Detolfs for robos and hybrids

[TheFeldhamster]

If you use enough silicone, a bar-less one is perfectly stable, just like a big tank (at least over here, tanks don't have any metal frames, they hold together soleley with silicone and they have to withstand the pressure of water inside). It's a bit tricky to set up, though, and yes, the bars can act as struts for the dividers.

[kiania]

We've siliconed a viv before, but glass would be a new thing for us. Some aquariums over here have metal/plastic edging, others don't - it is mostly the newer looking ones that do have it, but no idea if that is significant or not!

Tbh, if you silicone the entire detolf to be stable, siliconing in dividers (made of glass/perspex) is no harder. My partner didn't want to do that for the first, as 10-to-1 we would put one in the wrong place, and we've un-siliconed a viv and the shelves from a Perfecto, and it is no picnic (more like being beaten with a flail ), so getting it wrong is an absolute no-no.

Just a case of, with the robos, deciding if we want them matching, or if not having the struts is worth it. I won't know what we're doing until it comes time to plan out where everything is going substrate-wise, as I'm not sure what we're doing with them other than upping their sandy-area part compared to my hybrid.

[kiania]

Perspex for Nimh's detolf has been ordered, and I just got the bill in the post today - £184.63 *faints*

But that is all cut to size, and smoothed, so isn't really -that- bad. Just have to buy the mesh grills (about £30 + VAT + P&P), and the aluminium strips to tidy up the grills to the perspex, and we're done.

I would show photos, but tbh, nothing has changed much - the detolf currently has a Karlie wheel box, a wooden house, two karlie wheels, a wooden mushrooms box, a viney log and a water dish in it, and they are all there for storage rather than attractiveness to keep them out of the way and off the floor Admittedly, the wooden house, one karlie and the wooden mushrooms from the box are going in though.

My OH did look over the back of the sofa last weekend and go, "...the lid won't fit on, the house is too big". I had a brief flash of, "You what?" before I realised he hadn't noticed I'd sat it on top of the karlie wheel box (there was a moment a fortnight or so ago with hand-waving, and waving the box as pretending to be the perspex level with relation to the house, and I'd just left them stacked up together

So, in short, only a few more weeks to go

[kiania]

The perspex arrived on Friday It looked like this!


So we opened it up...and they'd mucked up our order - we have two chin-sand end pieces, but no finacard end piece (pah!). So we couldn't get as far as we wanted...but here are the latest photos...

We have our chin sand end piece, with all of the sides on. One side is lower as that will be the 'access' side.


These (stacked together) are the divisions, there are two...


And they have notches cut into them to go around the wire parts of the detolf...


And then we sent my OH out into the garden with his advent calendar-style early birthday present (the workbench and hacksaw - early so he could get to work on the hamster cage!) in his pjs and my shoes (I try not to ask, especially as it meant I don't have to go out to hold anything!)...to cut the legs of the platform. He refused to have his head in the photos, chest shots-and-downwards only


Yeay legs!


The metal mesh panel for the door has been ordered (and we have the door, but it isn't 'exciting' enough yet to warrent a photograph), which will be 10-15 days in the making since we're getting everything pre-cut. And now we're working on the rubber parts for the handle for the doors, and the finding locking stays on the internet (which is proving the hardest part so far!).

Perspex came from here: The Plastic People - Acrylic, Plastic, Perspex, Sheet, Cut To Size, Low Cost
We've used them before for hog perspex, and it seems to be the cheapest, even when you want everything smoothed, cut to size, rounded corners and holes drilled in. Cost us £184.63 (inc P&P and VAT)

The metal door panel will be from here: Radiator Grilles: Security Window Grilles: London, South, UK: James Gilbert &
Cost us £94.80 (inc P&P and VAT). This is for two panels though, as P&P is £19, and since we are doing a second detolf for the robos once Nimh is in hers, we decided to save that and order both at the same time!

[kiania]

Some new photos, and hilarities.

We finished the legs, and glue-gunned them on...


Doesn't it look pretty?


And the spirit level agrees!


...then tried to fit the platform into the detolf...and we arrived at a bit of a problem...we'd (OH convinced me he was right) stuck the lips on the platform the wrong way up, soooo, it doesn't fit with the house in the original position we were after. To make it worse, with the legs, getting it in with the bars is...shall we say 'complicated'? After much mirth, struggling, and snapping a leg off, we got it in, but the point of the levels (for me) is the ability to lift them out - with Nimh in her detolf, she makes nests under the levels - so I can't pull her nest without destroying her tunnel system, something I wanted a way around for the detolf.

OH is now pulling the end of the detolf off in order for us to remove the bars, and make it into a full 'aquarium' style thing (something I'd wanted from the start).



Mental note...check drawings and don't listen to partners going, "Pfft, I am sure...and besides, you need to believe me, it is my birthday...stop checking and come hold this!"

End is off...and now it fits perfectly (although it is missing a snapped off leg atm >.> ).



This end is going to have chin sand in the platform (hence the fairly high lips), and aubiose in the bottom.

[mangoandmimi]

Looks great Did you glue the perspex yourself or have them do it for you?
..if you've already mentioned it then sorry but im losing connection every few seconds >_<

[kiania]

The perspex came in bits, the flat platforms and the 'lips'. We used a needle to smear superglue to the edges, which held it in place, then a gluegun (or you could use silicone, the gluegun was just quicker) to glue around the insides so there are no 'gaps' that anything could get stuck in (basically, a seal).

Hence why the gluing is a bit dodgy

The end is back on now, leg stuck back onto the platform that came off, and we're mulling over plasticoating the karlie wheels now, or Monday. I ended up buying a spray can and the paint, but that is not about detolfs, and so the palava that causes will be for another time

Next weekend is going to be the other platform (that they missed out in sending - ie after we kick up a fuss), and finishing the door (assuming the panels arrive, fingers crossed!).

Oh, and because we took the metal struts out, we filled the holes with the screws that keep the struts in, but just glued the screws into the holes, so there is no hole

Also tested the lighting through the platform - looks like it should look awesome in the end!

[samzyzg]

Wow things are looking really nice, i'm very glad for this thread being up since later this month ( once my boyfriend is done with his exams) We will be gettting and setting up a Detolf cage for my syrian.

[kiania]

Vindicated me there My OH told me (while I was taking the photos earlier) that nobody would be interested in this - pfft, that showed him, thank you

[kyrilliondaemon]

I'm following the thread interested too! Just haven't had much useful to say yet lol