How to Build a Custom Euro-style Terrarium

[@lackbride]

I am a European terrarium builder and I have never seen a complicated way of making terrariums. :) :)

[@TCSDartFrogs]

Great video man! I think you're the first one to get a euro tank video up which is awesome because I know a lot of people want to know how to build them.

[@TroyGoldberg]

TCS Dart Frogs yeah... I figured it could and should be extremely helpful with the hobby

[@themoaningoflife]

This was the 'Best How To' video of any I've seen. Oh and nice beard man. 10x Thumbs up.

[@TroyGoldberg]

The Moaning of Life thank! Glad you enjoyed!

[@LightYerPipe]

it's probably the worst i've seen.

[@bastianswe7209]

@@LightYerPipe and your brain is as developed as a child's. Stop with that boring comments please..

[@bacon6496]

The Moaning of Life hmmmmdatnamemmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@Reptasillo]

Dude seriously helpful! Loving all the frequent content! Keep it up!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Chris Hermosillo thanks man! Will do!!

[@dmedford5]

I was thinking of doing something similar with a 40 breeder aquarium in the vertical orientation. Dope build!

[@aquaaurora2747]

Thank you for the video! I've wanted to turn a 20g long aquarium into a vertical vivarium, and will adapt your DIY here for the screen vent under the doors for my tank.

[@TroyGoldberg]

Aqua Aurora nice!! Good luck! Hopefully it works out great for you!

[@jaggery77]

All great videos and great source for DIY cage Herp keepers. Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time. So useful and will help us all make great looking and functional vivariums!! Keep doing it for us!!

[@DendroZone]

Great build tutorial Troy!

[@TroyGoldberg]

DendroZone thanks bud!

[@patrikahlvik8607]

Great video. Very inspiring! Greetings from Sweden

[@christianarvin8372]

Back at it again with the great build aha! I wanna see how the drainage work tho.

[@TroyGoldberg]

Christian Arvin pretty much you just attatch a bulk head through the hole, and you stretch a 1/4” tube and then use a ball valve on the end so u can open and close the flow once the water goes above the fill line.. it’s really simple

[@kirstennicole6212]

That is awesome! Beautiful enclosure and instructions

[@TroyGoldberg]

Kirsten Nicole thank you!

[@realm7club-R7C]

im actually gonna give this a shot! thanks for the vid! killing it as always keep it up!

[@TroyGoldberg]

thanks Guy! good luck!

[@michaelmelo8075]

Another great video Troy, I have been interested in making my own euro vivarium, and now you have shown the whole process. Awesome keep up the great work !!!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Michael Melo thanks Michael!

[@ssmith084]

Thank you for this! This is the best diy how to enclosure build. Going to be attempting this in the future for my spiders. You're awesome and cheers!

[@quintonlane6560]

What about using uv glue to glue the paines of glass together then siliconing the seems?

[@thehappywanderer4230]

Where do you purchase the corner 1/4” track?? You are awesome! I wish I had your talent in building glass tanks.

[@yoonmikim5663]

I know this was over a year ago... but I figure it might be useful to know anyway. The closest I found online is called "Vinyl Stair edging" I couldn't find it under the descriptions he said.

[@bacon6496]

Through the eyes of the Happy Wanderer hey it’s easy if you try to do it

[@megaroo6110]

Yoonmi Kim all you have to do is google "plastic door Track for 1/8 glass" and it pops right up.

[@mikerizzo7750]

I’m gonna go for it. You’ve convinced me. Great video. Thanks Troy!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Fantastic!! Glad This Video is encouraging you guys to go and do it yourselves! Considering that was the point of this video, I feel like I finally succeeded in a decent video!

[@JB-ld6pe]

@@TroyGoldberg you have, i'm using your video as a guide as well

[@floydbundy]

Very cool.

[@TroyGoldberg]

thanks!

[@floydbundy]

Troy Goldberg Out of curiosity where did you get the 1/4” glass?

[@TroyGoldberg]

floydbundy my local mirror and glass shop

[@MIKOLAJW19]

Best video on KZbin!

[@TroyGoldberg]

Haha I wish! Thanks!!

[@frankpierco8826]

Just a small detail: the vent in the top should actually be more to the back, in order to provide good airflow throughout the enclosure. In this case it's positioned straight in the middle, or even slightly forward. Buy hey, it's a detail. In a smaller terrarium like this it shouldn't matter that much. In larger and deeper terrariums though, this becomes really important to prevent mold: the air in the back of the enclosure would become stagnant. As a European, I agree that this style of enclosure is probably the best way to go for keeping a healthy environment in high humidity enclosures.

