Aquarium on side for snake --Doors?

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Originally Posted by Queensnake88

I'm annoyed with this .....the groups and forums...so many people jump down my throut about keeping snakes in glass aquariums. I was just reacting in general.

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Nobody's jumpin! I know which groups you might be talking about, but this forum is not it. People are just voicing what they think, but you can do whatever you feel like in the end really. It's not like this project is impossible. Also, nobody was talking about not keeping them in glass aquariums? The forum literally even has a sticky thread in the "husbandry" section that's a DIY guide for "how to set up a glass tank" LOL. It's an open-minded place.

Just clarifying some things, no need to be on the defensive right off the bat around here...

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Originally Posted by piedlover79

The main issue here is that fish tanks are meant to withstand pressure in a very particular direction. When you put on on its side the new 'bottom' isn't evenly supported on all four side the way the normal bottom is since having the opening in the side leaves the bottom with pressure on three sides not four and the new top being glass and not air is now also in a stressed position being only supported on three sides as well. Does the tank have a 'brace' across the normal top? You might need to strengthen that with a piece of wood up the back of it to add some support to the top piece of glass. Fish tank glass is heavier than reptile tank glass so being unsupported is a greater issue.

For an example if you push down on the top of a glass cup you probably aren't going to break it, lay it on its side and add the same force you can crush it easily.


Even a normal fish tank if the bottom isn't supported evenly all the way around the glass can crack (yup...learned that the hard way).

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A good silicone bond on glass is quite strong. Quarter inch thick glass is strong. The issue with aquariums is the hundreds of pounds of weight in water they are expected to contain. Water weighs approx 8 1/2 per gallon. Even a little ten gallon tank full has over eighty pounds of water in it. An empty fish tank is fine on its side, just don't stack a bunch of heavy junk on *top* of it.

If this were my project, I'd take off the plastic rims at the top and bottom, remove the side that will serve as the new top, and attach a good framed screen instead. I'd frame the new front opening in what ever was suitable for the doors I wanted (metal tracks for sliding doors). I'd add a frame for the new bottom to rest on, and I'd drill some vent holes with a circular cut out bit, and another smaller hole for what ever wires have to come out.

My only issue with a retrofitted fish tank would be that most of them don't have pleasing proportions when tipped on the side. At a minimum, I like a lot of climbing branches, and therefore more height than most standard tanks laying on the side are going to have.

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Originally Posted by Queensnake88

I'm doing it. Already had the tank. Undertank heat pad for heat. Obviously holes in the doors so the thing can breathe!

I'm not spending $300 on a new snake enclosure. Sorry.

I want help, not negativity.

If you can't say nice things, do not comment. Simple.

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I don't see where she showed any negativity at all.just ask good questions. I haven't seen anyone bash anyone on this forum about using a glass tank or something other then tubs. I mean u can go to any Petco and get a Tall Exo Terra for 129.99 right now. It has front doors and would be a lot less hassle but u know this [emoji1308] Good Luck lol


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Originally Posted by Sallos

I'm worried that the aquarium glass could shatter under the heat and weight. I'm not sure it was designed to handle the stresses of being on its side without reinforcement.

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This would be my concert too. Glass aquariums are designed to sit on the bottom. Now they are also designed to hold the weight of water too....but I would still recommend against it.

I have built simple lexan tops for glass aquariums before. An aquarium can be a great enclosure if done right. There are plastic hinges you can order online. Research on binding plastic to plastic get some hinges and chemical weld it to the sheet acrylic. You can do it no problem, but making plastic work look good takes some practice...so be prepared to screw up the first time you try.

Funny, I am in the middle of the *exact* same build. 40 gallon long salvaged tank, I even just made an almost identical post on another forum re: what the best route for the doors is. I am currently undecided on whether to use 1/8" or 1/4" plexiglass for the doors since I already have a couple of very large sheets of 1/8" but I'm concerned that there is too much flex to be secure. The general setup will be the same either way, identical for each door: one 23" x 1 3/4" piece of plexi siliconed into the bottom of the pre-existing frame, then piano hinges the full length across, attached to the 23" x 9 1/4" doors. I'm ordering magnets to space out along the vertical edges of the frame with corresponding magnets on the outside of the doors to address the flex issue, in addition to the (at least 2) hasps that will secure the top of each door; if the magnets don't address the 1/8" flex issue adequately I will use them for something else and buy some 1/4" plexi to use instead. Per discussion with someone who currently uses Boaphile 421d's for their snakes I think airflow will be adequate to maintain appropriate humidity % but in the event that increased circulation is needed I will drill pairs of holes in the doors until I get good numbers. Obviously all of these kinks will be ironed out well before I switch my girl over to her new home, I will have plenty of time to tweak the humidity & temp numbers while waiting a month or so for the silicone etc to offgas totally.

The enclosure I'm building will be insulated by foam "rock" walls lining the sides & back and heated primarily by an Ultratherm 11x17 UTH run at an angle on the warm side to avoid said walls and maximize heating capability. I'm also placing a smaller UTH on the cool side on a 2nd therm in case I need it to maintain cool-side temps/ambient temp, but shouldn't need it most of the time. I live in south TX and my home is kept at 74-76 degrees F almost year-round, which translates to ambient temps of 75-77+ degrees in her current enclosure, also a glass tank. The stand I'm currently using for her has the same dimensions as what will be the bottom of the new tank, so I'm going to add "bumpers" to the corners to hold it in place on top of the spacers that will be underneath to provide clearance for the UTH. I'm not really worried about the load on the glass as there will be evenly-distributed support from the spacers underneath, nothing will ever go on top of the enclosure, and the heaviest thing inside of it by far will be her full water dish. I'm lighting it with a strip of warm white LED tape siliconed in behind the top edge of the front (above the doors).

Honestly just be careful with your planning, make sure that your finished enclosure is safe and meets your snake's husbandry needs 110%, and don't worry too much about all of the naysayers. It's all good and well to tell someone to just buy a new acrylic setup for $100+, but the enclosure I'm working on will have about the same dimensions as a Boaphile 421d at a fraction of the cost and provide a more than adequate home for my bp for the rest of her life if needed. Accounting for items that I got for free & supplies that I already had on hand my total cost for this is going to be under $100 and that's with all heating/lighting/etc. I agree that people should be able to provide fully for an animal's needs before taking it on, I have emergency funds for anything up to & including an emergency vet visit/stay but am currently on a very fixed income. I only even have a snake because she was literally left outside to die, with no water, in a tank full of feces, insects, and at least one regurge. This is better than that IMO.