The latest offering from Zilla are the QuickBuild kits, which can be assembled in about 10 to 15 minutes.
Zilla has long offered simple enclosures for reptile and amphibian keepers. In addition to its tropical and desert starter and vertical kits which comprise an enclosure with some accessories to get you started, Zilla also offers standard enclosures that you outfit with your own choice of accessories.
The latest offering from Zilla are the QuickBuild kits. These terrariums can be assembled in about 10 to 15 minutes by simply following the YouTube assembly video that is accessed via the QR code on the box the terrarium ships in. The terrariums come in two versions, one which the company calls the QuickBuild Terrarium with the Easy Clean Bedding Tray that enables you to remove and replace bedding by simply pulling a bottom tray out from the enclosure.
Leaf litter added. The thermometer/hygrometer is an Acu-rite, which tells the high and low temperature and the high and low humidity for the day.
The other, which I review here, features a water-tight bottom that can hold up to two inches of water. This would make the terrarium ideal for those herps that are semi-aquatic and need some water to swim around in. You can also build a bioactive enclosure with this terrarium, which I did for this review.
The plants are watered once a week.
The Zilla QuickBuild Terrariums include front opening tempered glass doors for easy access to the inside of the terrarium. This is more user friendly for you animals (and the keeper) than having to reach from above to do maintenance or to handle your herp. The metal top screen is lockable via tabs. The top screen has a built-in access port separate from the screen, which is ideal for feeding, or for power cables for components such as a water filter, mister, light, fogger or other accessory. The terrarium is also stackable, so you can have multiple QuickBuilds stacked if so desired. The sides of the terrarium have 4-inch wide by 13-inch tall screens for ventilation. This is a great feature for cross ventilation of the terrarium.
The access port on the screen top. Plant lighting is provided via an Arcadia Jungle Dawn 18.5 inch 22 watt LED bar I purchased at my local pet store.
The QuickBuild Terrarium comes in sizes ranging from 30”x 12” x 12” on up to 48” x 18” x 18”. Zilla sent a 36” x 18”x 18” for review.
Zilla QuickBuild Assembly
Follow the assembly video and you can build the terrarium in about 20 to 30 minutes. All tools are included to assemble the terrarium, including a pair of white gloves to assist with the assembly. It is very easy to assemble the Zilla 36” x 18”x 18” QuickBuild Terrarium. I would recommend an assistant with the larger 48” x 18” x 18”, just by virtue of the tempered glass being larger and heavier than the smaller units.
The Additions
After assembling the Zilla QuickBuild Terrarium, I purchased and cut a Zoo Med 18” x 36” cork tile background to fit the terrarium and siliconed it down to the back of the terrarium with aquarium grade silicone. After letting it set for a few days, I added a layer of Zoo Med’s HydroBalls, added a substrate screen and then some Reptisoil mixed with some BioBedding and some ReptiBark.
Zoo Med’s cork bark panel was cut to fit the Zilla QuickBuild enclosure.
For climbing, I placed some driftwood I gathered at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach, CA. I added some cork flats to give the inhabitant, my 15-year-old corn snake, a place to hide. There are two Dracaena marginata, two Peperomia and two Epipremnum plants. Hopefully they can root, as snakes are notorious for upending plants. Plant lighting is provided via an Arcadia Jungle Dawn 18.5 inch 22 watt LED bar I purchased at my local pet store. The terrarium includes an undertank heat pad attached to a thermostat. The UTH pad is supplemented by an overhead heat lamp to achieve a warm end of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius).
Putting in a layer of Hydroballs and a substrate barrier before the soil and cork bark. Photo by John Virata
Humidity in the enclosure changes from 60 to 75 percent every day. To gauge humidity, I use an Acu-Rite Indoor Temperature and humidity monitor in all my enclosures. It tells the low and the high for both humidity and temperature.
How To Build A Bioactive Enclosure For Your Crested Gecko
Because this Zilla QuickBuild 36” x 18” x 18” Terrarium can support up to two inches of water, a variety of species can be housed in it. This opens the terrarium up to semi-aquatic species such as salamanders, newts and frogs. I kept leopard frogs for years in the 2000s and this terrarium would make a great enclosure for a pair of leopard frogs. Other smaller semi-aquatic herps would do well in this unit as well. Corny Joe is on the small side for a corn snake, and this 50g equivalent is perfect. If he were bigger, like his mom, he would fare better in the larger unit.
Wood branches are provided for CJ to climb up and onto when he wants.
The Zilla QuickBuild Terrarium offers some nice built-in features for those who want something different for their reptile or amphibian. The built-in side screens and top with small access door are a nice touch that helps with ventilation that fully glass enclosures can’t offer. This unit’s support for two inches of water, makes it a good candidate for a bioactive terrarium. This unit has been going well for about three months.
The springtails and isopods went in last week. My corn snake has been exploring his new terrarium and spends more time climbing the driftwood and is out more often than he was in the old enclosure. The cork bark hide is on the hot side and another commercial cave-type hide is on the cool side. He utilizes both and can also be found smack dab in the middle of the enclosure, under the plants as well.
John Virata is editor of REPTILES magazine and ReptilesMagazine.com. He started keeping herps when he was 10 years old.
