Designing acrylic enclosure

[MrFireLeg]

I’m new to keeping Tarantulas, yesterday we had 4 new ones arrive giving us a total of 5, In perpetration I was looking for enclosures and found it frustrating tbh.

My friends an engineer and I spoke to him about designing me some that I can then get made up. He’s really good (has given talks to the head honchos at NASA) and he’s willing to work with me in his spare time and CAD some designs up.

As a temporary measure I rigged up some storage box’s. These work ok tbh. I think I’d like to add an actual vent as well as just holes though.

Anyway I wondered what more experienced keepers pet peeves and wish list attributes would be for an acrylic enclosure?

This way I’m hoping to avoid any back to the drawing board moments or having to re order parts.

We have a mix of sizes and arboreal, semi arboreal and terrestrial T’s currently.

Thanks.

 

[octanejunkie]

Look up euro style enclosures. No one in the US sells something like that but I wish someone did.

Also, look at the enclosures companies like Jamie's Tarantulas and PNW Arachnids sell, and sell supplies for. Then look at amac boxes at The Container Store.

So many options.

 

[MrFireLeg]

Once again a big thanks.

Mohave you ever thought about putting together some 101 care and general tarantula guides?

 

[m0lsx]

I have just brought some acrylic enclosures from The Spider Shop & I am very happy with them. For what I paid, they feel well made & well thought out. My complaint with most acrylic enclosures are that they often feel/look cheap & lack sufficient ventilation in the right place & often do not open the way I want them too.

Design of an enclosure should not be clever. It is a box to contain my T's, allow the air to circulate. Allow me to access the T safely & easily. Put sufficient substrate in & have sufficient height. And most importantly allow my T's sufficient room to move. Some enclosures I stack, some I do not, but wasted shelf space is not something I will buy. So square shapes over wasted shelf space.