This is the simple beginnings of my terrarium. As you can see, it is nothing more than a very basic wood frame of 2x6 lumber with a bottom of 3/4" plywood, all screwed together with a layer of marine epoxy at all joints prior to attachment. I used a router bit to router a rabbit joint all around the top of the frame to receive the glass I found for this terrarium. Note the fiberglass cloth lining the inside.
Last comment 06/10/2008.

Here, the two glass sides have been added, and a top made of 3/8" plywood and one piece of 2x6 was screwed together and siliconed to the top of the glass. The small pieces of plywood screwed and overlapping the top and side glass acted as a clamp to keep the wood aligned as the silicone dried. They were removed later. The back wall is 1/2" plywood covered with fiberglass cloth and resin.
Last comment 06/10/2008.

Here is a picture of the top. You can see that it's an old shower door cut down to size and attached via the piano hinge on the door frame. What you cannot see is the "L" shaped cross-pieces of plywood that allows for the screen vent along the front and right side of the top. All top pieces were treated with spar varnish (marine grade) to prevent warping or degradation.

Another view of the top. You can see that the glass top has a very tight seal made by adding electrical tape to the door frame, then building up silicone to match any voids between the door frame and the terrarium top. When dry, the electrical tape is removed from the door frame and carefully peeled from the silicone--acting as a type of release in a mold-making process.

This is the base cabinet I built for the terrarium. It is a melamine carcass veneered with oak plywood, solid oak styles and rails, and oak trim top and bottom.

Front View of Terrarium Today (9/2004). As you can see, the transformation from carcass to finished product is substantial. It's amazing what a little veneer, finish, and trim will do. For size comparison, the tank in the lower compartment is an old-fashioned 10 gallon with the chrome frame around it. My next project is to build a front-opening tank that takes up the full space (about 35 gallons).

Side View of Terrarium Today (9/2004). Yes, the contrast is a little off, as the lighting put out by the two 3x40 watt compact fluorescent setups put off a lot of light. Fans were necessary in the lower cabinet to lower the heat, but the top lighting system works well without any fans.