I recently placed purchased several acrylic enclosures from ArachnidShop: the big 12"x12"x18", two 6"x6"x9", and one 4"x4"x7". For the uninformed, these enclosures are sleek acrylic boxes with sliding magnetic lids and drilled ventilation holes. They are purpose built for invertebrates and seem to allow for good humidity retention, something that Kritter Keepers don't offer.
I house my A. Geniculata in the big one, and within a few hours, quite a bit of condensation built up inside (to be expected, as there is limited ventilation). But the issue here is that the magnetic lids of these containers are impossible to remove after the interior humidity increases. Acrylic is a hygroscopic material, meaning it absorbs water from the air, so the lids require sufficient clearance to compensate for expansion. The humidity differential across the top and bottom side of the sliding panel causes it to severely deform, which makes removing the lid a monumental task. For the large enclosure, I have to put one hand on the enclosure while I pull the lid off, which feels like it is going to rip the enclosure in half because it firmly rubs the top of the front panel as it is opened. It's impossible to remove without disturbing the spider.
I have my juvenile H. oipoquaeae in one of the 6"x6"x9" enclosures, and the issue is the same. Within a few days of housing the spider, the lid warps so badly that it horrifically scrapes the top when pulled off, which scares the crap out of the spider every time I want to feed it.
I feel bad about starting a discussion here because the business owner provided good customer service in regards to a different issue, however my email inquiry with concern about the enclosure lids went unanswered. These enclosures aren't cheap, but I would be happy to buy more of them if they didn't have this design flaw. Has anybody else used these enclosures and/or ran into this issue? The 6"x6"x9" tall enclosures I ordered from Amazon do not have this problem. Any input would be appreciated.
I house my A. Geniculata in the big one, and within a few hours, quite a bit of condensation built up inside (to be expected, as there is limited ventilation). But the issue here is that the magnetic lids of these containers are impossible to remove after the interior humidity increases. Acrylic is a hygroscopic material, meaning it absorbs water from the air, so the lids require sufficient clearance to compensate for expansion. The humidity differential across the top and bottom side of the sliding panel causes it to severely deform, which makes removing the lid a monumental task. For the large enclosure, I have to put one hand on the enclosure while I pull the lid off, which feels like it is going to rip the enclosure in half because it firmly rubs the top of the front panel as it is opened. It's impossible to remove without disturbing the spider.
I have my juvenile H. oipoquaeae in one of the 6"x6"x9" enclosures, and the issue is the same. Within a few days of housing the spider, the lid warps so badly that it horrifically scrapes the top when pulled off, which scares the crap out of the spider every time I want to feed it.
I feel bad about starting a discussion here because the business owner provided good customer service in regards to a different issue, however my email inquiry with concern about the enclosure lids went unanswered. These enclosures aren't cheap, but I would be happy to buy more of them if they didn't have this design flaw. Has anybody else used these enclosures and/or ran into this issue? The 6"x6"x9" tall enclosures I ordered from Amazon do not have this problem. Any input would be appreciated.
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