Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i am looking into building a terrarium/vivarium to house several species of frog/amphibians.id like to be a niced sized exclosure of around 50 gallons tall.instead of purchasing a fish tank,im looking at maybe a less expensive method of building my own.is it less expensive to build my own?or are factory made tanks actually cheaper?...im also not exactly sure what material id like to use.im sure glass would be cheapest easiest,but im toying with acrilic because maybe instead of a flat front,i can have a rounded font.i have never seen an acrilic tank in person.are they as clear as glass?are they a lot more expensive?there will be a lot of humidity in the tank.does glass fog more/less than acrilic?also,if anyone has any advice/web site links that deal with people building their own tanks of glass or acrilic,id really appreciate the help.i also dont have any idea where to buy supplies.when i do decide witch way to go(glass or acrilic) where does one buy the materials? and if i do decide to do acrilic and have the face of the tank kinda dome outward,where /how to a bend the acrilic? i know how to bend plexiglass,with heat,but not acrilic.is it done the same way? i dont like plexiglass,is this the same as acrilic or are they different. thanks in advance for all the help./

>>is it less expensive to build my own?or are factory made tanks actually cheaper?...

That's a good question. In general if you're going for a terrarium that is as nice as possible you can spend quite a bit more than a commericial product. However, you'll also be getting design features that you just can't choose among commercial products.

My guess is that for an acrylic tank you'll save money doing it yourself. Glass, you'll probably lose money. There are just too many mass produced glass tanks in the 50 gallon size range. Not with bowed fronts, however.

Nice thing about building them yourself is that you can make front opening cages. Frog people seem to really prefer that.

>>im also not exactly sure what material id like to use.im sure glass would be cheapest easiest,

Hard to say since the bowed front is such a difficult thing.

>>but im toying with acrilic because maybe instead of a flat front,i can have a rounded font.i have never seen an acrilic tank in person.are they as clear as glass?

Acrylic varies quite a bit in visual clarity. I don't know how much of this is detectable by the averge person. Rounded fronts are difficult to do from what I understand, especially if you want to maintain visual clarity.

>>are they a lot more expensive?

In the 50 gallon range, acrylic is more expensive. But it is also very popular for reasons I don't fully understand. Maybe because you can drill for drains, etc.

>>there will be a lot of humidity in the tank.does glass fog more/less than acrilic?

I have no idea. Good question.

>>also,if anyone has any advice/web site links that deal with people building their own tanks of glass or acrilic,id really appreciate the help.

Use google to search for do it yourself acrylic aquaria. Tons of resources. Vary your key words and you'll find them.

>>i also dont have any idea where to buy supplies.when i do decide witch way to go(glass or acrilic) where does one buy the materials?

Glass shops typically carry both. If you go with acrylic you may be able to find a plastic shop that specializes in acrylic displays, podiums, etc.

>>and if i do decide to do acrilic and have the face of the tank kinda dome outward,where /how to a bend the acrilic?

Again, I don't know how to do this and maintain visual clarity.

>>i know how to bend plexiglass,with heat,but not acrilic.is it done the same way? i dont like plexiglass,is this the same as acrilic or are they different.

Plexiglass is a type of acrylic, and a pretty good one. There are cheaper acrylics you'll want to avoid. If you shop for plexiglass make sure you're getting the read stuff. Plexiglass has become generic for acrylic so many shops will sell you something else when you ask for plexi. Not necessarily a bad thing.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

If you really want the bowed front you should probably avoid a front opening cage. Decide which is more important to you.

I have a lot of friends who are active frog keepers. In general they like:

1) Tall cages to allow for plant growth, even for terrestrial species.

2) Cages where the main viewing is on one of the narrow ends. Better use of space that way.

3) Front opening cages so lights, misting systems, etc. don't get in the way of accessing the cage. Although many do prefer the cleaner look of having the lid on top.

4) Holes drilled for drains.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

2.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

4.3 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)