new tank build

trailblazin02

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
30
I love using the expanding foam for enclosures! You can easily make neat designs with it and carve it too. just watch the hot glue with plexi it dont adhere the best to it for some reason. i usually scuff mine up for a better seam or use acrylic cement if possible. i had a 5.5 gallon where the bottom dam just kinda fell off one day when opening the door with the hot glue so i used the cement insead and havent had any issues
 

Billy 5ek

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
47
I love using the expanding foam for enclosures! You can easily make neat designs with it and carve it too. just watch the hot glue with plexi it dont adhere the best to it for some reason. i usually scuff mine up for a better seam or use acrylic cement if possible. i had a 5.5 gallon where the bottom dam just kinda fell off one day when opening the door with the hot glue so i used the cement insead and havent had any issues
I like working with the foam aswell and it's also so forgiving,if you dont like some parts of your creation,you can carve that down and reapply the foam and it will look as nothing ever happened.

Hot glue doesnt last on glass probably due to moisture. Thanks for the tip. I sanded my lower part of the doors and siliconed it aswell,just to be safe.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Its glued on the same place as the mesh was,
I used hot glue gun, I can take a pic of underside if interested
I've wondered about doing that. Any problems in doing this? The only reason I haven't done this is I like to keep my ExoTerra as flexible as possible, never know if I will have an aboreal T or gecko etc in it the next time. Would be nice if you could buy the lids from them.

What's the THICKNESS of that plexi, and what size drill bit did you use??

It looks good.
 

Billy 5ek

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
47
I've wondered about doing that. Any problems in doing this? The only reason I haven't done this is I like to keep my ExoTerra as flexible as possible, never know if I will have an aboreal T or gecko etc in it the next time. Would be nice if you could buy the lids from them.

What's the THICKNESS of that plexi, and what size drill bit did you use??

It looks good.

I had no problems,the most annoying thing is the drilling part. I used 3mm and 5 mm drills. You just need to be careful with the wider drills,you have a bigger chance of cracking the glass. So drill very slowly because you dont want to melt the plastic nor crack it. I used 4mm plexi thickness.

I will probably never use the tank for anything else than my spiders and just the thought of them beeing stuck on that mesh and me not beeing there to help was just stressful.

Here is the pic;
20140510_130124.jpg
 

shebeen

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
383
I don't understand why people are modifying their exo-terra tops instead of simply replacing them with a piece of Plexiglas or acrylic.
 

Billy 5ek

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
47
I don't understand why people are modifying their exo-terra tops instead of simply replacing them with a piece of Plexiglas or acrylic.
It looks more professional and aesthetic. Not to mention that the locking system fits perfectly as it was made to
 

vespers

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
712
Also, if you use the light hood, the pins on it fit into the inner rim of the plastic frame pictured above.
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
Thanks for the pics and info! I can see why someone used the lid for reasons mentioned above. Just using acrylic alone as mentioned above, would it be heavy enough to prevent a 5-7" from jacking it up over time with webbing? They will often find a space and continue to spin web over time until the gap is larger, and then escape.

If one puts just acrylic on top, how would you keep it on the tank so that it was easily removable in the future so the original lid could be used for a different pet? I certainly wouldn't put a brick on it, it would need to be something aesthetically pleasing. Gluing it down would defeat the purpose of having both top and front access, useful for T husbandry.
 

shebeen

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
383
If one puts just acrylic on top, how would you keep it on the tank so that it was easily removable in the future so the original lid could be used for a different pet? I certainly wouldn't put a brick on it, it would need to be something aesthetically pleasing. Gluing it down would defeat the purpose of having both top and front access, useful for T husbandry.
Just use the existing latches on the exo-terra tank. You can glue shims to the acrylic top to take up the space under the latches, or, you can adhere some weather stripping along (under) the edges of the acrylic to achieve the same effect. I don't have a light hood so I'm not sure how it attaches to the exo-terra top, but I would certainly consider ways of making it work with a piece of acrylic before I tore apart a perfectly good top.
 

Billy 5ek

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
47
Double post,my bad. Deleted
That is really wierd,my tapatalk on phone is showing two posts.

All I wanted to say,I tore up a perfectly good cover and made it perfect =P. In my opinion,it looks even better then the mesh.
 

Billy 5ek

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
47
Tank is finished now,here is the final product;


20140517_165014.jpg

She made a retreat after the fourth day in the enclosure;

20140517_185754.jpg

She has been in there for a month now,doing gr8,eating like a champ,here is a closer shot of her;

20140517_185705.jpg

Billy
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
This looks great. Would you explain how you removed the tank's plastic that covers the edges, usually w/fish tanks it's black. Or did you glue glass plates together? Also, would you explain what you used (Legos!) to affix the Lego onto the glass. The holes look great too.
 

Billy 5ek

Arachnopeon
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
47
This looks great. Would you explain how you removed the tank's plastic that covers the edges, usually w/fish tanks it's black. Or did you glue glass plates together? Also, would you explain what you used (Legos!) to affix the Lego onto the glass. The holes look great too.
Thanks,I got it from a friend as it is,I doubt it had any edges on,I'll ask tho
Those indeed are Legos =) My nephew gave them to me,I had to buy him a new box of Legos for those,he was very happy and so was I =)
I used a glue gun,holds very firmly,here is a pic;

20140531_220431.jpg
 
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