorry the pics are huge.

 

[gambite]

I can't believe how difficult it's been to find decent enclosures.

Honestly, I kinda blame Exo Terra. As much as I love their products, it seems like their all-glass terrariums with the hinged front glass doors have dominated the "high end" market. Its all I ever see offered consistently.

Example;
https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Short-Terrarium-12-Inch/dp/B008N9LYJ6/




The problem being, of course, that when you open the doors, you have gaps on either side between the door hinges and the side wall of the tank, which your tarantula is liable to try running through, or otherwise stick their legs through. Especially bad on arboreals who climb a lot. Really really hate this design oversight on these. To be honest though, maybe its not such a big deal with something like Lasiodora parahybana or klugi, who aren't likely to spend a lot of time on the glass walls. Actually maybe this one linked here (18" x 18" x 12") might even be a good size. Its a little taller than I wanted but otherwise it could be a good fit. I will have to think about it, and see if anyone has one of this size in stock at the reptile expo this weekend in White Plains NY

edit: an important consideration I just realized about the 18" x 18" Exo Terra described here; the 18" tank depth is actually deeper than all of my shelves! Seems like standard shelf unit depth is about 14", in fact it looks like I dont even own a shelf deep enough to hold such a tank. Wow never had to consider shelving restrictions for tarantula tanks before. Good thing I checked. Might have to hit up Ikea or something!

 

[The Spider House]

Honestly, I kinda blame Exo Terra. As much as I love their products, it seems like their all-glass terrariums with the hinged front glass doors have dominated the "high end" market. Its all I ever see offered consistently.

Example;
https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Short-Terrarium-12-Inch/dp/B008N9LYJ6/


View attachment 455152

The problem being, of course, that when you open the doors, you have gaps on either side between the door hinges and the side wall of the tank, which your tarantula is liable to try running through, or otherwise stick their legs through. Especially bad on arboreals who climb a lot. Really really hate this design oversight on these. To be honest though, maybe its not such a big deal with something like Lasiodora parahybana or klugi, who aren't likely to spend a lot of time on the glass walls. Actually maybe this one linked here (18" x 18" x 12") might even be a good size. Its a little taller than I wanted but otherwise it could be a good fit. I will have to think about it, and see if anyone has one of this size in stock at the reptile expo this weekend in White Plains NY

edit: an important consideration I just realized about the 18" x 18" Exo Terra described here; the 18" tank depth is actually deeper than all of my shelves! Seems like standard shelf unit depth is about 14", in fact it looks like I dont even own a shelf deep enough to hold such a tank. Wow never had to consider shelving restrictions for tarantula tanks before. Good thing I checked. Might have to hit up Ikea or something!

I have a number of Theraphosa sp in exo (with acrylic replacement). They are 45x45x30. I use the modular garage shelving units and there are usually a 45cm deep shelf option that just about fits the exos on. They are heavy duty and can take the eeight of the glass and a tank full of sub so these modular garage shelving units will be much stronger then the cardboard filled units you can get from IKEA.

 

[gambite]

in exo (with acrylic replacement).

what is this acrylic replacement you speak of?

 

[gambite]

did some Google and found two potential options for replacing the screen lid in the Exo Terra glass terrarium;

rip out the screen and replace with acrylic / plexiglass

full replacement lid kit

Tinkerframe Small Lid Replacement Lid Upgrade Kit for Exo Terra Small 18x18 Terrarium New Design - Etsy

This Pet Houses item by CMTerrariums has 268 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Battle Ground, WA. Listed on Apr 12, 2024

www.etsy.com

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I use 10 gallon tanks all but 3 have plexiglass lids . my 5” lp was given a 10 gal. I forgot how to build my lids..

 

[The Spider House]

what is this acrylic replacement you speak of?

I buy sheets of acrylic and basically measure it to the black frame and then silicone it in place (with plenty of vent holes in acrylic obviously). It's very much a DIY thing I do but done loads so got it down to a fine art now.

There is also an alternative, the acrylic roof panels that are 2 thin skins with vertical slats in the middle, if you get the right thickness, they actually just sit directly on top of the main frame and effectively replace the whole lid. You can then turn the clips on the exo lid to keep it in place. Obviously the tighter the fit the better and so the clips are just a back up. Again, drill loads of holes through the 2 skins. I use both methods.

 

[gambite]

well turns out I have some 1/16" thick sheets of polycarbonate (evidnetly not the same as plexiglass, no clue if its the same material as acrylic), might try to free-hand cut them to size, but I am kinda wondering about the importance of the glue used to fit them in the Exo Terra tank lid frame after ripping out the screen material. In that Youtube video she mentions E6000, which I actually have as well (never used it before), but I also have a regular hot glue gun. I am kinda worried about how "permanent" the E6000 or the

silicone it in place

silicone glue might be, compared to something like E6000, do I really need these to be super permanent? Could I just use hot glue on it? I am kinda hoping it would be strong enough to not fall apart (especially if a full grown LP tried to crawl on it upside-down), but also if I really did need to swap it out later, it should be possible to rip it apart in the future if needed. Thoughts?

edit: 1/16" inch polycarbonate sheets are definitely too thin to span the full 18" width, they bow like crazy in the middle, gonna look for something thicker
also worth noting, the depth of the inner lip of the top of the Exo Terra in which the lid rests is just about exactly 1/2". So for the built-in locks to work, you need to fill in the 1/2" of space beneath them.

