The Exo Terra Bamboo Forest terrarium is everything you need in one box to set up a new terrarium for your reptile or amphibian quickly and effectively. This kit is ideal for beginner reptile owners who are bringing a new reptile home for the first time, breeders can use the kit to create a new terrarium quickly and it’s the ideal choice for an emergency hospital or quarantine tank. In this review, I am going to guide you through the Exo Terra Bamboo Forest Habitat Kit, so you can make an informed decision on whether it is the right choice for you.
Pros
- Glass terrarium which is easy to clean and maintain
- Dual front doors for easy access and reduce the risk of escape
- Includes decorations
- Front window ventilation
- Metal screen top offers excellent ventilation and good light and UVB penetration
- Comes with a compact top lighting system
- Includes substrate, water dish, vines, and plants
- Come with 2 sizes: Small and Large
Cons
- The metal screen tends to rust
- The kit comes with an analog thermometer and hygrometer. Digital options are easier to read and understand
- Lighting bulb needs to be purchased separately
Design and Features
What makes this kit such a reliable choice is the beautiful glass terrarium which is easy to clean and maintain, along with the carefully selected products to complete your set up and bring your new reptile or amphibian home with confidence.
What’s Included in the Exo Terra Bamboo Forest Habitat Kit?
Exo Terra Glass Terrarium
Available in 2 sizes – Small kit 12” x 12” x 18” and Large kit 18” x 18” x 24”.
This tank comes with front window ventilation and dual doors to reduce the risk of escape, while offers easy access for cleaning and decorating. The enclosure offers a waterproof raised bottom base. The doors lock to reduce the risk of accidental opening. Closable inlets ensure wires and tubing are out of sight. Designed by European herpetologists, the kit is suitable for reptiles and amphibians.
Multi-Functional Bamboo Ornament
This multi-functional bamboo ornament comes with a built-in hide, water dish and food cup holder, suitable for reptiles and amphibians offering a secure hiding place with the convenience of a food and water area. This helps to reduce clutter in the terrarium while blending in seamlessly with the bamboo forest design.
Screen Cover
This is an easy to install screen cover made from durable stainless steel. The screen reduces the risk of escape, provides easy access for decorating and cleaning, and provides excellent UV and lighting penetration deep into the enclosure, ensuring you provide your reptile or amphibian with the heat and light they need to be comfortable and healthy. The screen cover offers a simple sliding solution with no screws needed for installation.
Installation is quick and easy. Simply attach the screen cover frame to the rim of the tank, add half the Velcro strip to the outside on the front of the tank and the other half on the underside of the screen cover. Ensure you measure that the two Velcro strips match up once the lid slides shut. Fit the screen into the frame track and slide closed.
Compact Top
The Exo Terra Compact Top Canopy is a compact fluorescent canopy that is designed for use with the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium. The canopy has been designed to install quickly and easily. The canopy is designed for use with compact fluorescent bulbs or low wattage incandescent bulbs. The canopy can accommodate one or more compact bulbs with a built-in reflector and a sliding rim for easy mounting.
Hygrometer
This analog hygrometer is an essential accessory for your kit and enables you to monitor your humidity levels to ensure you keep your reptile happy and healthy. The analog display is easy to read. You may want to consider a digital display at a later stage, as it offers improved accuracy and tends to be easier to read than the analog options.
Thermometer
The Exo Terra Thermometer that comes with this kit is also an analog display, which is easy to install. Monitoring temperatures is an essential part of being a responsible reptile owner, ensuring you provide your reptile with optimum temperatures. As with the hygrometer, you may want to invest in a digital thermometer or a thermometer gun at a later stage for improved accuracy.
Exo Terra Moss Mat
The moss mat is an excellent addition to your Exo Terra bamboo forest terrarium set up. It provides a natural look, giving you a great staring block for your enclosure design. This is very hygienic and an excellent substitute for substrate. It’s easy to clean, very soft and non-abrasive. In addition to this, you can wash the moss mat and it’s highly absorbent, which is useful when keeping your terrarium at a high humidity level. Simply cut to fit the base of your terrarium.
3D Bamboo Background
The 3D bamboo background that comes with this kit is the perfect addition to start your natural habitat design. The background offers a 3D image but offers more than a beautiful backing to your enclosure. The background has space for you to hide any cabling and tubes with ease, keeping them out of sight.
Instruction Manual
Don’t worry when it comes to putting your kit together, the detailed instruction manual will have you setting up your kit with ease.
Accessories and Parts
What’s Missing?
Many reptiles require UV rays in order to reduce the risk of illness. The kit does not come with UV bulbs, which means you will need to purchase a bulb that will fit the canopy top, so you can ensure you provide the right level of UVA and UVB.
Recommended to Complete Setup
Repti Glo 2.0
The Repti Glo 2.0 will fit the compact canopy provided in the Exo Terra Bamboo Forest Terrarium Kit. This bulb is best suited for snakes, frogs, nocturnal animals, toads, and salamanders.
Repti Glo 5.0
The Repti Glo 5.0 bulb is also designed to fit into the canopy with ease and is suitable for diurnal tropical species, but should not be used with snakes.
Repti Glo 10.0
The Repti Glo 10.0 can be used with all diurnal desert species, but again it is not suitable for snakes.
Installation
Putting your Exo Terra Bamboo Forest Terrarium Kit together is relatively quick and easy. It is a simple step by step process that involves:
- Choose the final location of where you want to place the terrarium and put it in place, removing the top screen by unlocking the four clips. This is done in a two by two sequence.
- Next, you are going to want to put your background in place and prepare your moss mat. The mat can be cut to size with scissors, ensuring it covers the entire base of the enclosure.
- From here you are going to want to install your multi-functional decorative ornament, that provides your hide, water, and food dish.
- The fourth step is setting up your lighting system and re-installing the top screen. By now you have your background, substrate, and ornament in place. Lock the top screen with the four clips to reduce the risk of escape. Depending on the requirements of your pet, you can now install the lighting you have purchased to go with the enclosure and provide your reptile with the heat and UV they need. Note the Exo Terra compact fluorescent bulbs are sold separately due to the fact that each species has its own requirements. This way you are able to make your selection based on your chosen pet. Place the canopy on top of the enclosure and turn it on, ensuring all lighting is working properly.
- Place your thermometer and hygrometer in place. Place your hand inside the terrarium and gently push up against the screen top to ensure it is securely in place. Once your thermometer and hygrometer are reading accurate readings you can introduce your new pet with confidence.
Is the Kit Good Value for Money?
Definitely. The Exo Terra Bamboo Forest Habitat Kit is best suited for beginner owners who want to bring a first reptile home or experienced owners who need extra terrarium space quickly.
What I like from the kit:
- Save money by buying everything you need in one complete box
- Save time by not having to search for all the accessories you need
- Good quality, excellent for beginners, breeders and as a hospital or quarantine tank
What I don’t like from the kit:
- You will need to purchase lighting separately based on the pet you have selected
- Not all the products included are of the highest quality and may need to be replaced, such as the analog hygrometer and thermometer, which could be upgraded for digital.
What Reptile Can Use This Terrarium?
Small kit:
- Small snakes
- Small frogs
- Small lizards
- Small geckos
- Juveniles of bigger species when used as temporary or emergency housing
Large kit:
- Small species of snake
- Small species of frog
- Small species of lizard
- Small species of gecko
- Temporary or emergency housing for juveniles for larger species
Overall, the Exo Terra Bamboo Forest Habitat Kit an excellent first-time terrarium set up that is quick and easy. The kit provides everything except lighting, so you can welcome your new reptile home with confidence.