heather, could you post a few more pics of the cabinet? like a close up of the interior and a pic of the back? i would like to see what's back there. i am guessing though, that the back piece is constructed with something like 1/8" birch plywood, which would need to be replaced with at least 3/8" plywood. sealing, as we discussed, isn't really THAT big of a deal, just time consuming. don't worry about the wood rotting, if sealed properly, it won't be an issue. i truly believe the decision you need to make is, do you want a tank you can toss together quickly? or something that will be truly original and breath taking. of course, i'm the guy building a 125 gallon palu for 4 tiny frogs......LOL go big or go home!! seriously though, you know you can do the conversion if you set your mind to it. i have seen them done many times. it's just that the exo terra would be finished quicker. ultimately, the decision is yours

btw.....i did some research recently on wood viv construction, since i'm gonna build one for Red-Eyed Leaf Frog's as well. it's really not as god awful as you would think it is. any ?'s, pm me.