How to Replacing zilla screen lid or modify it ?

[Odontodactylus]

Custom tanks get very expensive I wonder what the ones on that tv show tanked cost ?? A fortune .

Rumor has it the cleanup later on is even more expensive, their tanks don't last there's only a couple still up.

Either the tanks themselves crash or the fish they put in there don't thrive in their conditions and perish, without even factoring in husbandry your average restaurant/celeb likely doesn't know. I always get triggered when seeing their tanks, they're neat but as someone who's done saltwater for 10+ years its borderline impossible to have a tank without live rock and tanked uses none of it, I've ran tanks for years with no filter cause rock is that powerful as long as water flows into them, tanks without rock never stabilize and the only way I can fix them is actually putting the rock in the filtration via canister or sump. Plus fish need to graze, ocean fish are constantly picking at copepods, algae, micro film, etc that lives on the rock, void them of that constant food supply and they grow slower/potentially starve if you don't feed often.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Why would you need a shop to drill lexan or acrylic for you? Buy a rotary tool or drill, the appropriate bits, and have at it. It won't crack or melt if you drill a smaller pilot hole, SLOWLY, and then widen it later. I just drill the hole without a pilot, just slowly to not crack or melt it.

Custom tanks are obscenely expensive. I've seen some priced more than cars. The prices double if you're asking for special low-iron glass... Which, uh, every single one of my fish tanks are.

I am not looking forward to having to purchase more ADA tanks for my T's...

So I'm looking into finding high clarity acrylic sheets that don't warp and custom fabricating enclosures like those Tarantula Cribs.

Go figure, good luck finding good stuff man this Lowe’s stuff is pricey I may have to wait til I got more $. I don’t want to cheap out and buy garbage.

Rumor has it the cleanup later on is even more expensive, their tanks don't last there's only a couple still up.

Either the tanks themselves crash or the fish they put in there don't thrive in their conditions and perish, without even factoring in husbandry your average restaurant/celeb likely doesn't know. I always get triggered when seeing their tanks, they're neat but as someone who's done saltwater for 10+ years its borderline impossible to have a tank without live rock and tanked uses none of it, I've ran tanks for years with no filter cause rock is that powerful as long as way flows into them, tanks without rock never stabilize and the only way I can fix them is actually putting the rock in the filteration via canister or sump.

yeah very expensive clean up for giant broken tanks , maybe they just are to lazy too carry heavy rocks for natural set ups ?! Or they lack your understanding.
If anything this show is just for entertainment values .

 

[SpookySpooder]

Either the tanks themselves crash or the fish they put in there don't thrive in their conditions and perish, without even factoring in husbandry your average restaurant/celeb likely doesn't know. I always get triggered when seeing their tanks, they're neat but as someone who's done saltwater for 10+ years its borderline impossible to have a tank without live rock and tanked uses none of it, I've ran tanks for years with no filter cause rock is that powerful as long as water flows into them, tanks without rock never stabilize and the only way I can fix them is actually putting the rock in the filtration via canister or sump. Plus fish need to graze, ocean fish are constantly picking at copepods, algae, micro film, etc that lives on the rock, void them of that constant food supply and they grow slower/potentially starve if you don't feed often.

Yep! I think the main issue comes from the ignorance of the ecosystem that exists within every aquarium.

Most people who are ignorant of the hobby often want "the nicest looking display" for their expensive reef fish, and often neglect the entire reef aspect. This leads to major impulse spending, (easily thousands for a larger reef tank) improper set up and husbandry, and then subsequent teardowns when everything fails to thrive.

The most common thing I've noticed is the same as you mentioned, thousand gallon systems bare of any kind of biological filtration or live rock.

My college had a public aqaurium that was managed by volunteers and students of Tom S. Garrison. While part of his Marine Biology and Oceanography courses, I had the opportunity to personally tend to all the tanks and animals at the aquarium--and let me tell you, for every gallon of bare display tank out front, there were three gallons of live rock in a massive sump. The entire system was several thousand gallons, and in the middle of the facility were massive holding sumps FULL of biological filtration/live rock.

That's the kind of "behind the scenes" support you need for the kind of saltwater tanks that celebrities and restaurants have. Any less than that, and you're just waiting for it to fail, or spending thousands just to maintain a frail balance.

 

[Matt Man]

I need to buy some Villa enclosures so I can get Dims to make replacement lids. Already doing the Exoterras.

 

[Matt Man]

I use .236" (6MM) Art Grade extruded acrylic

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I use .236" (6MM) Art Grade extruded acrylic

we’re do you buy it at ?
I checked Lowe’s and gotta wait til I get more money to buy lexan . I don’t want the cheap stuff that warps . $40 bucks A sheet or more .

 

[Matt Man]

we’re do you buy it at ?
I checked Lowe’s and gotta wait til I get more money to buy lexan . I don’t want the cheap stuff that warps . $40 bucks A sheet or more .

ePlastics but I work with it pretty much daily. Comes in various sizes. Again, extruded is superior to cast

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

ePlastics but I work with it pretty much daily. Comes in various sizes. Again, extruded is superior to cast

Yeah it might be less hassle to have a hardware shop cut the peices too size or is it easy to do at home ? Again no signs of climbing so I don’t gotta rush to replace the lids quick .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I need to buy some Villa enclosures so I can get Dims to make replacement lids. Already doing the Exoterras.