[@ricardosmythe2548]

Im making one atm with the vent 60mm in from the back, the bigger peice of glass on top at the front will give the front more structure to with it being the open end. KZbin is the best learning resource Ive ever used, hats of to the creators 👍

[@rickytrint1484]

@@ricardosmythe2548 Where did you get your glass for your tanks, I've been looking but all of them are for decoration glass only, not glass for tanks.

[@ricardosmythe2548]

@@rickytrint1484 I'm a window fitter and can cut glass so I cut old panes up. It's not safety glass that's the only issue but not an issue for my use.

[@tysonwardleigh2728]

how far in the back would you suggest for the vent to go?

[@Hand-Banana]

Also I love this video and all the others as well. I'm a big herp nerd and this really is super cool

[@abrahamperdomo5107]

super helpfully video, thank you very much, I hope some day you can make a drain system video!! that would be awesome!! thumbs up

[@lordmatsvandahl6035]

Nice vid mate

[@TroyGoldberg]

Lord mats van dahl thanks!

[@pudd1964]

Super informative video...

[@TroyGoldberg]

pudd1964 thanks!

[@fresnocascabel7571]

Looks good.

[@TroyGoldberg]

FresnoCascabel thanks!

[@RockTaco1000]

Sweet now we know how to build it. Can you do a setup for background, soil, planting and such for your vivs with the bromeliads and such would love to see the artist at work! :)

[@islandendeavor]

great video, but why didn't you drill the glass BEFORE you assembled it?

[@docscottjahn]

Question about door measurements: You have it at 17"x11". I get the width 11x2 is 22 (the length of the tank +1/2" overlap) but the hight is 17". If you dam is 6 and total height is 24, that leaves 17.5" space (accounting for 1/2"glass thickness). Are your doors 1/2" smaller? is that correct (24-6=18-.5(bottom and top glass thickness)=17.5 space

[@TroyGoldberg]

Your forgetting about the door track clearance

[@michaelross5674]

Looks great man

[@chrisdartfrogking2018]

thank you, lol think ill try my hand at building one... how are there tanks with fruit flies escaping?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Chris Dart Frog King you need to just make some sort of strip in between the doors

[@mikes9714]

I appreciate the time you put into this video. Over a year old and it’s still informative. BTW where do you get your glass?

[@rickytrint1484]

Would like to know as well. Have not found anywhere I can order glass for tanks.

[@cyclemonkey]

Local glass shops, call a few and check reviews to get the best prices for your project. I just did for two 24"x18" 1/4" glass doors, one shop quoted $100 + more if I wanted it to be sanded and another shop quoted $45 for both doors sanded.

[@wiscorails]

I'm definitely late, but thank you for making this video! I have some catching up to do on your videos..

[@Misokrayz]

Best how to video very informative!

[@thesilverpirates4706]

I’m going for it I like you setups and plan on becoming a breeder like you some day

[@CrazyPoodle]

Thank you! Will try make on my own!

[@Timbotuba]

Awesome! I definitely want to try this

[@beatap6250]

Super video😆😊😄

[@TroyGoldberg]

thank you!

[@donemerson9952]

Great video! What do you use for the drain port/bulkhead?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Mistking 1/4” bulkheads

[@GP2141BC]

Did I get it right that the drainage hole is on the back glass three inches from the bottom? That’s a lot of water build up before it drains no? Especially if you use abg.

[@erinhallmakes777]

Any idea how to make swinging doors?

[@leewright3256]

Hey dude how u doin man could u make a euro style hexagon tank with a hinge door and to include a water feature

[@chrislyons1659]

Hello, where did you purchase the glass? Thanks

[@michaelbooher3793]

Really well done...thank you

[@BenBoersma]

Fantastic video. Would it scale up to a 4'x3'x2' paludarium? Likely just more bracing in the front?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Bracing upfront would probably be fine, but I’d recommend 3/8th glass for the bottom panel on a viv that large

[@BenBoersma]

@@TroyGoldberg thanks!

[@laughingc0w]

Do you have links to some of the parts and materials? Like the black silicone and door tracks, etc Would be helpful if you could put some affiliate links in the description :)

[@gordonyork6638]

Nice. I'm gonna make after I move.

[@suhandaniofficial]

hello friends, is the size used in this terrarium in inches or cm?

[@ShioriRose]

None of the hardware stores have any l track? Am i not looking at the right place?

[@leejdan]

This is what I've been waiting for!! Where did you get the glass?

