Customer Reviews

Exo Terra Glass Terrarium, 18 by 18 by 24-Inch

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

its ok, a lot of small holes and spaces crickets and fruit flies can get out of

This is a great and high quality terrarium. I would advise the seller to put the dimensions on the listing. I honestly thought i was getting a larger size. I felt the listing was misleading, and this terrarium is too small for what I need it for, however, it is too big and heavy for me to to afford to ship it back. It just wouldn't be worth it. So I'll still have to get a larger terrarium and just eat the cost of this one. The product's nice, but its not what I wanted or thought I was getting.

I did not order this terrarium from Amazon.com but I do own this specific one and I love it!

PROS: My pacman frog has called this terrarium home for about 2 years now. It is very beautiful and alluring. The terrarium is made very well and the glass doors are very convenient. Decorating the terrarium is actually kind of fun. At first I thought it would be a pain but you can make it look however you want and there are a lot of possibilities. My friends are always checking on my frog and what I have done with his tank this week. It looks more expensive than it is. Live plants make great decorations and add to the fun!! The terrarium holds heat well and is elevated so you can put a heater under it. This Terrarium is semi child proof as the doors lock and most people can't figure out how to open it LOL.

CONS: The top screen has places for you to put cords through such as a fogger or water pump. The only problem I have had is that if you feed your pet crickets they may escape through the cord areas but the problem is easily solved by rotating the screen so the slots are at the front of the tank. This presents a problem if you want crickets AND cords but the Exo Terra fogger is a rip off so if you get it make sure you keep your receipt for the day that you tired of it.

I would suggest getting the Exo terra light for the tank as it snaps into place and fits nicely. I thought I would need a heater but the light keeps the tank warm enough (for my specific demands). FYI my light housing (not ordered form Amazon) did not come with a bulb so keep an eye out for that you might have to buy one.

Make sure that if you get this you clean it a lot. I clean mine at least once a week. If you let it get too dirty gnats fit right through the screen and will invade! Plus keeping it clean will keep you and your pet happier and healthier.

This terrarium was a wonderful upgrade for my darling snake. With the mesh top and vent strip beneath the doors it got good ventilation without losing humidity. It is easy to maintain proper temperature and humidity, and it is large enough to for your snake to enjoy his cave, basking rock, large watering dish, and other scenic additions without being cramped. It also has a nice cut-out on one side at the top for wires to run through. That's the good.

Now here's the bad. The top is flimsy with cheap plastic latches that broke off on day 1. The doors also have cheap latches that don't hold closed against any form of pressure. It is big and glass, so obviously it's heavy and bulky and difficult to wash. Because there are no vertical supports, the glass is the only thing holding it up, and will bend and buckle and break under too much pressure if you place any weight on top of the cage to keep the flimsy top from coming off. It also has no internal mounting mechanism for heat lamps, so heat lamps can only be placed above the cage. The styrofoam background is nice, but feeder rats have eaten approximately 6" diameter holes through all four corners of it. I've resorted to attaching the scenic rock to the outside of the rear of the cage where you can still see it but things inside can't touch it. The cage is exactly 18" in depth on the outside, so any 18" accessories you want to put on the inside will have to be filed down a bit to fit.

Overall my snake is much happier with this cage than his last one. Ball pythons are notorious escape artists, and mine has yet to escape this cage even despite the cheap latches. If I ever purchase another snake cage, however, I will definitely look for something more robust than the exo-terra style terraiums.

I bought the 36x18x18 for my python. I was excited to have more creative access (side doors), and improve the airflow from my previous setup. The raised bottom allows for a variety of substrate heaters and still has a bit over 1/2 inch clearance. I have a constant heater running and have not had any problems with the wood stand underneath getting hot. The bottom section with air venting seems to be great for reptilian setups. The bottom is strong and sturdy, while the top is a bit weaker. It's almost like two different manufacturers from bottom to top.

The doors are a great touch, but that is where my problems started. The bottom of the doors latch firmly in place with a twist lock. This feature is fantastic. The top of the doors somewhat stay in place with a magnet. This is not so great. Currently, I'm not worried about my snake getting out, but I was shocked to see how easy it was to push open a gap with my finger at the top.

The framing at the top of the setup is also very flimsy. I don't expect to have to move the setup, but if I did, I would be concerned about the top frame. The screen on top is a wash. I have seen better, I have seen worse. I will say that the locks for securing the top mesh are great and work splendidly. There no way that anything I would consider having as a pet would get through those.