I ran too low in money to buy the plexi for my cage lids so I’m considering two things plastic screen to stack ontop the metal to block not so claws can’t get stuck . Or coating it with something to make it non stick but I got no clue what to use I can research this site until I find an answer . Zilla tanks 15,10, 10 gallons.

 

[Michael Livote]

I literally just drilled out 100 holes on these premade Lexan tops for Aqueon 10 gallon tanks(I drilled two at once to save time on two enclosures). The tops cost $25 each and they're 3/16" thick, plenty to keep it from warping. Here's the link to the shop that sells it, it's US made and shipped for those that care. You do need to buy the plugs for the feeder holes, $3 a set I believe, and you need to glue them in, or just figure out a way to cover them up. BTW, I used a set of Imaginarium tank clips from Petco to lock down the cover. They have small holes drilled in them for no apparent reason, I just added a thin shoelace through that hole on each side and strung it across the tank, they hold great that way Hope this helps you in the future! (the pics are before I cleaned up the tanks for use ).

10 gallon Lexan tank lids

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I literally just drilled out 100 holes on these premade lexan tops for Aquion 10 gallon tanks(I drilled two at once to save time on two enclosures). The tops cost $25 each and they're 3/8" thick, plenty to keep it from warping. Here's the link to the shop that sells it, it's US made and shipped for those that care. You do need to buy the plugs for the feeder holes, $3 a set I believe, and you need to glue them in, or just figure out a way to cover them up. BTW, I used a set of Imaginarium tank clips from Petco to lock down the cover. They have small holes drilled in them for no apparent reason, I just added a thin shoelace through that hole on each side and strung it across the tank, they hold great that way Hope this helps you in the future! (the pics are before I cleaned up the tanks for use ).

10 gallon Lexan tank lids

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Woah I can definitely afford those here soon. Thanks !! I got a few cages in the garage that also need lids these would fit .

 

[Michael Livote]

Woah I can definitely afford those here soon. Thanks !! I got a few cages in the garage that also need lids these would fit .

What I like about these the most is that they don't have a cutout for an aquarium filter, literally all of the other ones I found did. That's a HUGE hole that can't really be covered up, glad I found these bad boys, they work great Glad I could help!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

What I like about these the most is that they don't have a cutout for an aquarium filter, literally all of the other ones I found did. That's a HUGE hole that can't really be covered up, glad I found these bad boys, they work great Glad I could help!

Zilla is on a sliding track not sure if they would fit it or not.
I ran out of money to replace screen lids with acrylic, zilla dimensions are so weird I couldn’t figure it out . It will have to wait until I get $$. Unless I can stack another type of screen or something on it so the pattern doesn’t stick to there claws.

 

[Matt Man]

Zilla is on a sliding track not sure if they would fit it or not.
I ran out of money to replace screen lids with acrylic, zilla dimensions are so weird I couldn’t figure it out . It will have to wait until I get $$. Unless I can stack another type of screen or something on it so the pattern doesn’t stick to there claws. View attachment 473261 View attachment 473262 View attachment 473263

I just need to buy a Zilla or 2 and take dimensions. I can cut to their weird shapes. Already do for exo terras

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I just need to buy a Zilla or 2 and take dimensions. I can cut to their weird shapes. Already do for exo terras

I have one that I made for a 12x12 Zilla. I think you took measurements of that frame waaay back when.

Correction, mine is not a sliding top.

 

[Matt Man]

I have one that I made for a 12x12 Zilla. I think you took measurements of that frame waaay back when.

Correction, mine is not a sliding top.

yes, I need to go purchase one of those 12x 12s because I am not quite happy with what I have been toying with. I want to get everything just right, so best to just have one I can put prototypes on and off and make notes
Sorry about the delay. Soon, I promise, hopefully before Pomona

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

yes, I need to go purchase one of those 12x 12s because I am not quite happy with what I have been toying with. I want to get everything just right, so best to just have one I can put prototypes on and off and make notes
Sorry about the delay. Soon, I promise, hopefully before Pomona

Makes sense. No worries at all on mine. That enclosure ended up with another T. As I needed it much sooner than I’d previously asked for, I just made one myself out of 1/4” acrylic. Not as nice as yours, but works well. As Zilla doesn’t have a top locking system, I just put lid clips on it. I’ll just go with Exos from now on. Simpler.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Makes sense. No worries at all on mine. That enclosure ended up with another T. As I needed it much sooner than I’d previously asked for, I just made one myself out of 1/4” acrylic. Not as nice as yours, but works well. As Zilla doesn’t have a top locking system, I just put lid clips on it. I’ll just go with Exos from now on. Simpler.

I wonder if there’s any pet safe coating you can spray on mesh to make it non stick ? acrylic is expensive I ran out of money before buying a sheet .

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I wonder if there’s any pet safe coating you can spray on mesh to make it non stick ? acrylic is expensive I ran out of money before buying a sheet .

You can get 2 - 12x12 1/4” sheets on Amazon for $15.

 

[Dorifto]

I wonder if there’s any pet safe coating you can spray on mesh to make it non stick ? acrylic is expensive I ran out of money before buying a sheet .

The issue it's the wire gauge, if the wire gaugue is smaller than the inner claw arch, the claw covers it, making it practically unable to disengage by itself, unless an upward force it's applied.

The only solution it's to use a thicker wire, so instead of covering the wire, the claw's tip touches the wire since the claw's inner arch is smaller than the wire diameter.

Painting it should make them thicker too, but them you would encounter another problems like paint chipping etc.

Instead of acrylic you can use perforated aluminium or steel sheets too. If not, just get a thicker gauge mesh.