Any good DIY lids for 30gal?

[Shelby]

I recently acquired a 30 gallon tank (for free!) but it did not come with a lid. I'd love to use it for a young boa, but I'd like to see if anyone has a simple plan for a lid that I could make myself. Those screen tops you buy at the pet store are so darn expensive IMO.

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[lethargiic]

try going to a glass shop where you can get stuff cut, I got a 55 gal tank with no lid and we went to one of these places and had them cut us a piece of acrylic for like $13 and they can do it whenever you need it. and then all you need to do is drill holes in the acrylic for air n stuff..

just an idea =)

	Geek Auto Linker or Gallon Geek Auto Linker Gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

[slaponte]

Can't get any cheaper than a piece of plywood.

A) Cut the plywood to roughly the size of the top of the tank. Let it extend out an inch or so so it will rest on top.

B) Now get a drill and drill some 1/4 inch holes around it.

To hold it in place : a few books around the edge will keep it from lifting.

Now if you want to get fancy you could paint it I guess...

[Shelby]

Well.. I could get a screen lid for not a whole lot more than $13..

The only thing that bothers me about the plywood top is the snake maybe being able to push it up. I know you said put books on it.. but snakes are so strong. I'd like something a bit more secure. (I've lost 2 snakes before)

I'm thinking maybe cutting a piece of window screen, hot gluing one long side, and using duct tape on the other three. Any reason why that wouldn't work? That's even cheaper than plywood!

[slaponte]

Well, I was working on the assumption that a 30G tank only holds soo much snake in it, you know. And of course, given a certain size, the snake can only have soo much leverage on the top. I find it more likely that it will find a piece of unstuck tape to escape by, or get tangled on, than lift a whole piece of wood and the books on it...

You can always house your encyclopedia on it... oh wait, thats just one DVD these days... never mind. I am old.

I am also asuming that the wood is cheap since a piece of wood to cover a 30G can be found as scrap almost anywhere.

As a parting "shot", I would say that if you are so hard up for the $13, how can you afford to take care of these animals?...

[slaponte]

BTW, here are my cages...

http://redtailboa.net/pp/showgallery.php/cat/3194

[Shelby]

lol It's not that I can't afford it. I just don't want to afford it. I'm all for doing it myself and saving a couple bucks rather than being lazy and buying stuff pre made all the time. And my animals are all very well taken care of, thank you very much.

[stckinlodi]

i think i would go with the acrylic because u can use it for other things besides just a lid

[Shelby]

Hmm.. maybe I could get a sheet of that stuff they have at the hardware store (is is plexiglass?... my bad) well whatever it is, it's kind of flexible, but it's something I could cut myself, and then I could just pile on some heavy books.

The other problem I have with plywood, is I don't have a saw or anything to cut it with. I'm no good with power tools anyway, I can use a power drill, but that's about it. lol In that way, I'm a typical girl.

[Bry]

Didn't Eddie post a really nice DIY lid for tanks a long while ago? What's the link to that thread if it's still around?

Bry