The "picture" in the back of the setup is underrated. With sliding ports on the top cage to allow for wiring, and hollowed out sections in the picture, it's a great way to run wired components into the terrarium. I don't currently have anything wired in, but the option is great.

Overall, I would say this is an excellent setup. The smart design and robust base more than made up for the flimsiness on top. I might be concerned with powerful / aggressive reptiles and the top corners of the doors, but for anything else, it seems perfect. I would buy another in an instant.

PROS:
- Price is actually reasonable for what you get.
- Sturdy bottom, with elevated base for heating and wiring.
- Ventilation is great.
- Variable dimensions really let you customize, and it can be hard to find affordable wide terrariums that aren't junk

CONS:
- Flimsy top frame (may not really affect anything in many setups, does not effect integrity as far as pets getting out, for example)
- Flimsy top corners of doors (again - may not be a concern with most pets)

OVERALL:
- Would buy again and recommend to anyone

SHIPPING:
Not a hit on the product, but I really wish I knew what companies were going to deliver my product before I click complete. The shipping was the worst experience ever. They said they called to schedule a time, but I had no message. I got the email from Amazon that they were trying to reach me, so I called on Saturday. The corporate office gave me a local number to call, and the person who answered said they did not schedule deliveries on Saturdays and that the office was closed (I don't think I've ever talked to a live human working in a closed office before). I called back on Monday and was given the option to receive the deliver on a Saturday (which makes it even more odd that the office is closed then). I opted for the weekday instead and got a delivery window of 11am-5pm. Guess I am taking the day off from work to work around the plumbers hours... Then they came and dropped off my terrarium and both glass doors were broken. This may not be CEVA's fault but by this point they were my scapegoat for the whole debacle...

Anyway, Amazon was great, the lady I talked to was very nice and my doors are en route.
If I ever find out that my only shipping option is CEVA, I will probably not purchase the product.

I bought the 12x12x18 to replace our old one. It made it here in one piece, was packed well, and looks great. I bought the hood for it too. The combination worked out great. The foam backboard turned out to be invaluable for us. We cut slits in it and mounted our slate pieces in it and then ran our water tube up to the V in the top center. We also hollowed out places in it and filled with peat to place some of our plants in. It really looks good. The glass is solid, the doors close securely, and the ventilation is very good.

The only thing that concerns me is the strength of the latch. It has not broke but feels very cheap. Maybe it is fine. Either way, the doors have a drilled hole in each tab so a bar or lock could be put in if needed.

Very nice quality setup for a great price.

My primary motivation for buying THIS cage:
I bought one of these recently after MUCH looking around for cages that open from the front, a feature that I have since found VERY nice for a larger cage. There are a number of solutions out there, including some very nice ones from glasscages dot com. but I settled on this cage over some higher quality options because the doors are hinged, rather than sliding (most other cages you will find on-line have sliding doors which might trap insects, sand, or even perhaps in some freak event catch the leg of your pet, in my opinion).

That said, many of my comments that follow match pretty well to what has already been said about this cage:

The Pros:
1) Hinged front doors, rather than sliding doors, avoid things being trapped in the door guides or between doors. Definately a NICE feature.
2) Vents below doors provide air flow. Nice touch.
3) Glass construction for all the see-through parts.
4) Screen has holes for cords or tubing to pass through- nice for pumps, lamps, heated rocks etc..
5) Looks NICE

Overall, I do like the cage... it is really a nice looker, and it operates "well enough" ... but there are of course...

The cons:
1) The door latch!! You either WILL break it, or always fear you will break it. Why Exo Terra didn't simply use the latch of their smaller cages on this one I don't know!
2) Plastic above the doors needs further reinforcement.. it flexes and could be easily damaged. Just be wary of it. I have to train myself not to want to rest my arm
on the cage rim when feeding crickets or transferring objects into/out of the cage.
3) Not sure if the hinges themselves are plastic, I am going to wager they are... again, be careful with it, and you'll be fine.
4) If you feed your reptile live things.. I STRONGLY suggest you do NOT put the Styrofoam background in the cage (I put mine behind the cage). It has channels
(for electrical cables or tubes) that will allow the insects to crawl up and out of the cage if you are not careful. At a minimum, they will hide in it.
You may elect to try to turn it upside down so that the hole at the bottom is at the top instead, but I suspect that crickets can climb the Styrofoam without
Difficulty and possibly escape next time you open the cage top should you elect to do so.
5) The screen is fine mesh, and doesn't transmit light very well. A top with built in light is probably in order. I will probably make my own top for it.