[@TroyGoldberg]

my local mirror and glass shop

[@MastaKillaaa]

looks nice ... gj sir :)

[@nordicnugz]

What is the pros about having a ventilation system like this?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Keeps glass clear, keeps air from becoming stagnant, dart frogs should not be kept at 90-100% humidity at all times…. They should be kept around 75-80% humidity

[@nordicnugz]

@@TroyGoldberg so this set up helps retain humidity as well? What would you think about instead of the mesh on top, you have a solid glass piece on top, and then drill holes in the sides (2 or 3 each side) for circular air caps? I'm thinking about doing this for a ball python set up, and I need to try and retain humidity. I live in utah, and it's very dry over here. A normal snake cage doesnt help at all. Lol

[@TroyGoldberg]

@@nordicnugz if you think that would be better for your situation I’d say try it out…the setup I use is what’s called passive ventilation… the method your mentioning isnt exactly passive ventilation, but it’s still ventilation

[@fishyretakes2691]

What were the lengths of the door tracks and L tracks

[@TroyGoldberg]

I just measure and trim using the tank

[@SilkMilkJilk]

much better than the exo terras if you ask me. how much do you pay for the glass? I remember I bought my 85x55x45cm with broken top but otherwise fine for 5bucks and paid around 18 for just the top piece. I guess yours summs up at around 100+ with the sanded edges?

[@TroyGoldberg]

SilkMilkJilk yeah it was 145 for the glass all sanded and polished

[@TroyGoldberg]

SilkMilkJilk and yeah, I don’t think exoterra even compare

[@SailingSquib]

As a continetal European I say we use the metric system and on my terrarium I glue little pieces of glas to the frontdoors to open them easy

[@hal-c]

What is the point of the braces? Is it just to add additional support for the weight of the doors?

[@TroyGoldberg]

No it’s to add support of the weight of the water and substrate

[@weslycarter1326]

Where did you get the glass track parts?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Wesly Carter outwater plastics

[@Jontae4288]

Omg this helped me sooooo much thanks 🙏

[@laughingc0w]

Sorry for all the questions! What exactly is the substrate dam for?

[@kodavulpedrius6712]

So that you can put substrate in...

[@kodavulpedrius6712]

If the dam wasn't there, and the doors were put directly on from the bottom, if you open the door then all the substrate will all fall out.

[@thombaz]

Why don't people put the side glases on the sides ot the bottom glass?

[@spfrisby]

Gravity and weight

[@thombaz]

@@spfrisby I still disagree after years. Professional aquarium builders put the glasses around the bottom and not on the bottom. I even heard that silicon is strongar that way because It's do not have to keep against a shearing force that much. Looks better, easier to clean. Still do not know why people build on the button rather then around it.

[@goneviral6037]

Where is the drainage hole? The bottom? What do you do with it

[@TroyGoldberg]

It’s in the back, hook up a bulk head to it and run a line to it so it can drain

[@goneviral6037]

Troy Goldberg's Tropical Garage Do you put a screen over the hole on the bulkhead?

[@JB-ld6pe]

Do you place the side panels onto the bottom panel? Or do you shuff them against the sides of the bottom panel?

[@TroyGoldberg]

The back and sides are sandwiched between the top and bottom panels

[@craigsmart1986]

No sloping glass false bottom though?

[@TroyGoldberg]

so since I put my drainage hole in the back of the tank there's no reason for me to have the sloped glass leaning toward the front. it would serve no purpose for my setup.

[@nickhudgins6441]

You’re the man! Thanks for posting this. How well do the doors hold in the flies? I always find that melos can get through the front vent of an Exo-Terra so I’ve been looking towards alternative caging. Are the sliding glass doors close enough that they’d hold in the flies?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Nick Hudgins thanks! So to answer your question, the flies can escape through the door gap... Glass Box Tropicals sells a clear door strip that fits in between the the doors though to block that gap

[@Wekkerable]

@@TroyGoldberg You could also just apply a thin strip of silicone in between the doors.

[@TroyGoldberg]

Maikel Rabbers indeed... but it’s not as clean looking... I did that on my first 2 proteans.. silicone and using an old expired gift card with a little 1/2 circle cut out

[@Wekkerable]

@@TroyGoldberg I suppose you're right if the strip is transparent. Depends on the used silicone. I do not make my own tanks, but have them made by someone who does it all day and I must say, it looks good. When I got into the hobby I looked for Exo Terra's because everybody used them, but I am happy I looked around for different types, and glad I didn't go for the exo's. But nevertheless, your tanks look great.

