I've been pretty busy lately, but in the past week have found enough time to finish the lid for a 75 gallon reptile tank I bought months and months ago.

It was one of the glass tanks with the screen sliding lids, which work for some tanks, but I both don't particulary trust them (especially with animals with a bit of size behind them), and know my cats can get through them, and had to replace the lid.

Because of gap left on the top rim where the sliding lid sat, a regular screen lid would not have fit on the tank, and I had to build a lid for it.
I was forced to get a bit creative, and took the effort to make this both very functional, and (in my opinion) also attractive to the eye.

Though it was quite a bit pricey compared to a screen lid, i am rather pleased with the way it came out.

I first sealed the gap left in the rim with a piece of wooden molding, for the lid I used wood MSB board, sealed, painted then sealed some more, with 3, 10" cutouts I attatched 1/4" gauge hardware cloth to using screws and washers. These are where lights and heaters sit, and also provide the air flow.

The Lid is held down by six Double-Hinge Fixed Safety Staple Hasps, and I don't think I could get out of it if you closed me inside the tank.




So, now that the lids all done, My Redtail Boa has moved into it, a good step up from the 55 gallon tank she came with, i'm happy with the way it came out, and she appears happy with the extra room. I still have a few finishing touches to add, 2 new hides (one cool one warm), and I may add a sturdy live plant as well.
This won't be her permanant home, but am sure i'll be able to find a new resident for it when I do build her a custom enclosure.







If anyone's interested in building one of there own, or just curious, I can post more detailed construction.

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I absolutely love that lid and would love to know how you made it. If you could make a post with step by step instructions that would be fantastic! You are very right in that it is pleasing to the eye. I would like to talk with you more on the construction of that lid and if you have AIM my name on there is ************* or you can email me at ***********. Thanks for posting this and I hope to hear from you so that I can maybe try to build some of my own.

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Thanks. Because this post was more about my Boa having a new home, i'll post construction in a separate post under habitat construction or such. I'll link it to this page when I get to it.

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That would be awesome Ryan, thanks.

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

I've posted Detailed Constuction under the General Habitat Construction forum.
It can be found here...
Custom Tank Lid

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

Thank you very much! This may just have to be my weekend project this weekend

Cool. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the construction.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

Here's a few pictures of My Boa, I've made a few changes to the inside of her tank, Mixed a bag of Forest floor cypress mulch into all the eco earth, and use, branches to form one hide, and a half buried cork flat to make another.

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On the topic of my boa, I had her looked at today, and Confirmed, she is a she (I was pretty sure, but wanted a second opinion) They also believe she is a Boa Constrictor imperator, not a Boa Constrictor constrictor.

I was unsure, When I got her I was told she was a redtail, but she may have been sold to the people that bought her as a redtail, which was passed along to me.

I'm also in the middle of building a nice new hide box for her, to replace the cork flat I have half buried in the substrate.

I'm building a plywood box, that will sit butted up against one side of the tank, going from the front to the back, a 18"x18" hide. It'll have a flat top, which i'm going to cover in silicone and eco earth over, adding a terrace into the tank, and a good basking spot.
I'm planning on making it two or three walled, and having one side fully open.
I'm thinking maybe 6"-8" tall.

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Post pics when you create the hide please....I might like to replicate it as well...sounds like a good idea.