Need lid for new enclosure

Chad Peace

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 5, 2016
Messages
88
image.jpeg Okay, so i got this enclosure which is 31 cm wide, 21cm length and 25 cm hight for free from my great grandmother, im pretty sure it housed fish before but i want to to turn it into a vivarium for my GBB. The problem is it came without any lid, so i was wondering if someone could give me suggestions on what i can do for a lid and how to keep the lid locked so it doesnt escape. Thanks a bunch!
 

Attachments

Chad Peace

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jul 5, 2016
Messages
88
Oh i forgot to mention, if you cant see it in the pictures the glass is curved
 

obie

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 8, 2014
Messages
115
i would just use acrylic sheet and screen clips to hold it down. the ones they make for screen lids
 

Ranitomeya

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2012
Messages
255
Acrylic warps under humid or hot conditions and is not recommended for lids. GBB are usually house quite dry, but you could still see significant warping if you have heating directed at the acrylic or lighting placed above it. You're better off using something like Lexan instead of acrylic as it's resistant to warping, but still easy cut and work with like acrylic. Don't forget to drill holes to allow for ventilation, whatever material you decide to use.
 

Tarantula20

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 19, 2014
Messages
93
Acrylic warps under humid or hot conditions and is not recommended for lids.
Yes acrylic warps under hot or humid conditions, but where on earth did you hear its not good for lids nearly every keeper on this site uses acrylic lids for glass enclosures? And yes it does warp under direct heating but no one should be using lighting or direct heating for T's, also Gbb's should be kept mostly dry so humidity is not an issue, well your points are valid for reptile enclosure they are not at all valid for a GBB and most T's.
 

KezyGLA

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
3,013
Im not great when it comes to customising enclosures but I'm pretty sure that even if you had the right tools and materials to build a top, be it acrylic or mesh it would be more hassle than it's worth as it is curved corners instead of right-angles.
 

Ranitomeya

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2012
Messages
255
Yes acrylic warps under hot or humid conditions, but where on earth did you hear its not good for lids nearly every keeper on this site uses acrylic lids for glass enclosures? And yes it does warp under direct heating but no one should be using lighting or direct heating for T's, also Gbb's should be kept mostly dry so humidity is not an issue, well your points are valid for reptile enclosure they are not at all valid for a GBB and most T's.
You're coming off as being rather aggressive in your response. It's not recommended to use acrylic as lids in general due to its tendency to warp, where on earth did you get the impression I was speaking for this site? I already said that GBB are kept dry, so that moisture as a cause of warping should not be a concern. Did I say that direct heating and lighting would and should be used? No. I mentioned it because it is a concern with acrylic lids and it's better to be informed of the risks. If you believe that it's not valid for most tarantulas, you may want to learn about the many species that require a humid enclosure where an acrylic lid would most definitely start warping. Besides, what if the OP decides to use the enclosure for something else? This thread was created so people could provide information, not so people could throw around personal views.
 

Red Eunice

Arachnodemon
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
666
Converting the dimensions, the top area is 8.25"X12.25", I suggest using using acrylic with at least .160" thickness. This thickness will give no sagging effect, you can use .125" and see minute sagging over a period of years. Acrylic is much cheaper than Lexan, thats why many use it. The choice is yours and what you want to spend.
Predrill the vent holes and use a file or sanding block to round off the corners for a good fit.
 

petkokc

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Messages
79
@Ranitomeya I have acrylic lids on ALL of my custom made enclosure that house all kinds of species. Never had any sing of warping. In fact, I am currently working on a Dart frog enclosure with waterfall. I also made acrylic lid for it. Guess what will be the ultimate test, but for regular tarantula enclosure it will do its job.

@Chad Peace You check tutorial video on how I make glass enclosures on my youtube channel (link in my signature) to see how you can easily cut acrylic.
 
