Building your Flatpack Terrarium

Our Terrariums

We stock a range of terrariums which are suitable for many species. Our Flat Pack terrariums allow us to send our set up kits out in the post without the risk of the tank being damaged on transit.

Not only are the Flat Pack tanks an innovative design, they are also created with your reptile in mind. The solid sides and mesh top allow for humidity retention whilst allowing air flow.

Building your Terrarium

Here is a fantastic video from the manufacturer which explains how to build our Flat Pack terrariums. They are available in different sizes but the concept is still the same. If you have problems building your tank or have questions about putting it together, please contact us for assistance.

Screw the iron pipes to the holes on the base of the terrarium until they are tight
Install the four corner pipe supports
Load the glass and/or mesh panels by sliding between the pipe supports
Slide the glass/mesh H-Bar support strip where mesh and glass meet (if required- not all terrariums have this)
Screw the lid in in all four corners
Insert the doors by lifting the door clip where the door meets the lid at the hinge end
Add a terrarium lock as required

Setting up your substrate

Adding your drainage layers is extremely important in your bioactive tank. This prevents your tank becoming water-logged which not only causes stagnant water, but can also rot the roots of live plants.

Add your drainage medium first- this comes in the form of small hard balls.

Following this, add your drainage mesh layer, this prevents the soil from falling into the drainage layer below but allows the water to drain though if required.

Now its time for your substrate which is usually a forest style or coco fibre substrate. If you are planting live plants, you can either plant them inside their pots so they can be easily removed for maintenance, or you can plant them straight into the soil removing them from the pot.

Adding your plants

You can now plan where you will place your branches, vines and live plants prior to planting them. Remember that if you are housing a pet in your enclosure, you will need to create a basking area at the top of your enclosure.

Use the plants and branches to create a spot high up, towards the back left or right of your enclosure. This is where your heat lamp will sit to enable your animal to bask.

Fitting the electrics

We have multiple pieces to fit in order to create your basking spot and UVB, we will also fit a thermometer and hygrometer if required.

Our Flat Pack range has areas which allow you to fit your cables without leaving gaps. This prevents escape of live food and smaller animals if you wish to keep them in these tanks.

In order to remove the lid, locate the 4 locks, one in each corner of the lid. Lift these up and slide them left, this will allow you to take the lid off (be sure to lock these once you place your lid back on).

Remove the rubber stoppers at the back corner of the tank on the side where you have created your hotspot.

These handy rubber stoppers are removeable and allow your cables to neatly thread through the lid into your tank whilst keeping the tank secure. You can keep or dispose of the rubber stoppers.

Placement of Heat lamp and UVB can be confusing for customers setting up their tank for the first time. As we discussed when we were placing plants and branching, the top area that the animal can reach is where we will place the basking spot.

In this image, our grapevine is at the top right of the enclosure and so this is where we are going to place our dome.

Firstly set up your thermostat. You should place the probe on your thermostat closest to the place where your basking area is. This is the hottest place that the animal can reach to sit under. For instance, in this image we will place our probe where the red line comes down from the top. Place the probe cable through the top of the lid in the corner where the rubber stoppers were removed from the previous step.

If you are using an external thermometer with probe, you can place your probe down the hole next to the one your thermostat probe is in. In the image we have placed this where the yellow line comes down from the top.

If you have a stick on thermometer which is housed inside the tank, you can stick this where the white circle is on the image. You can also stick a hygrometer here, or elsewhere in your tank if you prefer.

Adding the heat lamp: The dome which holds your heat lamp or ceramic lamp should be placed on top of the enclosure where the green square is on the image. This sits above the branch we chose as our hotspot, and the thermostat probe and themometer probe or thermometer inside the tank.

Adding the UVB: The UVB which is usually in the form of a hood, should sit at the front of the tank which is indicated by the blue square on our image.