# Plastic Vivarium Project: Door Types



## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

For those interested in using vivariums made from plastic, what would be your preference in regards to the door mechanism?

I see advantages for both drop down, and sliding, but personally give preference to the latter.

If given the choice, what would you chose?


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## chewy86 (Mar 12, 2009)

drop down and heres why mate -

1) easier to clean (no crap getting in runners and having to take windows out to clean properly)

2) easier to access viv 

3) better ventilation available to make use of

4) when stacked on top of each other, doors are harder to open if at all possible, when sliding.

5) plastic is flexible and with a large boid pushing on the sliding windows they can pop out (been told this has happened with a few sliding plastic viv models)

Im sure there is more reasons but thats the first 5 that come to mind mate : victory:

Chewy86.


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

1) I'll agree with your points, even though I think it's pretty much a non-issue.

2) Two edged sword I think: for venomous and lively snakes it might make sense having sliding glass doors as you have good control over the size of the opening. I know larger rhinos etc. have two openings, but still this isn't advantageous in my eyes. 

3) Might be true, but still I think it's negligible and not something you could actually sell it on if you're providing ventilation on the vivs anyway?

4) I guess drop downs are less prone to that issue, although I think both suffer from this issue to some degree - my visions are stacked and have sliding doors and work OK. I think this is a general design issue.

5) Surely that issue would be a problem with regular wooden vivs with sliding glass doors? Personally I don't know if I can quite believe that one.


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## chewy86 (Mar 12, 2009)

wooden vivs use glass mate so no flex, for this issue to occur. dwa is the only reason im looking into sliders as i dont want to leave anyone out (so to speak)


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## DanielF (Oct 31, 2010)

This is tricky because i love the look of drop down doors but i like knowing i have some security with the sliding doors.. i really cant choose


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

DanielF said:


> This is tricky because i love the look of drop down doors but i like knowing i have some security with the sliding doors.. i really cant choose


What about the almost inevitable scratching of the acrylic?


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## chewy86 (Mar 12, 2009)

treat the viv correctly and scratches wont be a problem mate. Glass can scratch also dont forget although less likely. But glass is easier to break. Swings and round abouts bud.


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## courseithurts (Dec 29, 2010)

chewy86 said:


> 5) plastic is flexible and with a large boid pushing on the sliding windows they can pop out (been told this has happened with a few sliding plastic viv models)
> 
> Chewy86.


 yer it happened with one of my mates blood pythons one of the doors smashed into peices his mum made him get rid of the snake and everything becouse of it


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

chewy86 said:


> treat the viv correctly and scratches wont be a problem mate. Glass can scratch also dont forget although less likely. But glass is easier to break. Swings and round abouts bud.


Gotta call bullshit on that mate, glass and acrylic are worlds apart when comparing the ease of scratching. I've treated my rhino as well as can be expected - guess what? Scratches. How long have you used vivs with acrylic windows? Have they never scratched? None of my glass vivs have scratched, even really shitty cheap ones that don't use toughened glass.

courseithurts, sounds like it wasn't even toughened glass then. It's an extreme minority of snakes and situations that would lead to the snake smashing the glass. I know it happens, but I've never seen it, or anyone I know for that matter.


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## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

Depends on snake, something like a gtp then drop down, just position perches away from the front so no scratches from strikes. Anything easy going and not super quick then again drop down.
Anything lively or you just need a barrier from then sliding. You can get acrylic polish to take out the scratches if it bothers you but if the viv has lights in then even tiny scratches will show up.


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## mrhoyo (Mar 29, 2007)

I'm primarily a lizard keeper so scratches are a big issue. Drop down looks nicer but sliders are more practical. Livefood has a bigger chance of escaping a drop down too due to the whole door needing to open.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

mrhoyo said:


> I'm primarily a lizard keeper so scratches are a big issue. Drop down looks nicer but sliders are more practical. Livefood has a bigger chance of escaping a drop down too due to the whole door needing to open.