[@howmygardengrows3080]

Is there a reason to wait until it's all assembled to drill your holes? Seems like it would be easier when it's not.

[@TroyGoldberg]

For me this way is easier... the glass and tank can’t move after it’s built... if you do it the other way you need to brace the glass with something so it won’t slide around

[@210exoticreptiles7]

How much for one..

[@dragon_genetics]

do you have part # from cutwater for those black angle flats you use for screens ?

[@harrytruax5195]

Do you heat the interior of the enclosure? Thanks!

[@TroyGoldberg]

No

[@harrytruax5195]

@@TroyGoldberg Thanks for the reply. Just wondering due to the tropical thing - I suppose it depends on what you are putting in there.

[@otto.joshua]

This is an excellent video! I have a question though: why use side door tracks? I think I’d personally prefer if the glass doors met the glass tank sides. Can you see a downside to that?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Makes it more fruit fly proof

[@otto.joshua]

Troy Goldberg's Tropical Garage Thanks for the reply! That’s interesting to hear. I’m trying to work out a single door design (not two sliding doors) that isn’t hinged and that can just be easily removed when I need access. It will hold tiny geckos and so I can’t afford to leave any tiny gap. Maybe clear draft excluder round the edge? I’ll work something out.

[@velocelt]

Great build. I've always liked this European style of enclosure for dart frogs. I've always used Exoterra or ZooMed enclosures in the past, but I'm currently pricing this out to see if a local glass place can beat the price of the typical 18x18x18 Exoterra I usually buy. I'm curious about your use of the window screen though. Don't you find that fruit flies can pass through that size of mesh? I've always swapped out the tops of Exoterras for acrylic pieces or glass and then I've sealed all the edges of the doors with beads of silicone, as well as gluing in fine mesh to cover their little under-door vent panels. I still get fruit fly escapes, but I can't imagine what it'd be like if I didn't I think I usually use a 150 mesh stainless steel screen. Anyway, looks like you have a lot of nice content. I'll be watching more videos when I get time.

[@davidbrown-55]

Where do get your led strip lights and what bulbs do you use for dart frogs? Thanks

[@BestAqua]

beautifull

[@TroyGoldberg]

thank you!!

[@nay.murray6097]

what do you think the cost is , including materials like the drill and drill bits etc. just trying to figure out whether all the effort is cost effective too ?

[@cryptoastronaut8130]

Amazing bro can you tell me how do you take care of the excess water and I didnt see where is the whole for the drainage at the bottom ?! Can you explain about drainage system thanks keep it up

[@payne4511]

So when can we expect these to be offered for sale?

[@TroyGoldberg]

payne4511 lol not gonna happen... this video is to encourage you to build your own

[@TitoTheRaccoon]

You could sell DIY starter kits and make some good money. Make way more than Adsense would pay

[@TroyGoldberg]

Tito The Raccoon i would need to try it first loo

[@wojtekpaneczko6709]

I'm sorry but I was too obsessed with that red silvia , what is it a rc or model car? , btw terrarium looks great

[@TroyGoldberg]

Wojtek Paneczko haha yeah it’s a 1/10 scale rc drift body shell... on a display chassis, check out my rc instagram page... Sir_drifts_alot

[@cloud9.599]

you mentioned ordering glass. I was wondering where you ordered from? (edit) also, where did you get the glass sliding tracks?

[@TroyGoldberg]

I order glass from a local mirror And glass shop

[@baldvineinarsson71]

Hi great job. Wanna ask you about the drainage drill height, do you think its better to drill it in like an overflow height or just at the bottom so you can drain everything out when you need to. Also about the ventilation. Are you still using these measurements or have you narrowed it down?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Personally I’ve narrowed the vents down due to my garage humidity levels being very low in the winter time. I would drill it yes

[@laurenscarinzi640]

I’m having a hard time finding L tracks anywhere including from the out water plastics. Can you link where you got it from? Also how were you able to measure the doors with the tracks? I’m having a hard time trying to measure doors that fit properly

[@TroyGoldberg]

It’s just called 1/4” L profile it’s made out of black styrene, call them and talk with them,, it all depends on what your measurements are

[@monsterkajiu1912]

Should the door vent be half the size of the dam or what because I'm confused!?

[@TroyGoldberg]

It’s all about what you want.... and how humid the ambient humidity is in the room, also air flow in the room as well, for me I’ve found that the 1” vent at the door, and 2” vent yo too has been best for me...

[@monsterkajiu1912]

I meant to say the glass door vent to be half the height of the dam, but good information! 👍👍👍👍

[@TroyGoldberg]

Again..... you could make the piece any size you want.... but I definitely wouldn’t go less than 2” or the piece of glass will get pretty flimsy

[@monsterkajiu1912]

Okay thanks!

