A Quickie DIY: Kritter Keeper Mod

[swords]

Well I've been working on cutting glass to build six of my own "nano-vivariums" (8" x 8" x 12") with sliding fronts. I decided before I start those I should test out my sliding door plan first so this afternoon I converted one of my unused XL Kritter Keeper plastic terrariums, the ones sold with the zany colored plastic screen tops. I decided to make it a vertical tank for my Pinktoe Tarantula (A. avicularia).

Here's the parts:

I've drilled a 2" hole on either side of the Kritter Keeper for the round Midget Louver Vents. I have a pair of 1/2" glass strips and three 1 1/2" strips (two shown ), 4" litter dam (holds the soil in) clear silicone and the sliding pane which was a bad cut from Saturday, no sense tossing a good pane of glass that can be used elsewhere.


I love these midgets! They come in all sorts of sizes.

TADA!

The litter dam and top 1" strip are glued down then the 1/2" "brace strip then the 1 1/2" piece which holds the sliding pane. I still have to clean the glass & plastic with Alcohol to get all the fingerprints and stray silicone off.

Open sesame!

Side view of sliding mechanism

Here's the Pinktoe getting a peek at what will be her new naturalistic vivarium once the silicone flashes off and I get it decorated and planted.

 

[jafvortex93]

wow very awesome.

 

[theyellowdart]

Cool! I'm going to try something like this for my P. ornata.

 

[swampdonkey]

Always raising the bar, aren't you swords! As usual, nice work.

 

[Jag]

The finished product will look nice and neat once its all clean. Great job Swords. Now I am thinking this could be used as a vivarium for those delicate plants.

 

[swords]

Always raising the bar, aren't you

LOL thanks! Actually I was just recycling, no sense throwing out glass and plastic that aren't perfect if they can be put to some good use somewhere. I have to be careful I don't become one of those Hoarders they show on TV... "I can't throw out that old yogurt container, I might need it someday!"

 

[uphwiz]

nice i love the sliding door with out the expensive e or u track. Ingenious grasshopper /or is the manitd?

 

[James H]

that looks great. I was wondering did you have any problems getting the plastic and the silicone to stilck well. I might look into making something like that for my A. minatrix.

 

[swords]

with out the expensive e or u track

Unfortunately before I got the knack of cutting thin strips of glass I bought 24 feet of clear acrylic U track and 24 ft of clear acrylic Z track...
anyone out there wanna buy or trade for some clear hardware?! It should be here in a week! lol

did you have any problems getting the plastic and the silicone to stick well

On the plastic Kritter Keeper or the plastic E track? I didn't have any trouble with either, just use an adequate amount to make a good seal between the two pieces, push all the air out and then tape in place until it sets.

 

[Peat]

Really cool idea, nice job not using tracks.