The quest for 2.5 gallon tanks....

[abstract]

I want them! I can't find them! I have seen 2.5 gallon glass tanks, with slide out screen lids, that would be PERFECT to standardize my spider enclosures...

Problem is, I only RARELY see them at ANY petstore - chains that is - and smaller petstores prices are ridiculous! I think the last one I went to wanted 17 for the tank, and another 7 for a lid.

I don't get it, when you can get a 10 gallon for 11$....

Did I miss a memo? Does anyone know where to order these online? (I've exhausted my figertips searching the web too)

Even if I have to buy in bulk, i'm prepared to. Besides, that just means more room to expand my collection!

 

[Love to Foxtrot]

Try Overland Park Pets and Pet Stop, both are in Johnson County in KS. Their prices are not too high, and OPP carries screen lids. I have not found them anywhere else.

Aubrey

 

[SpiderTwin]

Can you take a 10 gallon tank and split it into 4?

Also, there are 10 gallon tanks you can buy that are already split into 4 sections and each section has its own sliding screen top. There is a pic of 1 on the thread below.


http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?threadid=8417

 

[pategirl]

The pet shop around here has them...they're like 14.95 I think. They told me that the reason prices are so high is because the ten gallon tanks are in demand more than the 2.5 gallon tanks.

 

[abstract]

Can you take a 10 gallon tank and split it into 4?

I've seen that thread before, and actually checked out the vendors website. Unfortunately, those are custom made, and pricey. They would be cool though! I would attempt myself, but I don't know where I would get the lids - I've got a ten gallon now that i've been "thinking" about splitting in 2 for about, well, as long as i've collected spiders. (8 months)

Pet Stop? I keep hearing about this place, but I've never seen it. I'll check it out. OPP I went to, but they were the ones that wanted like 25$ for the tank/screen combo. Maybe I'm just a cheap b*stard.

Thanks! (If anyone else knows anything, please continue this thread....)

 

[krucz36]

here's a thread about just that.

searching the posts often results in a previous discussion of the same topic.

as you'll see, opinions are divided. personally, i'm more of a 1 t, one enclosure kind of guy. but i have some luxury in the space department.

 

[Kreepy]

the tank price frustration is understandable, but it takes the same amount of time to build a 2.5 as it does a 10 and it's the labour that's the biggest cost. the difference in glass cost is insignificant, thus the similarity in price. pretty easy to build your own since you don't need it to retain water. Maxim had a good article a while back. if i can find it I'll scan it or type it out or something. tricky part is finding the bottom plastic frame.

kreep

 

[MrFeexit]

At my local pet store he sold me 6- 10 gal tanks for $8 each then I looked at the price for a 20 gal and it was $47....SOOO I could take a ten, remove a panel silicone 2 tens together and only have my time and $16 invested...plus the silicone. Hey aren't the pet pal things about 2 1/2 gallons??? I saw some of those for around 5 or 6 bucks

 

[Longbord1]

at petland i see them every where they are like 7 bux

 

[rknralf]

I use 5.5 gallon aquariums as a standard for my adult/permanant tarantulas. They are less bulky than the 10's and I get them for the same price $9.99. Add in a screen top for $6.99 and clips for $1.99 and tax and the enclosure is just under $20.
I also have 1-2.5 gallon aquarium and I use if for my female E. pachypus. They are a bit narrow for my larger tarantulas, but are perfect for the small adults. They run $11.99 here and they cost more because they are a custom build for most aquarium manufacurers.

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

we got 5 at our store right now and we are selling them for 5.99 and 3.99 for the screen lid. ours don't have the sliding screen but the holes are big enough to shove a cricket through I bought five myself and they are awsome. ask the pet stores if they order form united pet, if they do then they can get them on sale and hopefully pass the savings on to you. they sent us like 17 last week and only three lids so we took three and sent the rest back well they all got busted on the way back and they were pissed. but hey they are allways sending us stuff we didn't order.

 

[jwb121377]

Originally posted by abstract
I think the last one I went to wanted 17 for the tank, and another 7 for a lid.

I don't get it, when you can get a 10 gallon for 11$....

