Thrive Hexagon Terrarium Review

I bought two Thrive hexagon terrariums from my local PetSmart after a lot of people asked me to review one. I had already reviewed the Thrive Tropical Essentials Kit and the Thrive Crescent Vertical Terrarium. The short version on the crescent: I liked it, then I liked it less, then all my geckos escaped from it.

This hexagon is a full 76 L (20 gallon) tank. The crescent was about 70 L (18.5 gallon), but its built-in background took up so much room that the usable space was closer to 53 L (14 gallon). The box lists it as ideal for anoles, chameleons, crested geckos, tree frogs and green tree pythons. I agree, except chameleons, which generally need a cage with more airflow.

The front door

I have two hexagon cages of my own. My very first crested geckos came from Craigslist in one, about 12 to 15 years ago, and it now holds a tokay gecko. Both are converted fish tanks with wooden tops I made, so you have to reach all the way down from the top, and small geckos run everywhere when your arm goes in.

This one has a front-opening door, which I have never seen on a hexagon tank. The lock is secure, and the top of the door does not flex open the way the Thrive kit's door did. The glass is thick, and the door doesn't rattle or wiggle. I really like the build.

What else I like

• It holds water. The bottom edges look silicone sealed, so you could have 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) of water for a water feature.
• The lid comes off. Push in the clips and it lifts off. It has a port for Thrive's fogger, your own fogger, a pump or waterfall cord, or an automatic mister line. The crescent's top and background were not removable; I'm told you can cut that background out.
• Flat sides. The crescent's curved doors left nowhere to stick plants, feeding dishes or suction cups for vines. These big flat panels are easy to decorate, and you could build a custom background or a live planted vivarium.

The one downside

The Thrive screen top is a fairly thick mesh. I wonder how much light from a UV bulb it blocks, and whether that would be enough to affect your geckos. I don't know.

My mourning gecko setup

I put my main mourning gecko breeder colony in the second tank. I use bird ladders from the PetSmart bird section with plants hung over them, which gives the geckos lots of climbing space and cover. I add hollow fish tank decorations shaped like little houses, and the geckos lay their eggs inside them. When one fills with eggs, I move it to an empty tank to hatch, because the adults will eat hatchlings. Their Pangea acrylic food dish gets messy, so I take it out and soak it about once a week.

My verdict

They have been in this tank for about a week and none have escaped. This is easily my favorite Thrive tank so far, and I highly recommend it for almost any reptile that fits: sturdy, versatile and easy to customise.