 

[The Spider House]

well turns out I have some 1/16" thick sheets of polycarbonate (evidnetly not the same as plexiglass, no clue if its the same material as acrylic), might try to free-hand cut them to size, but I am kinda wondering about the importance of the glue used to fit them in the Exo Terra tank lid frame after ripping out the screen material. In that Youtube video she mentions E6000, which I actually have as well (never used it before), but I also have a regular hot glue gun. I am kinda worried about how "permanent" the E6000 or the


silicone glue might be, compared to something like E6000, do I really need these to be super permanent? Could I just use hot glue on it? I am kinda hoping it would be strong enough to not fall apart (especially if a full grown LP tried to crawl on it upside-down), but also if I really did need to swap it out later, it should be possible to rip it apart in the future if needed. Thoughts?

edit: 1/16" inch polycarbonate sheets are definitely too thin to span the full 18" width, they bow like crazy in the middle, gonna look for something thicker
also worth noting, the depth of the inner lip of the top of the Exo Terra in which the lid rests is just about exactly 1/2". So for the built-in locks to work, you need to fill in the 1/2" of space beneath them.

Yes it's the space underneath that it needs to be siliconed/glued to for the locks to still function. Essentially it's upside down when glued and so I also use weights to make sure a good seal.

'Aquarium' grade silicone is recommended but TBH, I have used hot glue as well as sanitary silicone without any issues. The trick for any silicone is the curing. It stinks! I always leave for at least 7 days to cure properly and even then I keep outside if I can or in an open room away from the Ts until eveything is cured.

 

[lucarelli78]

My L. klugi is growing up, so I want to go ahead and set up a tank large enough to house her at full adult size. Her old tank is a low "breeder" style 5g tank;

Terrariums — Aquarium Masters

www.aquariumindustrial.com

> AMR61004 - 5-Breeder - 16x8x6”

I went ahead and got the next size up in 10g equivalent;

> AMR61009 - 10-Breeder - 20x10x6”

However I am having second thoughts about this tank. I already had issues with her, and other tarantulas, chewing holes through the screen lids. I am also finding that the tops of these low tanks greatly impair visibility. Its starting to get annoying to not be able to clearly see her sitting out in the open due to being obscured by the lids.

I saw on some YouTube channels, people were using tanks that were completely clear acrylic. But I have been digging around on Amazon and cant seem to find any that match a full 10 gallon or larger size, especially in a low~ish form factor to optimize floor space.
Examples; https://www.amazon.com/s?k=acrylic+tank+10+gallon+for+tarantula+xl&i=pets&crid=2CEB98F6WHAH1&qid=1694184273&sprefix=acrylic+tank+10+gallon+for+tarantula+xl,pets,103&ref=sr_pg_1

most of these ^^^ are all roughly 5g in size, and even smaller than the 20"x10" I currently have (but havent moved her into yet). Also worth mentioning that I am trying to avoid a DIY solution, would rather get a pre-made one that matches the desired size and attributes.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

Tarantula Cribs make awesome acrylic enclosures.

 

[lucarelli78]

I can't believe how difficult it's been to find decent enclosures. With how popular the hobby is, you'd think there would be a plethora of options.
I didn't notice that the tank you have has the track style lids, but im sure you can figure something out. Even take off the screen and glue the acrylic conversion lid to the main structure of the lid(?)
I don't feel like I explained that very well lol

ETA-- the conversion lid fits inside my frame. So I'm going to remove the mesh and silicone the acrylic to the frame. To give the lid weight and stability.
View attachment 455143
View attachment 455144

Sorry the pics are huge.

Check out Tarantula Cribs.

 

[gambite]

Tarantula Cribs make awesome acrylic enclosures.

These?

Terrestrial Enclosures | Tarantula Cribs

www.tarantulacribs.com

I saw them, along with other acrylic knock-offs, but none of them seemed large enough for a full sized Lasiodora bird eater species

 

[TLSizzle]

They do! They're just very expensive!

Think I actually found someone local who can make all my enclosures! Just picked this one up for my T albo. Custom color and all

 

[gambite]

I found some of the notes included with the tanks listed on this page to be pretty helpful for this as well

Tarantula Supplies — The Tarantula Collective

Enclosures, hides, substrates, and everything else for your tarantulas enclosure. This is a massive list of all the items I use and can recommend for keeping pet tarantulas.

www.thetarantulacollective.com

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Large acrylic warps over time. You won’t find one that’s big enough. @Dorifto makes amazing enclosures and I believe provides blue prints.

 

[Dorifto]

Build your own, it will save you a ton of money.

I build one miself and it's not that hard, simply time consuming.

I personally would go for a full glass enclosure, as acrylic tends to warp under moisture, specially the large pieces. You can use a fish tank and mod it to suit your needs, it's quite easy, or you can customize your own one.

This are mine, it's just an euro style enclosure, pretty common this side of the pond. Total build cost around 40 bucks.

original_250afeb4-3cee-4ff4-b5ce-6fa193dbb5d0_IMG_20211118_141027.jpg

• Dorifto
• Jul 18, 2022
• 3

IMG_20200523_002020.jpg

• Dorifto
• Oct 2, 2021

This is a fish tank modded to have an excellent air flow. You only have to drill the bottom part (quite easy with patience) using some round diamong glass bits, then glue a vertical piece of glass or hard plastic, on the front glass, at the dame level of the plastic or glass piece glue a L shaped profile using silicone and on top both glue a mesh (perforated aluminium it's preferred) You can use the top as a door using two acrylic hinges atached to a piece of glass and next to it a perforated aluminium grille.

Feel free to ask any question

IMG_20220630_223820.jpg

• Dorifto
• Jun 30, 2022
• 4

Fish tank mod

 

[lucarelli78]

These?

Terrestrial Enclosures | Tarantula Cribs

www.tarantulacribs.com

I saw them, along with other acrylic knock-offs, but none of them seemed large enough for a full sized Lasiodora bird eater species

My mistake, I just know they have a various assortment of shapes and sizes, so I just assumed they had one large enough for an LP.