DIY enclosure cover tips?

[John Bokma]

Hi all,

I can buy fish tanks here (Mexico) cheap and without any problems, but how to cover the tank? For some enclosures I use a piece of glass with a 3mm hole drilled in the middle which works for species that need a high humidity.

However, for the species that like it a bit more dry I am looking for advice/instructions to make a good cover.

Options I have in mind are:

- buying glass and make a hole in the center with a dremel + diamond tipped tool
- buying plexiglass, cutting a rectangle in the middle and gluing metal wire mess
over the hole
- making some (aluminum) framework that holds wire mess.

 

[EAD063]

Buy thin strips of wood to go around the outside of the tank. Along with that buy a "mitre box".. this is to create the 45 degree angle at each corner. (And will be useful for other pet and non pet related projects). After measuring the length around the outside, making the joints and securing them via wood glue, small finishing nails or staples, cut fiberglass screen enough to cover the top and barely wrap around the edges (don't be sparing, you can trim later). Then use a staple gun to staple around the edges and secure the screen. Some sanding may be required to fit the lid around the tank, but you want it to be snug anyways. You could use plexiglass to restrict some ventilation... If I were doing the project and wanted to do that, I'd take a sheet of plexi, cut it in half, and make the cover above putting the glass on either side and the fiberglass screen in the middle.

 

[John Bokma]

Example of the fish tanks I use (this one has fish)

The glass cover I use falls "inside" the black plastic on top of the tank. I was thinking to make a cover that somehow does the same.

 

[EAD063]

So yes, you could cut plexi to fit the inside, dremel a hole in it and glue some screen. What I referred to is the one that slips around the outside of the black plastic. I have a realitive who makes a few at a time and all the ones I've taken from him seemed fairly simple to construct. I don't like having spare glue and such showing with my final projects though.

 

[John Bokma]

So yes, you could cut plexi to fit the inside, dremel a hole in it and glue some screen. What I referred to is the one that slips around the outside of the black plastic. I have a realitive who makes a few at a time and all the ones I've taken from him seemed fairly simple to construct. I don't like having spare glue and such showing with my final projects though.

Yes, I was guessing that you wanted it to slip around the outside. The problem is that I have shelves that have several enclosures that just fit.

And yeah, I prefer to hide glue and stuff. I keep some scorpions in "click clacks" and those boxes are excellent to keep them in (ok, except that they get scratches a lot and hence are hard to clean). I glue metal wire mesh against the inside after having cut a hole and it looks like I bought it like that

 

[Uncle Manny]

tops

Please do not consider this as any form of self serving interest, but rather a point of information. The top described in my Barron's book Scorpions: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual seems to fit the bill for your use.

Uncle Manny

 

[John Bokma]

English books are hard to get in Mexico unless I order them online and wait at least a month, which is a bit of a long wait for a cover. No idea if you can describe it or show a photo though.