[@monsterkajiu1912]

What is The minimum depth of the top back panel?

[@foreignobject9903]

So coool!!!

[@TroyGoldberg]

kevin tang thanks

[@adelagomez9333]

Could you add all the measurements to the description box or in the comments ? Please ! ❤

[@TroyGoldberg]

adela gomez yeah no problem!

[@thomascrane6433]

Dude amazing video and tanks!!! I’m convinced a euro style tank would be the best for my darts, but I can’t find one for sale anywhere in stores or online. The closest thing I found was Sherman Tanks conversions out of New York but they aren’t selling to the public anymore, only lid conversions for exoterra tanks. Do you sell these euro tanks at all? Or the supply kits for the tanks? Any help on this subject will be greatly appreciated!

[@dblakejr4]

protean terrarium design does euro tanks

[@DARTGECKOSPT]

Nice video and content ! What brand of glass drill do you use ? I have used in the past and could only make 1 hole with it basically.

[@TroyGoldberg]

DARTGECKOS I used Mikwakee m... I’ve made 8 with mine...it’s starting to get a little worn though

[@DARTGECKOSPT]

@@TroyGoldberg I see, they dont last long then :( thanks for info

[@kyles_exotics]

Where did you order your L tracks and door tracks from?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Outwater plastics

[@rp101aquatics6]

where did you get the oor track

[@BriansAquariums]

Would this be cheaper than buying a Exo Terra or Zoo-Med encloser? I know it is better quality to hand build your own. How long does one encloser take to complete with silicone curing etc...5 days?

[@TroyGoldberg]

Brian's Aquariums and Pets not cheaper but In the same ballpark, and quality and function are not even comparable ...my glass was 145$... yeah about 5 days then I do the water test

[@BriansAquariums]

@@TroyGoldberg Awesome bud! Yeah man glass is ridiculous. Any cons in building with 1/4" acrylic? May have to use screen top to avoid acrylic sag from the light. One day I may try it.

[@TroyGoldberg]

Brian's Aquariums and Pets scratches easily too

[@thesilverpirates4706]

Your lucky to get the glass for $145 my local glass and mirror just priced this at $262 does yours ship glass

[@ShioriRose]

I didnt hear how or where you ordered glass from? I looked at menards, didnt find any

[@TroyGoldberg]

Check your local mirror and glass shop

[@franzwagner7370]

Very nice, thank you for this nice tutorial! Does anyone have an idea how much glass of this size costs in central europe? Or to be honest i would like to have it 2,5m high 😮😂😂

[@JonaWolf11]

Einfach mal Glaser oder Terrarienbauer in die Suchmaschine eingeben. Da kommen schnell Ergebnisse. Alles über 1m wird ziemlich sicher vierstellig.

[@BriansAquariums]

How did I miss this video yesterday....hmmm KZbin not notifying me

[@TroyGoldberg]

Brian's Aquariums and Pets I posted it pretty late

[@kaseylawrence]

Awesome build! Did you get the glass locally?

[@TroyGoldberg]

kasey lawrence yep

[@quintonlane6560]

For cutting holes instead of drilling at an angle to lvl what about creating a jig by cutting the same hole in wood then putting that where u want still using water of course

[@TroyGoldberg]

That Also woks, or expanded pvc, or cardboard… anything

[@rp101aquatics6]

how do you get the doors i

[@nanoaquamania]

What is a substrate dam?

[@TroyGoldberg]

The dam at the front of a tank that keeps the substrate from pouring on the floor

[@joshanderson4528]

Where did you get your glass from

[@TroyGoldberg]

Josh Anderson local glass shop

[@harlowcreek]

how much did your glass cost per sq foot?

[@williamdavis9471]

Hey man, are the side track pieces the top or bottom piece?(or a totally different piece)

[@TroyGoldberg]

Sides and top are the same profile... the bottom is thinner

[@williamdavis9471]

@@TroyGoldbergThanks a lot.

[@laughingc0w]

Thank you for making this video! Once filled with substrate/water, is it strong enough or will the glass bow/crack? Never made my own tank from scratch but you make it look easy! I’m trying to build a paludarium, so the bottom would hold a water reservoir and towards the back it’ll hold substrate. Just want to make sure I don’t end up messing this up!

[@DIYHerps]

Amazing

[@feeshforlife9853]

What was your approx total cost? (not including tools)

[@TroyGoldberg]

Probably 160-175$