Product Review 3: Terrarium by Exo-Terra

As promised, I'm tossing up a product review today. After my last two product reviews, I realized I was waiting to get new products in order to write reviews when I should also be reviewing the products I've already got. Kind of a dumb moment on my part. So today, I'm reviewing one of the most important aspects of the habitat: the terrarium, and for anyone who's read this blog before, you know exactly which product that is.

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Product Review 3: Terrarium by Exo-Terra

For this review, I'm doing more of a generalization of all Exo-Terra terrariums based solely on my mini-sized terrarium. Since most of the features I'll be noting are available on all models, I think this will be fine. Obviously, my critiques will not be size-based (because, hey... size doesn't matter).

Overall Rating: 9/10


Pros:
Great front and top access, particularly because of the two door system, which makes it so you don't have to open the entire front of your habitat. The accesses secure nicely, making escape pretty much impossible.
Good ventilation from both the front grill and top screen, the later of which is a pretty strong mesh, making it tougher than screen lids I've used in the past.
The little details that really make this a great product are ones you might not even use or even realize exist. The bottom is kept just off the ground, giving sufficient room to pass cables for any under-mounted heating pads or to slide in light stand footings, like I do. The top's wire and cable inlets are really handy, and even have a sliding blocker to close off the unused inlets.
Also, probably one of the most prominent features, it works very well with the other Exo-Terra brand products, as well as those by other companies.


Cons:
Not many, and I really had to dig deep to stop myself giving this product a 10, but the top lid can be temperamental to put back on. When you have an arboreal critter that likes to bolt by climbing even higher up, this can get messy. It's especially tough when you have tubes, like the ones used in the Monsoon system, tucked away up top.
Also, being that there are two doors, there's a small area in each front corner that often catches plants and other objects because of the way it opens.


Comments:

Just to clarify, the utility inlets are a great idea, it's just that they're fairly tight on water tubing. I worry that each time I try to squeeze them back in, I might pinch the cable and cause some really unwanted spraying to occur. I could fix this, but I would really have to cut into the background, since the tubing obviously can't be bent at a perfect 90 degree angle. Back before I had the Monsoon system, though, it was fine.

Images:
Well, pretty much all my images I host here feature the terrarium, but I'll toss in some newer ones showing off my newest fauna.

It just so happend that my Monsoon system went off as I was taking this shot.
I think I need to clean out a nozzle again, as it's kind of in Super Soaker mode.

Links:
Exo-Terra Terrarium - products page

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 So that's it for today's review. I think that tomorrow I will review the cleaning product I use, firstly because it's an important product and also because I noticed someone visiting my site after trying a Google search on weather or not the product is safe to use with crested geckos. So, to that one  Googler out there, I will make a nod, as well an any possible future hobbyists who may want to expand their knowledge. 


Oh, on a personal note, tomorrow is an open house at my local college for people interested in the video game design and environmental technician courses. It's like fate, really, I swear. So, after that, I will write up another review, since I was away for pretty much a full moth.