Make your own viv?

[adawinters]

Oooh. I found the page I was thinking of. It wasn't on vivarium forums after all:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/car...ical-tank.html

[Kerry1968]

Thanks for the link, I'll have a look later. In the meantime I've signed up for Vivarium forum and there's some good ideas for making vivs backgrounds etc there.

[adawinters]

That site really is great inspiration. I've got designs popping around in my head for a day when I have more time/space to set up some new tanks.

Oh, yes. That day will come... Mwah ha ha ....

[Kerry1968]

I know what you mean! I am determined to start some kind of viv project soon.

My other half has told me not until we move (we could be moving in the next couple of weeks and I have to concentrate on packing up)

[adawinters]

Yeah. I'm trying to set my own cap at 4 enclosures at a time. This is partly because I don't want to crowd my husband out, partly because I only have so much time for maintenance, and partly because I don't expect to stay in this apartment past ~ 2012. Moving everybody was enough of a pain the last time around (summer of 07), and I don't really want to make it any more difficult for future moves.

*Even as I write, this, I realize I miscounted, since I forgot to add the bird cage, which brings the count to 5 enclosures. If you count feeders, as well, I've got 8 enclosures.

[Ra]

Oooh. I found the page I was thinking of. It wasn't on vivarium forums after all:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/car...ical-tank.html

By far the coolest DIY front opening vertical terrarium I have ever seen. Totally awesome. I have a 25 gallon aquarium that I found, I'm gonne clean it up and make one of these with it.

[Iceni]

Sorry for the slow response Kerry1968 I've been on holiday for a few weeks and only just read your PM.

The vertical viv can be as simple or as complicated as you want. Simple is always better. Sliding doors ect can be a pain especially if your attaching things directly to glass.



A few pointers that may help you out.


Firstly look at the open side of your tank. If it's a smooth finish with no lips, plastic runners ect then you can work things out from a base level.

If you have plastic screen hangers Or lid lips they can generally be removed with a screwdriver and a little force as in most cases there slid on or silicone'd in place.



Sliders can come in a variety of styles, The most basic are the type you see on a typical Vivarium. But they Come in unmatched pairs. One set will have less of a lip for the bottom of the tank. This is so you can slide the glass upwards and remove the glass with a typical viv. These runners whilst been cheap may not be ideal as they may fall out sideways on a vertical viv. So you need to think about keeping the glass over at the short side with some form of spacer whilst the tank is in normal use.


The alternative to that would be to use 2 long or 2 short runners or to use an oversized door so the glass can never fall out. Be warned tho this will mean you have to Silicone the runners in place with the glass in position, and the glass will be non remove-able.


using sliding glass also means you have to allow for ventilation and water retaining meaning the glass will already have a reduced sliding distance.

This design has the potential to become very complicated very quickly. And the more steps you have to take the more chance you have to make a unfixable error.



The More basic tank would be simple to get hold of 2 lengths of 28 inch glass that are about 3 inches wide. Or hard plastic. Then glue those about an inch into the inside of the tank. This would give you a firm base to start making the design i did. With a sheet of acrylic as a water retainer, then wooden ventilated door. This solves the majority of the problems with ventilation and doesn't become overly complicated.






A final idea may be to glue in a nice thick water retainer. 1/2 inch thick acrylic or something similar, then screw or glue a set of hinges to it and have a second acrylic/wooden (well ventilated) door attached to that. making a door that opens out and down like a cargo bay door, Then glueing stoppers in the top of the tank made out or clear acrylic with heavy duty rare earth magnets in them. Simple adding some stainless steel to the top edge of the door would make the tank auto locking.

[Kerry1968]

I like the idea of a magnetic closure for the door.

I think I'll probably go with some kind of hinged door, sounds easier than sliding doors

I got the measurements slightly wrong for the tank, it's 24" long, by 18" high by 12" wide. Therefore I'm thinking of making the side of the tank the front and have a side opening door, to make more viewing space. Also then the door doesn't have to be glass as it will be just a side wall and access point, if you get what I mean.

This is all just by the by as I'm now using the tank as a nusery tank for my youngest axolotl, he/she was growing out of the tub I had him in!

Also, I'm moving house in the next couple of weeks, so all projects on the back burner for now.

[adawinters]

Once you're done with the move and you get started, you should make a new thread to detail the process and show off the awesomeness of your new tank.

[Kerry1968]

Hmmm, I will take pictures, but whether they 'go public' depends on the end result and the 'awesomeness'!

[adawinters]

Hey, we all make mistakes, and they're the best way to learn. But I hear you. I prefer the "gloat after" rather than "publicly stumble" approach, myself.

[SludgeMunkey]

Hmmm, I will take pictures, but whether they 'go public' depends on the end result and the 'awesomeness'!

Always go public with DIY projects. For every one reply you get to it, there is 100 people who read your posts and said "Why did I not think of that?"

I think I was attempting to get active on vivaria forum, but I am a bit of a web snob and found the quality of a lot of the posts offensive.
There is some great stuff on there though.