Screen Tops/Lids

[Snakey Lakey]

The lid for my Great Basin gopher snake's tank is weighted with four 46 oz. pickle jars of water. The tank is on a desk in our living room. The tank measures 4 feet long, 13 inches front to back, and 20 inches tall (outside dimensions); would this be a 55 gallon?

Prettier weights could probably be developed using vases filled with sand, gravel, BBs, shot, etc.

I also use water filled jars to weight down the tops of my rat cages.

[jitami]

Yep, that's a 55 gallon. Thanks. I have a couple of those pickle jars around, too I was talking to my husband about it and he remembers visiting his mom at one of her boyfriend's houses when he was little(long story) and they had a 6ftish boa in a tank with a giant brass buddha weighing down the lid I guess it had gone missing for months before the buddha was added. Isn't it funny the things that stick in our memory and the things that don't?

[Loren]

Hi Snakey Lakey. You bring up some good ideas- how about clear plastic(less-breakable) jars with sand and seashells for weights? That wouldnt look too bad. ?

[drache]

I do use some of my heavier books on the lids as well
I like the sound of those wood framed screen tops
when I have more time, I may work on some of mine, but for now I'm set

[bio6464]

My wood frame lid was relatively easy to make. Now I need to work on a hinge/latch system to make the more pleasing to the eye.
Jerry

[snakesRme]

Hello everyone. About a month ago, I rescued a Colombian Red Tail Boa. She had been badly neglected; her substrate was full of bugs, she was thin from not being fed properly and she was just not a happy girl. Since we cleaned her up and started feeding her, her disposition has become much better and we are able to handle her with no problems. Yesterday I bought her a new aquarium (55 gal, up from the 20 long she came with -- she's about 3 feet long). It's a brand new aquarium, complete with regular aquarium lid. The old cage has the regular reptile screen top, but the hubby thinks its not good for holding in moisture. She did have her first shed with us and it didn't come off all in one piece as it should. Would it be okay to keep the regular aquarium top on her new viv I will set up, or should we get her a screen top? I am going back and forth with this and don't know what to do. We live in Florida, so you'd think moisture wouldn't be a problem, but...

Any thoughts?

[Stefan-A]

Welcome aboard.

I'd recommend a screen top. Most aquarium tops aren't going to provide enough ventilation.

[Garter_Gertie]

Screen top and then cut plexiglass to cover half of it. Note: Make sure you put the light on the screen end and NOT the plexi end!

[infernalis]

The humidity in Tampa is perfect for your Boa. A screen top would be best Just as Stefan said.

Lucky Snake

[jitami]

Welcome! Just wanted to add that the incomplete shed could have been due to her poor condition and the bugs. Especially in Florida I don't think you'll need to worry too much about humidity