Looking for thoughts/advice on potential terrarium tank

[lund0682]

Thanks, Tropterrarium! Your recommendations pretty much echo what a lot of the other members have suggested as well. And all I can say is: "I'm sold!" In fact, about an hour ago I called the guy selling this terrarium and I've arranged to go get it on Sunday.

I've seen MistKing mentioned in a lot of other posts, and it sounds like that's the way to go. I still need to do some research first, but I agree with you about not buying the cheap stuff. I learned that lesson earlier in my life: it's easy to waste a lot of money by trying to save a little money!

I'm hoping to have as much automation as I can, since I'll frequently be gone for 3-5 days at a time. Automatic misting and watering will be necessary, and certainly some kind of drain. But there's a custom glass/mirror place I found that will cut a couple of half-inch holes for $12, so that's probably what I'll do.

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[tropterrarium]

Congrats on your new tank. You'll have oodles of fun with it.

If you think about automatization, consider the Digital Aquatics Herpkeeper; see Digital Aquatics
I have one my terrarium, and on Monday the second one arrives for my mini greenhouse. Essentially, it allows you to control your tank environment with more complex timers, and the temperature and (fickle) humidity probe (AP1) can be used to trigger events. For instance, mist every 1.5 h for 10 seconds during the day, unless humidity is >70%; at night mist every 3 h for 8 seconds unless humidity is >70%. Turn heat pads on, when day temperature <70F, or night temperature <62F.

It has a central programmable console that control custom powerstrips. There are lots of other accessories you can play with. For instance, I have the moonlight module.

The product is pretty good, documentation for it is pathetic, but there is a good on-line support forum.

[lund0682]

Disappointment!!! -

I just found out that the doors on this tank are made out of SCREENS!

I knew that the top was a screen, and I had already conceived many fantastic ideas to deal with that. But I don't think I'm ready to face screen doors on my terrarium. I'm pretty handy and also fairly creative, but I think for my first terrarium attempt I'd rather focus more on the plants than on modifying the tank itself.

I'm glad I learned the truth before making the drive out there. The guy selling this tank is located in a place called Wentzville (if you can believe such a thing). I'm happy I don't have to drive to Wentzville, since it's about an hour drive one-way for me. Still, I feel like a kid who just found out that christmas is canceled. Darn it!

Now to go break the news to my plants ...

[camille1585]

That's really too bad! Hopefully you'll find something more suitable soon.

[sailortom2]

i don't think it would be too difficult to cut out screeens and replace with pieces of plexi srewed and sealed onto those side doors from hat i see in the pics and cause to try to chew him down on price

[Jeff9]

If i were you, i'd find a tank builder near you.
Or find a glass shop where they can cut and polish glass panes to your dimensions, and you just glue them together.

It is actually cheaper to buy from a terrarium/vivarium builder, since they can get alot of stuff in bulk and build them day in and out.

A custom decent sized tank would cost me like 50 euros or something.

I am about to make one myself, just having the glass cut to my dimensions and im making the rest myself.