Quick and Easy Arboreal Setup

[becca81]

I needed to rehouse an A. versicolor this evening and, since I'm taking her into my classroom tomorrow, I wanted an enclosure that looked nice but didn't take too long or cost too much to put together.

I'm happy with the results - here's what I did.

I started out with a 5-gallon aquarium (I use aquariums for all my classroom Ts). This is the kind with the sliding screen top that can be locked.

I then cut out black posterboard and attached it as a background (cheaper than background from the petstore).

I then took a piece of corkbark and hot-glued it to the back.

Next I added some flower/leaf garland purchased at Wal-Mart and a flower stem. Both were hot-glued into placed around the edges of the tank.

I cut a piece of plexiglass to fit just inside the lid in order to hold in the substrate. This was hot-glued into place.

Next comes the substrate - 50/50 peat moss and vermaculite (I usually just use 100% vermaculite for my arboreals, but I wanted the dark color of the peat moss).

Added some moss for decoration.

And a water dish.

And in less than an hour, I'm done. The hot-glue on the bottom (where the plexiglass is) will be covered up by the screen, so it is only visible when the lid is completely off.

Top-down view.

Packing tape on the screen lid to keep moisture in a bit. This does decrease visibility from the front, so you may want to not put the tape on there.

 

[xWARxPATHx]

Very nice and easy looking. My arboreals are too small for something like this. They're just in vials and half gallon jugs.

 

[Deschain]

Cool setup Becca. :clap:

 

[aaronrefalo]

fora setup of less then an hr its realy cool...goodjob

Aaron

 

[ChrisNCT]

5 Gallon? :?


That sure looks like a 10.

I have my three arboreals in setups just like that.

 

[becca81]

5 Gallon? :?


That sure looks like a 10.

I have my three arboreals in setups just like that.

Yep - only a 5.

When she's in it it does look kinda small.

 

[becca81]

Here she is in it:

 

[ChrisNCT]

Oh! You Tease! ;P

 

[Stylopidae]

That is really cool.

Where do you get the plexiglass and how do you cut it?

 

[becca81]

That is really cool.

Thanks.

Where do you get the plexiglass and how do you cut it?

I get it from Lowe's. Sometimes when I go in there are scraps and they will just let you have them. I get my husband to cut it (I have no knowledge of using saws) with some type of electric saw, but I know that Lowe's will cut it for you if you tell them the dimensions.

 

[Hedorah99]

You can also buy a plexi cutter. Its kinda like an xacto knife. you use a ruler and begin cutting a staright line where you want the break to be. Once you get about half way you can snap off the unwanted piece.

Very nice setup becca. I have a similar one. As soon as I get a scanner I'll have to post some pics. I am trying using live plants though. There is a bromeliad in there with my A Avicularia. She never goes on it but it looks cool.

 

[Jmadson13]

Very nice Tarantula and setup Becca, I hope your class really enjoys this one

 

[Ravenbear]

Very nice and easy to do..
Thanks for the idea.. :clap:

 

[Joel&Tyler R]

Just an Idea

I had an Idea for you. You could glue the cork & plants to the what would normally be the front or back of the tank,,, making the screen the "side" of your set-up. That way you would have the front view clear glass for better viewing.

 

[OldHag]

That is an awesome setup!!! I have one similar. I found this lid that makes it SO MUCH Easier to clean, feed, water etc. It has the little door so I dont have to take the whole thing off everytime. Lessens escape attempts as well. (I have a 7" rufilata in there NO ESCAPES PLEASE!!)
I got the lid from here http://www.esuweb.com/cardfile.asp?ItemNumber=22105&IDProductRelationship=183

 

[Fini]

Nice enclosure. Nicer Versi!
I'm going to follow your lead and put together a similar space for my A. avic.

Envy envy envy! :drool:

 

[esotericman]

These lids are great, and came up somewhere... anyway, thatpetplace.com has them dirt cheap, like $6 for a 10 gallon size!

 

[brachy]

Hi all
The terrarium is very nice, bat I don t like plastik plants. For arboreal spiders are gud, because these spiders lots of webbing. The spider is OHHH JEEEEAAA.

 

[becca81]

@brachy - I agree that plastic plants aren't nearly as nice as live ones and don't look as nice. I wish that I had the time to keep up a live terrarium, but for now plastic is all I have the time (and energy) for.

@OldHag - Someone else mentioned those lids to me a couple of days ago and I'm going to look into getting some. The problem is that they are for 10 gallon aquariums, but since this is for my classroom I have plenty of space.

@Joel&Tyler R - I never thought about doing it that way! What an awesome idea! I've been thinking about how I wish the kids could see in better (since we have some another terrarium right beside this one) and that would work perfectly. I'm going to play around with that idea as I set up another one for my P. irminia.

@Hedorah99 - Maybe one day I'll have the time for some live plants. I really haven't done my homework enough to even begin, but maybe in the next year or so I'll try just one tank with some live plants and see how it goes. Maybe you or brachy could offer some suggestions as to the plants you use and where you purchase?

 

[becca81]

One more that I just got finished with - a little different this time.