# building exo terra style tank from scratch (36"x24x24)



## paintballislife (Apr 14, 2010)

Hey guys,

Have been contemplating building the exo terra pt2614 from scratch in hopes of saving some bucks and the joy of saying "i built that" i have dabbled in terrariums for about two years now and have a 18 cube from zoo med that i have two PDFs in and have made that from scratch internally. 

Is it cost effective to do this? the exo terra costs between 250-300. Im waiting on a quote form one glass supplier near me in philly. I know i wont be cutting the glass myself.

My tank below when first built. 









I have more plants in there now and its of course grown in. 

However I lost all bromelids i put in there. however everything else has thrived. and i have added a few more things.

Things I have learned

-Need a better substrate, soil i made was too sandy.
-Dont use coco husk for background coverage with waterfall. It seeps everywhere.
-Hydroton is a must in the next build ( i did a false bottom with egg crate and didnt like the look) Pea gravel is a pain. But i had it so i used it.
- Definitely want waterfall to run out to the front not behind (cant find frogs because they hide on the banks, also lost a bit of soil.)
-Put drain hole in bottom for pump, i have mine running a tube down the back into the bottom and is a pain to get pump going again since its basically siphoning)

Anyways, first question for a tank that large should i use 1/8" glass or 1/4". can i use 1/4" on bottom and 1/8" on sides?

I think i will do sliding glass doors just because its easier. I have done that on my bearded enclosure i built and its worked great, just used 1/8" glass and i got track for 1/4" so i just use the front of the track.

ventilation, how much should i provide? Right now with the 18" i am actually putting saran wrap over top to keep humidity up, during the summer I thought it was getting too hot but i just figured out my thermometer was broken. i know exo terras have front vents, thats why i ask.

How much of a difference would it make to go plastic? Like lexan and plexi? Is it worth it? I dont plan on being in my apt for more then another year so i need to be able to move this easily. trust me if i could i would make a huge 6ft one lol.

Anyways i plan on doing another waterfall that runs down stream into the bottom front center of the glass sides and back will be covered. sides with coco husk and the back i havnt decided what i want to do, i think this time i will do a waterfall on a fake rock feature using great stuff and matte patte and acrylic paint. the rest of the back with be done with coco husk again since i do like it. I ill do carved out plant pots int he back again, maybe this time plants will live because they wont be wet all the time. I am also wanting to do some boulders in the corners and areas to put vegetation. I want more growth in this and lots of moss and leaf litter.

I actually really like arkay's design as it is very close to what i am thinking.












any input, tips do's or dont's?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I own a glass company and I build all my own tanks. Cheap for me because I get mistake windows from my supplier for free and cut them down to size. Your size is way to big to consider 1/8" glass for any part of it except perhaps the doors.

Acrylic is expensive, and it can warp with high humidity. This is primarily a problem around the doors.

In my opinion, false bottom is always the way to go. Especially as you are concerned about weight. You just have to build it properly. You undersize it a little. You attach the standpipes or eggcrate spacers. Now, instead of putting it in the tank and laying a piece of screen over the top, you will wrap the entire false bottom in screen material...like wrapping a present. use a few plastic cables (tie wraps) to attach it. Then set it in the tank. You should have sized it such that you can now fill in the front and the two sides with a bit of gravel...Walla! Invisible false bottom!
Doug


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## paintballislife (Apr 14, 2010)

huh, good point, when i did it before i wrapped it in two pieces of screen, i will try more to mask it, good points, thanks! Also yes, the more i think about it 1/4" is going to be a must for the size and weight of the tank, i should know better im a welder..


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## paintballislife (Apr 14, 2010)

36x 24 x 24
6 sides open top
2 sides 24 x 24= 4x 2 - (8 sq ft) $24
1 back 35.5x 24= (6 sq ft) $24
1 bottom 35.5x 24 = (6 sq ft) $24
1 front bottom (1 pieces) 35.5 x 8 (2 sq ft) $5.40
2 doors 1/8" thick 18x 16 (1.8 sq ft)x 2 (4 sq ft) $4
1 top front 36 x 12 (3 sq ft) $9
top back 36 x 6 (2.5 sq ft) $7.50
leaves 6" for light and vent.

these are my sizes and estimated cost from glasscages.com before shipping 

if anyone can spot any issues please lmk


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## TysonUnderwood (Jul 13, 2009)

I'm not sure if you've looked at this thread, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case. It has some pretty good ideas.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/32289-constructing-euopean-type-vivarium-step-step.html


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## paintballislife (Apr 14, 2010)

Yes thanks i have already gone through that tutorial. I dont really understand the purpose of the front arch and why the landing for the door is so wide. 

This is my design that i have in my head. just basic like the exxo terra, corners will be laid out with 1/2" black plastic angle.


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