converting display tanks to open in front-questions

[Missina]

So I currently have 2 female het pied ball pythons and have plans on getting a male pied some time next year. I had a random 40gal glass display tank with sliding front doors that I picked up at the Daytona reptile expo a few years back, and then I purchased an exo terra 40gal display tank with front opening doors. I was planning on building a wooden frame display to hold these 2 plus one more. Then I checked craigslist..oh boy..craigslist! And I Found, for all of $50, a lady selling 40gal display tanks on a wooden frame! So I went over and picked one of them up! Below is a picture of it. The top tank is the exo terra tank and I already have the wood to add another shelf to the bottom for my other tank that is similar. There are a few issues though. The main issue is that I want to put flex watt heat tank under each tank, and the 3 cut 40gallon tanks that came with the stand have to be pulled out of the stand to get to the inside of the tanks. This is a major design flaw when you want to add heat!
So my plan is to cut the front piece of glass out of these tanks, cut the glass into 3 parts and make hinged glass doors that open Downward. So my question is, would this work? I have never cut glass before so I don't know if the glass that is already on the tank is to thin or what. if it is to thin, should I order glass that is thicker or should I order plexi glass? I was thinking to cut the front part of the glass so there was 1in on the top and bottom that would be resiliconed into place so I could add hinges and locks with expoxy.

Below is a pic of the display, what do you all think?

Thanks,

Missina

[Pyrate81]

I think I understand what you are saying here. hmmm. Let me see if I can find the thread for making doors for fish tanks...

Is redoing the shelving an option with putting the tanks on rollers or slides? Like a chest of drawers.

[Pyrate81]

Here ya go, this might help: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...arium-Solution

You could probably cut out the glass then do something like this. With the tanks being silicone in the corners, perhaps remove silicone and take the glass out. I have no experience doing this so I would take better advice from people experienced with this.

[Missina]

I think I understand what you are saying here. hmmm. Let me see if I can find the thread for making doors for fish tanks...

Is redoing the shelving an option with putting the tanks on rollers or slides? Like a chest of drawers.

I thought about that, but then again you run into the issue of wires and constant movement..and that is something I do not want. And the tanks are to short to do sliding glass doors so I thought that if the doors open downward, it would be easier. I just don't want to destroy them. These tanks use to be 40gal breeders, but they were cut down in size to fit more of them onto the rack (I think).
Its kind of funny because when we went to see these racks, my boyfriend came with me and he started talking to the lady who was selling them and it turns out his uncle built them and sold them to her and her husband! Small world, but there are only a few people in our area who deal in venomous snakes and these were used to house cobras and stuff in the past. I keep asking my boyfriend to call his uncle and see if he wouldn’t mind helping to redo them a little..but so far it hasn’t happened so I need to start working on them myself or I will never get to finish them!


Missina

[Missina]

this is a rather sad drawing of what I want to do

[Pyrate81]

Understood. The link I pasted in my previous response should help a bit. What you want to do is definitely feasible, just a matter of who can help ya out here. There are others who probably give good advice.

[Missina]

Understood. The link I pasted in my previous response should help a bit. What you want to do is definitely feasible, just a matter of who can help ya out here. There are others who probably give good advice.

I missed the link. Yes what I want to do it something like that, only I have to cut the glass out of the tank first. I guess I will try it and if its to thin and breaks I will just ordrer plexiglass or glass that is thicker.

missina