Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I am resuing a breeding pair of beardies. They come with a 100 gallon aquarium. The only problem is that the cage does not have a lid! Do any of you know how to make an aquarium lid?
Thanks!
Sarah

I make my screen lids out of gauged wire from home depot. You can get it in a small roll. They come in different gauges. i use the bigger gauge it is more sturdy. It costs about $5.00. You just cut it the size you need. Make it an inch wider and longer than you need. You then fold down the sides and it is made to fit.
Reed's Reptiles

My fiance makes some really awesome custom cages and lids. Here's one that is easy and relatively inexpensive. I'll post some pictures in a little bit.

Materials List:
2 ft x 4 ft 1/4" hardboard or pegboard (hardboard is better because crickets can't escape through the holes) about $6

1 box of sheet metal screws, phillips flathead #4 x 1/2" $3

Brite Aluminum Screen material (that is what we found works best, but you can use other screen material if you want) $8

Miter Box with cross cut saw (about $10 at Home Depot)

#1 Phillips Screw driver (crossblade) $5 if you don't already have it

Box cutter $2 if you don't already own one

Total Cost: about $34 (if you have none of the tools already) or about $17 if you have the tools. This will make one lid approximately 3 ft by 3 ft, but broken down will make several lids and there will be a lot of remaining screen left over.

Directions:
1. Have hardboard or pegboard ripped into 2" strips at hardware store or Home Depot (unless you have your own table saw, of course!)

2. Measure tank size to the inside of the tank (if you have the "lips" inside your tank, if not, measure to outside of tank)

3. Cut screen to overlap tank a little.

* Use miter box to complete steps 4,5 & 6 to get nice clean cuts and make things easier

4. Take your 2" strips and cut 2 of them to the required length of the tank (per your measurments)
5. Cut two of the 2" strips to the required width of the tank.

6. Cut two 2" strips to 4" less than the length of the tank. Repeat process for width.

When you're done, you should end up with 8 strips of precut hardboard or pegboard.

Assembly:

1. Take the 2" strips that are the length of the tank and the two that are 4" shorter and lay them flat in a square/rectangle shape.

2. Take the screen, place it over the top of your square/rectangle.

3. Take the strips that were cut to the width of the tank and place them on top of the screen over the other two width pieces.

4. Take the length strips and place them over the screen with the others.

5. Screw it all together. Make sure to use enough screws in an overlapping fashion - especially on the corners. If you pick it up by the edges, make sure it all stays together. If not, go back and use more screws. Do not overtighten screws or it may crack your wood.

6. Trim off excess screen.

That's it. It might sound a little complicated, but it's really easy. One suggestion: a 100 gallon tank needs a large lid - it would be much easier to break the overall length down to three or four lengths (giving you three or four separate lids) making it more manageable. You can also divide up the lidsto accomodate your lighting setup. For example, if you have a 36" long fourescent light, make one lid 40" long and split up the remaining room with two smaller end pieces.

I'll post some pics to make it easier to understand. If you have any questions, please let me know!

Lisa

I love you Tazzie!!