DIY Reptile Grow Tent Enclosure
Part 1: Viewing Window
Modified grow tents are ideal for portable/renter-friendly reptile enclosures, as they retain heat and humidity well and can be folded up for relocation. They are also much less expensive than similar-sized glass enclosures; mine should cost under $200 once completed (modified enclosure itself; not including lights/decor). I will be modifying a 2' x 2' x 6' AC Infinity grow tent.
The tent will house 1-3 green anoles; these are small, active arboreal lizards that should benefit from a vertical enclosure with plenty of space.
Materials:
Measuring tape/something to use as spacer
Pencil/marker
Scissors/razor blade
Hairdryer (if vinyl is creased)
20-gauge clear vinyl
Masking tape
100% clear silicone & calk gun
Paper towels
Books/heavy flat objects
30lb clear fishing line
Doll needle
Pliers
Duct tape, same color as tent
(Image IDs in alt text.)
Mark out where you would like your viewing window to be. I left about 1/2-inch clearance around the inner edges of the door. I trimmed a skewer to that length to make marking out the viewing window easier; this was especially useful around the curved edge of the door. Cut along the line you drew. Razor blades are very efficient for this, though scissors are easier to control.
Lay out the vinyl on a surface that will not scratch it (would not recommend pavement). Use a hairdryer to work out any creases. Lay the cut-out panel of your grow tent on top of the vinyl and cut around it with 1-inch clearance along each side.
Lay grow tent on ground with cut door panel flat in floor. Place cut-out grow tent panel back in the door panel and secure with masking tape. This will keep the door from warping while you attach the vinyl. (Note: If you tape the door and cut-out panel back together on the outside/non-mylar side, the masking tape will be out of the way for the next step. I wasn't thinking about this and taped it on the inside/mylar side instead.)
Lay vinyl panel on top of inside of grow tent door. Proceeding in small sections, un-peel masking tape out of the way, fold vinyl away from door, squeeze silicone on the mylar around the perimeter of the cut section (not on the cut-out panel itself), and press vinyl to the mylar. Continue this process until the edge of the mylar is adhered to the door panel. Rest books or other flat objects on top of the vinyl to hold it down while the silicone cures; you can use use paper towels to protect them from any stray silicone.
Once the silicone has cured, peel the cut-out panel off of the door. Sew the vinyl and mylar together along the silicone line with fishing line and a doll needle. I used the backstitch. Pliers will help pull the needle through the layers of mylar/silicone/vinyl and pull the fishing line taut, though avoid over-tightening the stitching to reduce warping in the vinyl.
Zip up tent and use duct tape on the outside to cover up stitching and unevenness along cut edges around the viewing window. Place edges of short lengths of tape around the curved perimeter of the viewing window (left), and cut excess tape off toward the outer edge of the door panel (right). This will keen any unevenly-cut tape edges from being as obvious. Your viewing window is now complete.