Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i'm getting a corn snake soon.. i have a 2 feet tank.. and i'm planning to keep it there...but.. the problem.. is... it doesnt have a cover..and i couldnt find a screen cover here so the only way is to build a cover my self.. any one have ever build one before? any ideas one how to make one?

I never have but my friend did once. He built a tight fitting frame for the lid out of wood, then stapeled mesh or screening ect. on to the wooden frame. I hope that helps.

I built my own cover for my 35 gal tank a couple years ago. I just used a 1"x1" length of board, cut it to fit within the indentation of a glass tank (the inner ledge of the black frame, so the lid sits snug on that lip). I made sure it fit snuggly so the snake can't push it out. I then stretched aluminum screen (same kind you use for windows) and stabled it tight with the stables close together (within an inch of eachother). Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the setup and I don't have it anymore.

I can honestly say my snake didn't escape from it but he was only about year and half when I sold him, and about 4' long. A larger snake may have been able to push off the lid but you can weight it down or attach clips along the sides to stop that.

I used glass tanks for years and always built my own tops because they were cheaper and more secure. I used 1"x2" trim wood to build the frame, the two inch side make the sides of the frame and the 1" side make the top. I used 1/4" hardware screen/cloth to be the top screen. (the hardware cloth is better then the screen because it is not as abrasive and prevents nose rubs). I used a peice of the one by two wood ontop of the hardware cloth as a center support brace.
To secure the top to the tank I would use a small peice of 1" x1" trim wood (cut about 2" long) to glue onto the side of the glass tank (silacone sealant works great for this) and by using eye hooks and eyes I would have a secure looking top for a few bucks and never had to worry about an escape.
Oh I would also use a coat of sealer on the wood to help protect it, applied before I put on the hardware cloth. I used this set up for more then a decade on ove 50 tanks, up until I mve over to the commercial plastic cages I use now.
I hope this helps
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com