Making my own tank

[Voltage]

In a few weeks I was either thinking buying a 20H and vert it or make my own tank (Was thinking a 18x18x24, like an exo or zoo med. But I have a few questions. Since this isn't ever going to be an aquarium, does the thickness matter that much? My local glass cutting shop only has 3/16 glass, but it's really cheap (I could make a 18x18x24 for around 25$) Would this have a high chance of breaking? I'm aiming for a 20H vertfor a few reasons. thanks

[John]

3/16ths is a little thinner than I would advise but it could work. 1/4 is safer.

[SludgeMunkey]

Ask if their window glass is safety coated and/or tempered. This can make all the difference.

The safest is the 1/4 as John stated. This can easily be purchased at furniture supply shops as it is used to make glass table tops. It does take some skill to cut glass, especially the thick stuff. I find it is cheaper and easier in the long run to pay to have it cut custom.

[Voltage]

Ok. At lowes they have 1/4 inch glass but they charge around 20-30$ per cut piece of glass, with I would probably be better off buying an exo or zoo med in the first place (expensive ) So I guess i'm doing a 20H vert

[John]

Not to be a negative Nancy, but if you're building a tank just to save money, I suggest you re-think the idea. If you've never made a tank before it's unlikely to look as good (or be as sturdy) as a store-bought aquarium. Plus you have to pay for silicone. And for an 18x18x24 inch (45x45x60 cm) terrarium, I would not consider anything less than 1/4 inch thick glass. I'm looking at my 40 breeder in my living room right now and that's made out of 1/4 inch glass, and the volume of that aquarium is only about 1.5 times that of an 18x18x24 exo.

If you're worried about the cost of the Exo, visit a reptile show. They are usually cheaper there than at the store.

[SludgeMunkey]

John tells it true! My suggestion would be to start small and practice. Play around with acrylic or lexan. Build some 5 gallon hospital tanks out of the stuff. (They make great holding tanks during cleaning and photographing too!)

I've built over 100 different types of enclosure over the years and I long ago gave up working with glass. In fact, I don't even bother with wood or plastic anymore either. Lots of expensive failures have taught me that it is much cheaper to recycle used aquariums off of craigslist and garage sales.