how to make lids tighter on plastic tubs????

So here is the scoop. I went out and got two large plastic IRIS sweaterboxs to make into habitats for my two corns. I used the soldering iron to put all the holes on the tubs and cleaned them thoroughly. So here is my question. I know you can use binder clips to keep the lids on nice and snug but does anyone else have any creative and safe suggestions to keep the lid on tight?? Thanks so much!:spinner:

Also these corns are going to be housed individually. Just to clarify my original post.

Bungy (sp?) cords work quite well, you know the ones you can use to keep luggage on the roof of the car, just make sure they are short enough to be tight

I've never had an escape from a binder-clipped tub. But you really have to be careful when you're placing the clips. You have to make sure that you are actually clipping the lid to the lip of the tub. If you screw up and just clip the lid, escape is VERY possible. Happened to my sister. She lucked out, and the snake was hanging out right next to the tub, on the uth.

Thanks for all the good suggestions!

When I brumate my snakes, I stack them up and put a weight on the top one.

I just don't think I'd enjoy keeping snakes so much if I always had to bungie cord or binder clip them. Good luck.

weight on the lids is a very common thing and easy to do i know a few peopel around me here that use rocks and then they paint them up so they dont look so tacky lol

I use velcro on mine. The ends have locks on them &the middles I just add some velcro to.

babsfish said:

So here is the scoop. I went out and got two large plastic IRIS sweaterboxs to make into habitats for my two corns. I used the soldering iron to put all the holes on the tubs and cleaned them thoroughly. So here is my question. I know you can use binder clips to keep the lids on nice and snug but does anyone else have any creative and safe suggestions to keep the lid on tight?? Thanks so much!:spinner:

Click to expand...

Back when we FIRST got into snakes, I would drill a small hole into the lip and through the lid on the corner of EACH cage. Make the hole on the lid a little larger than the hole in the lip of the bottom of the tub. Then, I'd push a bolt UP from the bottom of the lip so that all four SMALL bolts were sticking up when the cage sat on the ground. Use a bolt slightly larger than the hole (screw it in if necessary), and I NEVER had one fall out. Of course, you could put a drop of glue or hot glue on the head to make sure it didn't fall out. THEN, sit the lid on the tub. The bolts would now stick up (one on each corner) through the lid. Put a wing nut on each corner and tighten it down. As you know, you can spin wing nuts VERY fast, so putting these on and taking them off is QUICK. Not MUCH slower than binder clips, and it is MUCH more secure. PLUS, it is less obvious so they look a lot BETTER in use. Long tubs might need 6 instead of 4, but I always used 4 on cornsnake-sized RUBBERMAIDS, and I never had an escape. PLUS, this lets MOST styles of tubs (check before you do this!) stack on top of eatc other since the bolts don't stick up where the legs on the upper tub sit on the lid of the lower tub.

I haven't used this method in many moons, but I still use some of those old tubs, I just popped the screws out and slid the tubs into a rack system....lol.
KJ

Thanks for the good ideas I will try them out this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

Why not just buy plastic tubs that already have clips on the sides
They don't cost that much more.

Sorry I'm not sure what size tubs you have...but these come in a few different sizes.

I would be wary of just trusting the clips already built into the container.
I know people have still lost snakes that way.

Thanks for the advice on the clipped on lids tubs. The ones I bought have clips on the side already I just want to make things sure secure so my snakey guys dont try to squeeze out. Hence why i am searching for ideas to secure the tubs. I think i am going to stick to binder clips for now but i might try the few other methods. I am placing them in thier new tubs next week! I am excited to upgrade my guy's space.