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A Quickie DIY: Kritter Keeper Mod

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:
kk1.jpg

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.
kk2.jpg



TADA!

kk3.jpg


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!
kk4.jpg


Side view of sliding mechanism
kk5.jpg




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.
kk6.jpg
 
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Cool! I'm going to try something like this for my P. ornata.
 
Always raising the bar, aren't you swords! As usual, nice work.
 
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. :)
 
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!" :D
 
nice i love the sliding door with out the expensive e or u track:-D. Ingenious grasshopper /or is the manitd?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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Really cool idea, nice job not using tracks.
 
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