Glass Vivariums

Housing your pet reptile the right way needs serious attention. Pet reptiles are cold blooded creatures, which mean they take a little extra care in regulating their environment than a cat or dog. Based on your pet reptile’s needs you will have to supply the proper enclosure. A vivarium is where your animals will live and have conditions resembling their natural habitat.

As you may know there are different types of reptile enclosures on the market: glass vivariums, terrariums, mesh terrariums, wood terrariums, etc. Choosing a vivarium can be a matter of preference. You may not have a lot of space; therefore a mesh vivarium that stands in the corner might work better. However, some individuals find the mesh is difficult to see through, and thus they cannot see their pet reptile.

In choosing between wood and glass vivariums you have a choice. If you want 360 degrees of sight for your pet reptile, wood is not going to give you that. Wood vivariums have three sides of wood with glass doors. The top and bottom will also be wood. Again, this means your sight regarding the reptile is hindered. This is the main reason most individuals go with glass vivariums.

Glass can be very cool to the touch, but that does not mean you cannot heat your reptile properly. Instead, you just need to find the correct heater to match your glass vivarium in order to keep it at a good temperature for whatever pet reptile you have. Let us take a look at the various styles of glass vivariums to help you make the right choice.

You have glass vivariums where each of the sides, front, and back are glass. The top will be a mesh design to allow for airflow, heat, lights, and humidity. The floor of the tank can be glass, wood, or a type of plastic; most often though, it will be a glass floor. The front glass panel is actually two doors, which can be locked with a tank lock to ensure your pet reptile will not escape.

Dimensions of the glass vivariums will differ. For example you could obtain a 12x12x12 glass vivarium or a 12x12x18 glass vivarium. The 18 inches is the height of the tank. This second tank will be taller, but the same width as the first example. You also have an 18x18x18 glass vivarium. Some of the glass vivariums range up to 24 inches in height and 24 inches in width with lengths up to 4 feet long. The size of your glass vivarium will depend on your pet reptile. If you expect your reptile to grow larger you need to have a tank that will accommodate them. The height and width choices are dependent on whether your reptile can climb or will want to do so. Snakes, lizards, and other reptiles like to sleep in trees or wrap around branches. By purchasing the taller tank you can place a variety of plants and fake trees in the tank to give them the room to climb. Turtles on the other hand will stay on the bottom of the tank, thus the width should be larger. The size of your tank will also be contingent on what accessories you hope to add to the tank.

One aspect of glass vivariums which may determine the size and style will be the cost of the vivarium and equipment you need to purchase. Glass vivarium kits do exist on the market. Generally these kits are going to include the enclosure, heating element, humidity element, and temperature gauge. A few kits will have the substrate and background, with a few accessories thrown in. Kits range from £50 to £350, or more. The smaller the tank the less expensive it will be. You can also opt to buy each piece separately. If you choose to purchase the glass vivarium on its own you may spend £32.00 to £150.00. As you can see there are some savings in purchasing the tank kits.

The drawback in glass vivarium kits is the size of the tanks. Most are starter kits, meaning you are given a smaller tank to help your pet as a baby and will need to upgrade over time. Luckily when you upgrade all you need is a new tank as the heater, and other parts of the kit can be transferred. If you have a floor heater you may need to add a new segment, but again this can be a lesser expensive option than buying each piece separately. Your budget, pet, and preferences will determine the glass vivarium you purchase.

Glass Vivarium Reptile Tanks

The top name in reptile glass vivariums is Exo Terra. While there are other glass vivariums on the market, Exo Terra has been created and designed by European herpetologists. Your pet deserves to have comfortable housing, so that they may feel safe, secure, and happy. It is very easy to stress out a reptile, which means you have to work to make sure you do not harm them in any way.

Glass vivariums are different than an aquarium, although they look similar. Glass vivariums are set up with doors on the front of the tank, instead of just a lid on the top. The front doors of vivariums make it easier to clean and access the reptile when needed. Any maintenance or feeding required can be done through these doors. There is a special tank lock that allows you to keep your reptile from escaping out the glass doors.

The top of the tank is not going to be glass like all the other sides. Instead, the top of the tank is a full screen on most vivariums. This allows UVB light, ventilation, and other necessary accessories to flow through the screen. For example on the glass terrariums there are five holes that you can place lights, heaters, and other terrarium accessories through for your reptile’s comfort. The screen can be removed when you need to access the tank from the top.

The bottoms of glass vivariums are raised up a little. This allows you to place a substrate heater underneath. It will cover the entire bottom keeping your reptile happy and healthy within. The glass doors of the vivariums are also raised up so that you have high sides to keep the substrate inside the tank.

Glass vivariums have one of the largest selections of sizes to make your reptile comfortable. The sizes range from 12 inches to 36 inches in width, 12 to 18 inches deep, and 12 to 24 inches high. The cost of the glass vivariums will range between £30 and £200, based on size. The larger vivariums are going to be a little more expensive, and complete reptile starter kits where you get all the items you need in one box will cost even more.

The size of your reptile as an adult will determine the size of the reptile vivarium you require. For example large snakes require more space. If they are also arboreal species you would need a taller vivarium rather than the wider option.

Glass vivariums are not the only option when it comes to reptile housing; however, they are going to afford you the best view of your pet reptile. The glass on all sides gives you a 360 degree view of the inside. The glass is also sturdy and allows your pet to see out. Other vivariums are lovely and perhaps may fit your budget or decor, but glass vivariums definitely offer some of the better viewings for you and your guests. Glass vivariums can also house amphibians or other semi aquatic reptiles that require a little water in the bottom. They are water tight and wonderfully constructed to fit you and your reptile’s needs.