Other Notes:

1) I suggest fully cleaning out/sterilizing the cage, and looking for crumbs of Styrofoam and silicone sealant that were left from manufacture and the background.
2) Careful when lifting it.. its a bit heavy, and because of the weaknesses of having the doors there instead of glass, it'd be best to have help lifting it.


This cage could easily be a 5 star item if just a few minor things were addressed in terms of quality. I really like it functionally and aesthetically!

I am really happy with this tank. Glad that it is taller than wide. I have two White's Tree Frogs and they take advantage of the height. There is very little wrong with it. The only thing that could be made better the the door latch, which is in working order but might, in the future, might break. I was going to buy the 12x12x18 and am glad I went a couple sizes bigger. Worth the price for this very top of the line tank!

Great product. I have several (16) Exo Terra glass terrariums of all different sizes and have been using them since they hit the market a few years ago. Overall they are a great tank for most reptiles. I have used them for both desert and rain-forest setups and they perform admirably for both. The dual door design is super convenient for routine maintenance and feeding, it also helps contain quick animals looking to escape while your feeding. I have had no condensation issues even in very humid setups (many of my tanks are equipped with misting heads).

Pros:
1. Cost (if you consider/utilize the many built in features)
2. Durability, my oldest tanks are about 3 years old and have held up well. The one exception is the old screen top securing tab design (see Other notes below).
3. Resevour size, I use a false bottom design in all my rain forest tanks and still have enough room for bedding materials and live plants.
4. Cord ports, i have two tanks with water filters running and the built in power cord ports work well.
5. Elevated feet, i use heat mats on certain tanks and the elevated feet keep the weight off the heat tape (weight on the heat tape can cause problems)

Cons:
1. Back ground durability/function. I don't mind how the back grounds look...ok maybe they look a little cheap, but I do have other reasons not to use them in them in most of my setups. Crickets climb them and hide/escape or get behind them. A small ledge is created between the screen top and the background that crickets love and never come done from, reptiles that can't climb won't be able to reach/eat them. If you routinely clean the Styrofoam, they will quickly fade and wear out. If you don't feed insects and wash them gently they may work well for a while.
2. Cord port and sliding port cover still leaves a small gap in the back of the tank. Smaller crickets and reptiles are able to escape. I keep the cord port covers closed and silicone the gap behind the sliding cover to eliminate any escape routes.
3. I have had some corrosion of the wire mesh screen tops, mostly in my humid setups. The screen looks easy enough to replace if and when they wear out.
4. Smaller tank sizes don't have adequate room to properly light an enclosure for reptiles needing UVB/basking lamp/full spectrum lighting. (new dual light hood options from Exo-Terra are on the market which may help solve this problem for small tanks, but not the nano tanks. Plus they seem very pricey yet Exo Terra Dual Top 24-Inch Canopy for Exo Terra Terrariums PT2610 and PT2612).

Other:
1. The newest Exo-Terra tank design utilizes a new fastening design for the screen tops, so far i have not had a problem with the new design and it seems to be a positive improvement. The old screen tops were held in place with plastic push tabs which would fatigue and break if seeing even limited use.
2. The frame is all plastic and doesn't seem particularly strong. I keep waiting for it to snap or crack when i'm cleaning or moving them, but they haven't yet...

After 2+ years of providing a home for a very spoiled reptile, this Exo-Terra Allglass Terrarium has worked very well. We bought ours for under 300 dollars at a local pet store. There really is not many other options for this size of terrarium that we could find. Overall, I would buy another one if we had the need. There are some design flaws that are not too big to avoid this unit. PROs #1 Well built. #2 An established company. #3 Front opening doors- easy access for cleaning and feeding of critters. #4 Good ventilation from front via the top. #5 Very easy for the wife to clean with front door access. #6 24 inch height is great for certain reptiles- most like too climb. #7 Did I mention it is easy for the wife to clean? #8 The Reptile loves the room and the ability to climb for all his heat requirements. Cons #1 Background sucks! After all the good design and $300 later, they use styrofoam as a background?! It is a joke. Our reptile quickly dislodged the horribly painted background in under 12 months. The paint job was very unnatural as well. It looked like a half blind chimp that has never seen a rock formation rattle canned it. They should have used cork? #2 The top screen is weak. The support is made of plastic that reacts to heat too well....I corrected this gross engineering oversight by using a steel rod to support the screen. I admit I was not using their light hood. However, it is still poorly designed considering the cost (but an easy fix). #3 The door lock could "feel" stronger?- it has not broke after 2+ years. No leaks, no escapes, no regrets. I would suggest this unit, even for a Gorn.