Reptile & Amphibian Forums

last month i built my first ever cage from scratch.i was really happy with the outcome and very proud of myself considering i did it all for under 25 bucks.its built entirely from salvaged window glass i found being thrown out by a window replacement co.i cut all the glass and made a tall vivarium(23"tallx18 wide and deep)it has sliding glass doors in the front and the top is also 75 percent glass with a strip(about 10 inches wide)running down the middle of the roof that is framed and screened for ventilation and for uvlight to get through without having to be filtered by the glass.the entire cage is made of pure glass with only silicon holding it together except for wood molding around the base.i didnt want molding up the sides or top because its housing a greentree python and i wanted nothing but glass and nothing obstructing view of him.its designed with a false bottom (dartfrog style)drain plugs and is planted with tons of live plants,ferns,live moss,palm trees,waterfall,handmade backwall with plants and airplants,fogger,basically the works.currently my greentree python has enough room(hes only 2) but i worry as he matures and as the plants grow,he will be left a little tight.adult chondros are supposed to be housed in a vivarium around 24"x24" and mine,without the plants and waterfall ect,is a bit smaller than that.now granted,i have a male and they are quite a bit smaller than adult females,i still think he may need a bit more room when hes older.considering how nice this one came out,and how much nicer it will look when the moss begins to grow and give it an aged look,i hate to have to build a new one.besides its only a small increas in size i feel i will need.so im wondering if anyone has a suggestion on maybe increasing the size of my current setup without starting over?im thinking of maybe trashing the sliding front door and installing a bowed front that swings open.this will give me a bit more room .another idea i had would maybe be build an add on that sits ontop of the roof.im just not crazy about that becuse im already running into problems supplying enough light to the plants on the floor and the added hight may not work.so all i really have is the bowed front idea but i have no idea how to go about making it.thanks in advance for any suggestions.

You could lay the cage on its side and then extend the length. You could have a cage that is as long as you want and 18" tall and deep.

However, 18" tall is pretty short for a Chondro.

Personally, I would go for a new cage.

I agree with Chris go with a new cage. Although it seems the cheaper route to do the expansion. Think about all the problems you are currently having with the current set up. Not that you are, but building a new set up gives you the oppurtunity to expand on the old design. All those things you wish you could have done but skipped out and are now regreting. Believe me having built a number cages myself you can always improve on an existing idea.
My 2 Cents
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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

thanks guys,and i see where you are going with this and if it was just the cage,id say sure.the only reason why i am trying to hold out on my current cage is the landscaping.i put so much work and money into the landscaping,plants,air plants,bromeliads,litchems,palm trees,waterfall,fogger,misting system,ect(you get the idea)accents.the moss is just starting to grow on the wood and its really looking great.all i really need a a little bit more room(not now but maybe in a year or so)and i just hate to start over.so you dont know of a way to creat a bowed front??im sure glass is out of the question but couldnt i buy/make an acrylic bowed front??how would you go about that?i cant help but think that not only would the bowed front make it look nicer,it may just give me that little bit of extra room that i may need. im attaching a picture so you can see what i am talking about.just scratch the sliding door in the front and replace it with maybe a bowed front that swings open and you have what im imagining.

the cage is very beautiful. i know you can heat plexiglass and bend and shape it, that may be your best bet. if you can find something the correct diamiter and heat and mold it around it you should be good. it will be a tough job though. you could always transfer what you have inside the current enclosure to the new enclosure. my last suggestion is that if you dont mind later, you could remove one of the sides of the enclosure or front/back and attach a duplicate structure and only have a metal H piece connecting them to obstruct your view. good luck withwhatever you decide, but you really dont have to do anything for some time anyway.

I would agree with chris as well. And look at it this way, ur not wasting the old cage, I just got new one for my ball python, but I didn't throw the old one out, I'm going to house a newborn snake in it, think of it this way, it's justification to get something else to put inside it. Dart frogs would go nuts in that enclousure!!!

funny you should mention that...a colony of imitator darts was my next project..lol...i guess you guys were right.thanks