ok here we go: permanent spider enclosure.

[moswen]

so this is what i've come to:

i'm going to buy a used entertainment center from craig's, turn it on it's back, re-enforce the back with sturdier wood, take out all the dividers (maybe) and lay down laminant on the bottom and ~4 to 5 inches up the sides. this will be to waterproof it as best i can. i may possibly leave a divider so that i can quarantine or treat if either of my babies get sick... might be a good idea. i may not though. just a thought.

then i will cut out the face of it and put in plexiglass, so that you can see them from the front angle. i'm really trying to find out how i can make half the glass slide back so that i can clean easier... or just easier access to them. if anyone has the know-how of how i can do this please speak up!

then the lid: i'll make that out of maybe 1/4 inch or very thin wood so that it will be easier to lift, and ease the weight of how heavy this thing is going to be! i'll cut out 2 squares that i will stick mesh lids in (the type that you get from the pet store to cover a glass tank) to allow for air flow. will this be enough? i want a wood lid to help keep some humidity in.

should i make the two square openings on one sid of the lid, so that one area will be able to hold a lot of humidity, and another for good air flow, or should i separate the mesh openings, allowing the middle portion of the lid to trap in a lot of humidity but keep the two outer portions for good open air flow? will this be enough air flow for my little ones?

oh, and i'll put it on legs. i'm trying to make it really fast AND have it look nice since we're about to put our house up for sale!

it will be anywhere from 4x5 or 4x4 or 6x6... although i think 6x6 is just too large for the fact that they're still only babies and we're about to be moving it...

so come on, speak up!

 

[moswen]

tom? tim/robin? anyone have any advice lol? yvonne?

 

[Yvonne G]

It sounds like quite a project. I hope you take pictures of your progress. The laminate floor sounds ok, but I'm thinking it might leak around the edges??

 

[moswen]

oh ya, i'll caulk it. is that safe for torts?

 

[zzzdanz]

I'ld drill 3 or 4 holes on each end and grab some 2 1/2" round vents at home depot to pop in there.The glass could just slide in (drop in) to grooves on both sides, so you could take it right out to clean it.

 

[DaveTheDadHaileeTheDaughter]

My concern, and I may be way off base seeing im brand new to the tortoise world, but im a safety director in a place that makes ready to assemble furniture such as you described. We start with raw wood (man made wood), laminate it, cut it, drill it, band the edges, to a finished packaged product ready to go on the shelf in a store. The wood we use and many other manufactures is either MDF a compressed cardboard type material, or particle board made with wood particles glued/pressed together. Either one of them, moisture/heat such as sitting a coffee cup on a desk numerous times will cause the "wood" to expand bubbling the paper up ect, mdf expands bigtime with moisture and particle board basically just falls apart. In the last year we've been using a glue/laminate paper on different models that is "supposed" to repel water/heat/moisture called aquaseal so you may want to inquire what type it is. Id hate to see you do a bunch of work for it to fall apart or swell up from the moisture.

 

[HLogic]

I would avoid MDF, particle, strand or most other 'fabricated' woods for fear of formaldehyde. Check before you buy...

 

[Tim/Robin]

It sounds like a good idea. My (Tim) initial concerns would be waterproofing. As long as you make sure this is accomplished, you should be fine. You know all too well about how the Spiders like the humidity (spraying). As for size, they do not need a huge enclosure. Even more so, if you plan to take them outside during the days in the warmer months. We house a nice size group of adults in a 2X12 enclosure and most days they don't travel too far, they are not like the ever roaming Sulcata or Marginata. Make it manageable, something that will be easy to maintain and clean.