What to do with the lid....

[BlueBaron]

This past weekend I started a building project and I went from this set up for my reptiles:


to this set up for my reptiles:


all so that I can build Olive (my three month old Hermann's tortoise) a bigger enclosure. Here is my design:


and this is what I was thinking for the lid:


I need a lid on my tortoise table so that my cats don't decide to have a snack. I am torn between doing it all mesh or doing it as pictured above with two panels of clear acrylic. The acrylic sheets would be to help retain humidity but I have seen plenty of people with open top tort tables that have perfectly healthy tortoises without any pyramiding; is it really necessary for me to include the acrylic panels? Should I worry about restricted air flow if I do use them?

Also who has used hardware mesh? Any issues with zinc flaking off?

Olive says thanks!

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I use hardware cloth stapled to a wooden frame. The lid is in sections for greater strength and less weight when opening it. Laying plexiglass on top of the hardware cloth allows me more flexibility for ventilation and temperature control.

 

[Odin's Gma]

Even with open topped tables you have to try and provide ample humidity, it's just a lot harder to keep it consistent.
Our indoor set-up is partially covered with plexi and it really does make a big difference on the watering frequency of the substrate and plants. When it was uncovered we were watering and misting several times a day, but after covering it we can skip a day or so.