Last edited:

Ranitomeya

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2012
Messages
255
@Ranitomeya I have acrylic lids on ALL of my custom made enclosure that house all kinds of species. Never had any sing of warping. In fact, I am currently working on a Dart frog enclosure with waterfall. I also made acrylic lid for it. Guess what will be the ultimate test, but for regular tarantula enclosure it will do its job.
Interesting. I wonder what kind of acrylic you used and what thickness it was. The 1/4 inch thick acrylic I've tried to use in the past warped beyond use as a lid when I attempted to use it for a moderately humid 10 gallon vivarium.
 

Red Eunice

Arachnodemon
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
666
Interesting. I wonder what kind of acrylic you used and what thickness it was. The 1/4 inch thick acrylic I've tried to use in the past warped beyond use as a lid when I attempted to use it for a moderately humid 10 gallon vivarium.
Now thats odd. Are you sure its acrylic and not clear ABS plastic? Composition makes a difference. Not to start an argument mind you, just me being perplexed.
I've a 10 gl. aquarium housing an H. lividum @ 70% RH with a .160" acrylic top. Been on for over 5 years and not the slightest bit of warping. Also the T room stays in the upper 70° range close to 80° during the daytime.
The acrylic sheets I purchase are manufactured by Shape Products, LLC from a local sign manufacturer. Menards carries this brand also, but much more costly and not in 4'X8' sheets.
 

Ranitomeya

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2012
Messages
255
Now thats odd. Are you sure its acrylic and not clear ABS plastic? Composition makes a difference. Not to start an argument mind you, just me being perplexed.
I've a 10 gl. aquarium housing an H. lividum @ 70% RH with a .160" acrylic top. Been on for over 5 years and not the slightest bit of warping. Also the T room stays in the upper 70° range close to 80° during the daytime.
The acrylic sheets I purchase are manufactured by Shape Products, LLC from a local sign manufacturer. Menards carries this brand also, but much more costly and not in 4'X8' sheets.
You're not being argumentative and I'm just as perplexed. Acrylic never worked for me in the past and people I spoke with had similar issues with warping, but perhaps it was just whatever brand I was purchasing. I can't recall what brand I bought as it was years ago, but I remember picking it up for cheap at Home Depot as acrylic sheets and having peel off a layer of plastic before cutting it to size. Perhaps whatever I purchased wasn't any good for humid environments. After acrylic failed for me, I moved onto glass as my dad had often brought the stuff home, and then Lexan when I learned about it.

The point is that there's a choice of materials and there are potential pros and cons. Like I already mentioned, warping would not be an issue in a non-humid environment as long as no heat is directed at the acrylic and would be fine for a GBB. It is cheap and easy to work with and could be a good lid material. I just prefer to have lids that I know would be useful in many applications without any possible issue should I change what I house inside an enclosure.
 

petkokc

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 13, 2015
Messages
79
@Ranitomeya For top lids I use 2mm and for dart frog paludarium I used 4mm, but just so it wont bend under its own weight. Maybe I'm buying good brand, dunno, but I was never under assumption that it could bend (It would really suck if it did bend and warp after I used it on 10 enclosures xD )
 

tetracerus

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
65
A quick search brought up this explanation from a manufacturer about warping. The simplest solution does seem to be to use a thicker sheet.

Anecdotally, I've worked as a manufacturing engineer and a lot of the fixtures that have been on our lines for years use .25"+ acrylic and show no visible warping. To be fair, Arizona is also pretty dry.

Also, even if it does warp, you can use a heat gun to flatten it out. I've done this in reverse -- applying heat along an edge to bend it and letting it cool while clamped. Once it's cool it will hold its shape. Presumably you could use a heat gun and then place your warped sheet under something flat and heavy.
 

tetracerus

Arachnosquire
Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
65
To actually address OP's question (haha), one way to get a lid that fits the rounded corners is to get it laser cut. There are sites like Ponoko that do this. Of course, this will be pricier than doing it yourself. Disclaimer: I rely on laser cutting like a crutch because I am lazy.
 
Top