Replacing wire Mesh on a Exo-Terra Viv

[spanner]

Hi Everyone!

I have had some Fly proof wire mesh come to repace that is already on the top of my Exo-Terra Viv!

Has anyone ever removed the wire mesh from the top frame of an Exo-Terra Viv and replaced it with finer fly proof mesh ? and if you have how easy is it and how did you go about it? There is a rubber gasket keeping the existing mesh in place but I think it has been glued in place and seems very difficult to remove! Any ideas would be a great help ????

Cheers Spanner

[pollywog]

It's quite easy, the rubber strip isn't glued in or if yours is it'll only be the same black silicon used on the rest of the viv that doesnt key into the plastic so will come away easily you just need to prize the end up with a knife or flat screw driver and give it a pull.
The mesh can then be taken out and used as a template to cut the new mesh.
Then it's just a case of putting it all back together.

If your wanting to make it fruitfly proof I'd recomend you silicon the doors closed and then when dry use a Stanley blade to cut them open, the silicon left on the doors will make a nice fruitfly proof seal.

[knighty]

As pollywog said just carefully remove the rubber and put the new mesh into place, then place the rubber back in.

My advice from doing this on mine is cut the mesh a little bigger then trim once its into place. also keep the mesh pulled tight so it does not droop.

I have done this on all my vivs as i think it looks alot better and is alot safer for the frogs.

Good luck

[spanner]

Thanks Pollywog and Knightly! that great news! I believe I have covered all the Fly escape routes ! I already siliconed the door gapes and cable holes, it was just the mesh that I needed to sort and I can get on with it now!

Cheers Spanner!