Materials needed:
- Sturdy Scissors (I used Kitchen Scissors)
- Aluminum Screen
- Rivet Fastener
- Rivets and Washers
- Sterilite Tubs (I like the 32-33"+L tubs, around 12"H)
- Drill with 1/8" bit & 1/4" bit
I use these enclosures as quarantine enclosures or as basic enclosures for small basking lizards. I place them on the 36" wire shelves which I like because they are made to be adjustable without modification needed.
I've seen a lot of people trying to glue aluminum screen to the top of enclosures. I find this to be a frustrating process and not always very secure. Instead, I make 1/4" drill holes in the lid, one for each corner of the area I will cut out and then do the cutting with the kitchen scissors to remove 2/3 of the plastic of the lid. Next I hold the screen over that area and cut it to be close to what I need for the final product. Using the 1/8" bit I drill a hole through both the screen and the lid. Using the rivet fastener I inset one of the rivets. For at least half of the rivets, I also use a washer which spreads the pressure out and would make it harder for the screen to separate from the rivet by tearing. The tools are inexpensive and a one time purchase so you can easily make more of these enclosures for just a few dollars over the price of the plastic tub itself going forward.
The basking light can sit directly onto the screen if you'd like just make sure the bulb doesn't directly touch the screen as some lizards will hang upside down and you do not want them to get burned. You could also use a suspension system to hang the lights just above if if you'd like. I use 18" florescent fixtures with these systems. Click here if you're interested in more information on the exact fixtures and bulbs I am using.