^ This.


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## naja-naja (Aug 26, 2009)

for me i think id prefer drop down door as it would be primarily for big snakes.


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

naja-naja said:


> for me i think id prefer drop down door as it would be primarily for big snakes.


Out of interest, what's the reasoning here? I keep a lot of big stuff, and I would say sliding doors are better suited.

1) You can partition the viv well on various sizes.

2) Drop downs normally have a restrictive size.

Using the rhino I have, I'd really struggle getting a big anaconda out of it.


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## chewy86 (Mar 12, 2009)

did you opt for the low rhino's? i dont see the use in them, execpt saving space. Thats why im only using 18" and 24".


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

chewy86 said:


> did you opt for the low rhino's? i dont see the use in them, execpt saving space. Thats why im only using 18" and 24".


No, I have one of the higher models. The problem is, it appears with the added height they didn't increase the height of the acrylic opening much.


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## chewy86 (Mar 12, 2009)

on 18" models my windows will be 300mm tall and 24" 450mm tall. imo plenty of room mate. What do you think?

Chewy86.


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

chewy86 said:


> on 18" models my windows will be 300mm tall and 24" 450mm tall. imo plenty of room mate. What do you think?
> 
> Chewy86.


Honestly, I think it's a good design choice mate. I think rhinos compensated by just increasing the border around the acrylic window, without increasing its size proportionately, this leaves you with lots of internal space, but a tiny opening.


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## quizicalkat (Jul 7, 2007)

Of all my tanks I actually prefer the side opening of the exos


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

quizicalkat said:


> Of all my tanks I actually prefer the side opening of the exos


OK, but surely a massive design flaw on bigger vivariums? I mean, image those on 6ft vivs. They would be cumbersome enough on 4 footers!


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## DanielF (Oct 31, 2010)

Speeple said:


> What about the almost inevitable scratching of the acrylic?


They wont scratch if you look after them i still have a year old Acrylic vivariums which still look brand new


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

i use just sliding doors always have and always will


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

DanielF said:


> They wont scratch if you look after them i still have a year old Acrylic vivariums which still look brand new


Like I said, I'm calling bullshit on this. Many people I know have them, myself included and sure, they don't have gaping scratches when treated well... but even clothe will be abrasive to most acrylic over time. This is emphasized when bright light is used, you WILL see halos.

So really, like someone suggested, they are great for GTP, but often these are display animals with extra lighting in the viv, so it's a catch 22.

I guess for those making drop down doors, glass could be used instead? It's not totally unfeasible and will come across a lot less tacky than using acrylic.

Only my opinion of course.


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## fishboy (Aug 7, 2007)

Having wooden vis and rhino vivs I must say I really am not a fan of the drop down doors


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## naja-naja (Aug 26, 2009)

Speeple said:


> Out of interest, what's the reasoning here? I keep a lot of big stuff, and I would say sliding doors are better suited.
> 
> 1) You can partition the viv well on various sizes.
> 
> ...


if you have a sliding door on for example a 6x3 viv and the snake doesnt wanna come out then i am there for a while trying to get it out and its able to go to the side i havent opened, but with a drop down the whole viv is available to access. i have all sliding doors right now and id prefer drop downs. scratching isnt an issue for me and that seems to be the only issue brought up so far.


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## Speeple (Feb 12, 2009)

naja-naja said:


> if you have a sliding door on for example a 6x3 viv and the snake doesnt wanna come out then i am there for a while trying to get it out and its able to go to the side i havent opened, but with a drop down the whole viv is available to access. i have all sliding doors right now and id prefer drop downs. scratching isnt an issue for me and that seems to be the only issue brought up so far.


Hmm... possibly agree - but wouldn't the centre partition on large plastic vivs pose a problem? I mean, most plastic viv suppliers have a central column when they reach a certain size for added structural strength, none I know of have a single drop down on vivs that size.


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