loose lid on tank

I have a 10 gallon tank and bought a metal screen lid for it and noticed the lid is loose, there's a gap between the lid and edge of tank about the width of my finger. I planned on moving my baby corn into this, but obviously this will pose an escape issue. Has anyone else experienced this? What can I use to fill that gap that would be snake proof (that a baby can't wiggle between) and help snug it up? (I also plan on using lid clips on the ends, but still need to fill this gap along the long side of the lid.)

Perhaps a thick strip of weather sealing foam glued to the edge of the lid? The kind you would use on the underside edge of a window. Heck, I'd put it around the whole thing. Make sure the corners are glued securely if you do this. Colubrids are crazy good at burrowing between layers.

Can you return the lid for a refund? It certainly doesn't serve the purpose. It is unfortunate that you must modify either the tank, or the lid, before you can use it. As your corn gets older it can exert a lot of pressure on the top and any modifications.

Hello!

I have a 20 gallon with a metal screen lid and I caught one of mine mid escape even with the clips on!

What I did was take a hammer to that lid and essentially smash it back into fitting nicely. Now with the clips on I doubt he could escape. I like dragonlings idea about the weatherstripping though and it would probably last longer because these lids are kind of crappy and will surely stretch out again!

When you upgrade I would definitely go with a different enclosure system it will probably save you and your snake a lot of trouble. That’s my plan anyway!

Good luck, I hope you can find a way to make it work!

Can you maybe post a picture of the gap? Is the lid bent or warped? Most of the tanks I have the lids have a slight gap (up to a finger width) around the tank where the lids slides over the tank. Thats to make the lid easily removable and not a press fit. The lip that hangs down on the lid isn't where the tank makes the seal. The edge around the screen and top rim of the tank is what makes the seal.

Originally Posted by 67temp

The lip that hangs down on the lid isn't where the tank makes the seal. The edge around the screen and top rim of the tank is what makes the seal.

This is exactly the situation. Thank you all for the advice. I really checked it closely today in better light and think the weatherstripping on one side should do the trick. The other sides all fit snug. This will just be a temporary tank until he grows.