It makes perfect sense. Ten gallon tanks are made and sold by the millions and are by far the most popular size. They are probably made 500,000 to 1 as most people have no use for 2.5 gallon tank.

I personally don't see the appeal of them. They would be hard to stack safely and just waste valuable space. Ofcorse everyone doesn't have to house close to 100 tarantulas, so space may be less of a issue with you.

 

[krucz36]

martin h. had a cool setup (i believe is was martin) whereby he got a ton of clear plastic tubs approximately the same size as a cereal box, with a little lid on them. he'd put his arboreals and deep burrowers in them, with appropriate levels of substrate, and they sit side by side by the dozen. i've looked in vain for these stateside. anyone have any info?

 

[looseyfur]

yeah

yeah that was martin I think and I cant find them either... Perhaps a pm is in order.

one place I have yet to try is that wacky craft store Michaels... maybe they have something I could convert or would work.. Standarizing tanks is good.

looseyfur

<--- my avatar is good btw (arent you the avatar guy>>?)

 

[Telson]

I dunno about the larger stuff, but Michael's is GREAT for the little slings. I picked up a bunch of plastic display boxes for the last order of sling I got and they worked out GREAT! I got a bunch that were about 4 or 5 inches cubed for my terrestrial slings, and a few that were about 5" squared base and about 8" tall for my arboreal slings.

The glass tanks you're talking about, if it's like what I have, run about $22 where I get them. Most of mine are actually 5.5gallon, but they run like $2 difference for the 2.5 gallon... Seriously annoying! Anyhow, they are brown trim around the bottom and top, with a built in sliding screen lid that slides out at the front of the tank, and has a locking pin with it, right? I looked in to building my own, but the problem I hit was getting the trim so I could cut it to my own sizes... Only way I could get it would be through the pet stores I worked at, and the cost of the trim would kill any hope of saving $ by building these things myself... Only worth it to me if I'm gonna build one with a design or size I can't get already made right off the shelf, like the arboreal tanks I'm (eventually) gonna make.

Cheapest way to go that I can think of has already been posted though, regarding matching enclosures for the average adult T in a large collection... 2 gallon kritter keepers that run about $8 to $10 a pop. As my collection grows I'll have to start looking for some cheaper enclosures myself and stop buying these high priced glass tanks, but when you only have about 5 adult T's, they work out GREAT and look sweet.

 

[abstract]

It sounds like I'm just going to have to buck up and pay the 20$ per tank - Thanks for the tip on United Pet JohnnyJohnJon, I'll see if I can research that a bit more.

I've seen the stuff on divided tanks several times, but I don't know if I have the time/effort/materials to get a nice one built. Plus, I'm typically awful at building things. My one shop class project of a CD tower collapsed to one side, and I tried to make a desk once that, while functional, ended up being a terrible eyesore. I type good though.....

Although not very large, I think the 2.5 gallons meet the required housing requirements (redundant?) for an "average" sized adult T. They can be stacked on end for arborials. Plus, hey look SOOOOO much nicer than kritter keepers. With a collection of only 11 T's, I'd much rather be able to rotate which ones are displayed, rather than have 1 on display in a glass tank, and the rest on my spider shelf in ugly K-K's...

Thanx all....

 

[SkyeSpider]

Originally posted by SpiderTwin
Can you take a 10 gallon tank and split it into 4?

Also, there are 10 gallon tanks you can buy that are already split into 4 sections and each section has its own sliding screen top. There is a pic of 1 on the thread below.


http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?threadid=8417

Where on earth did you get that? I want one so badly, now!!!

-Bryan

 

[Bob]

I have around 6 of them. They work great but cost around $25.00 or so. I bought all of mine at Petco.


Bob

 

[atavuss]

Originally posted by Telson
I dunno about the larger stuff, but Michael's is GREAT for the little slings.

Telson, if you have a smart and final store in your area check it out as they have condiment cups of various sizes that work great for disposable water dishes, and check out the rubbermaid clone tall storage containers, they are clear plastic with a white lid that screws on. they cost less than half of what the rubbermaid stuff sells for, these work great for avics and pokes and other arboreal sp. I use the smaller sizes for small scorpions.
Ed