Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello:

I'm looking to purchase an affordable display enclosure. I was looking at the zoo med naturalistic terrarium and the exo terra version.

From what I can see the zoomed has one door that swings open, whereas the exo terra has a two door design.

Just interested if anyone can provide input/their experience with these enclosures.

Thx,

Peter

I've actually been looking into those same terrariums myself. I like the idea that there's a solid portion at the bottom for a semi-aquatic style terrarium. I prefer the one with one door rather than two, but that's just a cosmetic preference. I haven't heard from anyone who actually owns one of these terrariums yet, so I hope you get a response from someone who has.
-----
Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

Hey;

I had an opportunity to check out both the zoomed and exo terra habitats. Overall, the construction between the two is more similar than different, which is a good thing.

The glass seems sturdy, not flimsy. The biggest difference was one had two doors (exo terra), the other had one (zoomed). In addition the locking mechanisms were different. I actually thought the locking mechanism on the exo terra was easier to manipulate.

Some may think the zoomed may look better because there is no crease due to the exo terra double doors.

At the end of the day, you can't go wrong with either one

I have the Exo terra design in two sizes [12x12x18 and 18x18x18], and I have some of the Zoo Med cages in the 18x18x18 size as well. There are aspects of both that I like and dislike. I'll run down what I like and dislike about each design. First of all though, they both seem to be manufactured in a very similar manner but of the three Zoo Med cages I've taken out of the box [I bought 6], the silicone joints between panels seems almost sloppy. However, overall fit and finish is pretty similar on both and is of overall good quality.

Exo terra
Likes:
1. Slick looking design.
2. Tolerances between hinged glass panels is so close that as far as I can tell even the smallest fruit flies can't escape.
3. Front ventilation strip keeps front glass panels free of condensation.
4. Cord/tubing pathways at back of cage with slick little slider things that close up pathways that you aren't using.
5. Background included.
6. Two doors makes servicing easier with some types of animals.

Dislikes:
1. The center seam between the two doors can be aesthetically distracting if you're using it as a show piece display cage.
2. The catch that holds the doors closed seems overly stiff and I still worry that with it's friction closure that at some point it'll wear out or worse yet it'll somehow break. Look at one in a store and actuate that door closer and you'll see what I mean. It just seems like someday it's going to break catastrophically.
3. Front vent doesn't work as well as you'd think, especially if you cover the whole top to hold in humidity. Also, I suspect the vent slits are big enough to allow escapes of the smaller species of fruit flies. This could be fixed by retrofitting some kind of gauze covering over the vents.
4. Center support on screen lid interferes with some types of lights. This is no biggie to me because I use fluorescent lights suspended from a shelf above the cages.
5. The background. While it's nice to have a background, this one is fake looking up close. If you use it you're best off covering it with coco fiber or some similar material to make it look more natural.

Zoo Med
Likes:
1. Single front pane means no aesthetically displeasing seam breaking up front view of cage.
2. Door latching mechanism seems more sturdy and less likely to break than Exo terra design.
3. Front vent looks bigger than on Exo terra of similar size. Also, vent looks to be more fruit fly-proof than on Exo terra
4. Screen lids have no center support.
5. Cord pathways on back of cage.

Dislikes:
1. Single front door might be problematic when servicing some species.
2. No background included.
3. Gaps around front glass pane have looser tolerances than on Exo terra cages. Will definitely need to be modified to prevent fruit fly escapes.
4. Cord pathways are sealed up with a chintzy plastic piece that is snapped into place. No where near as slick as the sliding affair used on Exo terra cages.

So, there you have it. Both cages are very similar. I chose to get the Zoo Med cages simply because I could get them from a friend's shop without having to pay freight and also I was able to get the Zoo Med cages cheaper than the Exo terra cages of the same size. Ultimately I think in spite of some dislikes I slightly prefer the Zoo Med cages but it's mostly the aesthetic issue.

>>Hello:
>>
>>I'm looking to purchase an affordable display enclosure. I was looking at the zoo med naturalistic terrarium and the exo terra version.
>>
>>From what I can see the zoomed has one door that swings open, whereas the exo terra has a two door design.
>>
>>Just interested if anyone can provide input/their experience with these enclosures.
>>
>>Thx,
>>
>>Peter
-----
Matt Campbell

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir