[Deano]

I've been quoted 8 quid for a 20" x 10" piece of 4mm glass, with rounded edges. For toughened, it's 12.50.

Does this sound a fair price, or should I shop around?

Also, a few questions:

How much of an overlap should I have with the 2 pieces on sliding viv doors?

Do I need toughened, or can I get normal? The vivs I'm building are no bigger than 3 ft, and will be holding small snakes (corns, young BRB's, Hognoses). One is at ground level, so I'm thinking toughened for that, but what about the others?

Will the gap between the glass be big enough for a snake to escape through, an need plugging, or will it be OK.

 

[markhill]

sounds like a good price, i paid £50 for my glass nearly 3 foot square (two sheets).
toughened is best for all levels, if you get runners made with thin plastic then they shouldnt be able to get out, some of the runners i saw in b7q were quite thick.
I've got an overlap of about 1 1/2 inches, one of my vivs i ballsed up the measurements, the glass overlaps about 5 inches and i cant get a viv lock big enough :twisted:

 

[talltom69]

Hi Deano,

I paid £40 for 6x, 16"x12" for my 3 tier stack and the overlap I have is about 1" eitherside.

Its standard glass as my stack is in its own room, but I guess if its somewhere, where it can be knocked I would get toughened as its does chip and break quite easy.

 

[mark67123]

Laminated is the best stuff really as it'd hold together after being shattered, whereas normal glass and toughened can still fall to pieces. So if the viv is in a vulnerable position maybe look into laminated.

I use standard 4mm for most my vivs but then they're all quite small. The largest panes are about 19"x16" and have taken a few knocks when putting water bowls in, etc, with no breakages.

For that size (20"x10") it'd probably be about £5-£6 where I get mine but prices to vary a lot.

I have the same overlap as Mark, about 1.5", but if you're putting small corns in the vivs then they can get out through the gap with 4mm in the normal runners.
A section of 3mm hardboard usually fits in the gap snugly (exactly top to bottom, about 3" wide with something glued/stuck to it for a handle), or you could use a folded piece of card or something.

 

[welshgaz]

to be honest mate if they are 3 feet viv's you ain't going to be keeping anything in them that would smash the glass so i reckon normal 4mm glass is ok....

£8 is about right for that size glass as well. If you run the glass on 4mm glass track the glass is quite close together so you won't get snakies escaping. More likey to get out of the vents! An over lap of 1.5-2" is also cool, you'll be able to get a lock on that no problem

:thumb:

 

[mark67123]

Gaz - believe me they can get out through that gap :shock: I had my first corn at around 5 months old escape that way. The vents were fine metal mesh (about 1mm mesh it think so v.small) and there was a viv lock on there so the glass wasn't pushed open, and was closed when I found it.
I've also seen pics on another forum of an older corn (around 24"+ long) that got itself stuck in the gap - it had managed to get the first 25% or so of it's body through and it body between the glass was squashed flat (I think it was ok in the end though). You can't be too careful

 

[welshgaz]

well if they are 3 ft vivs you shouldn't house a baby corn in that sort of sized viv anyway. Just get a small hatchling tub and put that into the viv until he's bigger.

I know what you mean though if your unsure if a snake could fit through a gap it will! but my glass is very tight together in 4mm runners theres no way a non-baby would fit through it

 

[carl24bpool]

I work for a glass company and Average price is around £25/sqm non-tough and £35/sqm tough.

All toughened glass has the edges rounded as it helps protect it against damage around the edges which is where you can easily break tough glass.

I'd go with tough just because it has better edges and will withstand quite a blow from an accident of any kind.

Laminated is an option but bear in mind it is 6.4mm thick so your runners need to accomodate.

 

[Deano]

I've ordered runners from vivbuilder, and think I'll go with the toughened glass for the sake of a fiver, I've got kids, and don't want an accident.

One 3 ft viv will house an adult corn, the other either another corn, or will be split for 2 hoggies. I have exo terra tubs for small snakes until they are big enough for the full viv.

My concern then is another, 2 ft viv I'm building, as I was gonna put my little BRB in there, who is quite slender. I'll have to wait and see what the gap is, and keep her in the tub until I'm sure she's big enough.

 

[welshgaz]

Thats the trick! Basically when they are small keep them in small plastic tubs then when they are big enough transfer them... you don't want to put them in a very large enclosure relative to there size as it will stress them out... then you go possible non-feeders