making my own leo viv

hey guys! so today i went and grabbed the little plastic drawers i wanted to make into the 3 story hide and found that i need a bigger tank if i was to have it have a warm hide in it or i would have to get a tiny heat matt for it. so that got me thinking about getting a bigger tank for charm.
ever sense i wanted to get a leo i wanted a big viv with front opening doors, the only one i cold find that was close to what i had in mind is this.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4070851&lmdn=Habitats+%26amp%3B+Accessories

now that is great but it is like $250.. its not a bad price but i was thinking if i could make my own viv and have it be a bit bigger and better for around the same price then why not do that? so i was hoping to get advice from you guys. i was looking at the acrylic optix sheets they have at home depot and doing the math if i was to make a 18"Wx18"Hx40"L viv with front opening doors and a screen top it would cost me about $200 to $250.
the acrylic holds heat better, is lighter, and more flexible. what do you guys think? any input you could add?

oh and i wanted to gloat about the fact that Charm seams to be coming out more and the other day i got to see her getting a drink from her new water dish. she is so super cute.

i think you could probs find that alot cheaper ... search around abit x

Look for authorized Zoo Med merchants in your area, if their good people they use their Zoo Med discount to their advantage and don't charge full price to pocket more profit.

That same terrarium is onsale from Petco for $234.99.

Or if you want to save money and build your own, Petco has these $1 per gallon sale. You can go buy a 40 or 55 gal aquarium, turn it on its side, and install your own sliding doors on it. Voila, cheap but big tanks

I love those sales, and I love those DIY kits.


Something to consider there!

thanks for the advice guys. if i was to get a big one and turn it on its side how would i go about having a screen top?

You can make air holes, the idea was inspired by what I saw done by this guy (* sorry, link removed by Kermit for rules violation. Not permitted to link to other forums. Feel free to use any non-copywrighted photos insted*).

that is a very nice set up they did, it looks like it would take just about the same effort if i was to make my own with the plexie glass tho.

It would be cheaper, page 2 he showed the breakdown of how much it cost. He went all out, but if you simply wanted to install sliding doors and drill some holes, it wouldn't cost nearly as much as $200+. Just an idea.

Personally if you really want to save money, Petco's $1 per gallon sale would net you a 40 gallon for $40. Then either buy or make a mesh top to sit on it, voila you're done. No sliding doors but I'm not sure how badly you want the front opening doors.

I think its you should get it but put the supplies aside and get your own stuff