# Attaching shelves in a glass wall enclosure.



## Stuart (Dec 4, 2012)

I have a tall, well known brand glass enclosure that one of my snakes currently enjoys living in before he moves into the new enclosures shortly. I would like to possibly add a shelf in there where I can place a humid hide (Please dont crucify me...) as it gives him another area within his temperature gradient where he can hide as well as being beneficial to him when he sheds.

I have been toying up with numerous ideas of affixing the shelf to the glass wall but of course all of them need to be practical and as well as not looking like I decided to finish off a bottle of whisky, blindfold myself and run rampant with double sided tape or superglue. I also wouldn't mind being able to remove it in the future with minimal marks. In saying that, I have lightweight plastic board 2mm think (read bread board) and can either use mallable stainless steel bent at right angles or store bought brackets held on via double sided tape or 3M command hooks sticky stuff. Its not going to be pretty I know, but its a practical need at the moment. 

If you were presented with this problem, how would you go about it as Im hoping to get as many ideas as possible and see how it goes?


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## disintegratus (Dec 4, 2012)

If your confident with a caulking gun, I'd use silicone. When the time comes to remove it, you just slice it off with a razor blade. I've never had an issue doing that, and if the blade is brand new, never left a mark on the glass either.


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## Stuart (Dec 4, 2012)

Now thats an idea, I never even considered silicon. Does it bond well to glass though?


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## butters (Dec 4, 2012)

Go the silicon and yes it bonds to glass. That is what holds tanks together.

The issue will be whether it will bond effectively to the other material you are using as a shelf


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## Stuart (Dec 4, 2012)

Thanks butters. I was thinking of using brushed stainless brackets with white plastic board. Not pretty but practical.


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## disintegratus (Dec 4, 2012)

Why don't you use a piece of glass? You should be able to pick up an offcut at your local glaziers really cheap, and for a couple of dollars they'll bevel the edges so it's nice and smooth. Would probably look pretty good too


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## rack_one (Dec 4, 2012)

I used a turtle dock for mine


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## zaphyrr (Dec 4, 2012)

I reckon I'd try the silicon. If it were me, I would look into the aquarium safe type (ascetic cure). I've just checked the one I have (Shelleys Glass) and it says it bonds glass, aluminium, ceramics (yada, yada) and _many _plastics... it's not specific about the plastics though.... lol


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## butters (Dec 4, 2012)

What sort of weight are you wanting the shelf to hold?


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## Stuart (Dec 4, 2012)

disintegratus said:


> Why don't you use a piece of glass? You should be able to pick up an offcut at your local glaziers really cheap, and for a couple of dollars they'll bevel the edges so it's nice and smooth. Would probably look pretty good too



Thats not a bad idea. Unfortunately I live in the middle of no where and getting any glass would involve flying it or barging it from Darwin :S

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rack_one said:


> I used a turtle dock for mine


I looked at that but unfortunately the enclosure does not have enough floor space to allow for waterbowls, hide and dock..

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zaphyrr said:


> I reckon I'd try the silicon. If it were me, I would look into the aquarium safe type (ascetic cure). I've just checked the one I have (Shelleys Glass) and it says it bonds glass, aluminium, ceramics (yada, yada) and _many _plastics... it's not specific about the plastics though.... lol



Awesome, thanks for that. I think I can get my hands on the normal Sellys stuff.


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## saximus (Dec 4, 2012)

How about something like this? The legs take the weight so the silicon just needs to hold it in place and you can paint it any colour you like


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## Stuart (Dec 4, 2012)

butters said:


> What sort of weight are you wanting the shelf to hold?



Not much mate. An adult male night tiger and a small plastic hide with moss or wet paper towel. I would be surprised if its anymore than 400 to 500gm

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saximus said:


> How about something like this? The legs take the weight so the silicon just needs to hold it in place and you can paint it any colour you like



And that is a brilliant idea!


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## butters (Dec 4, 2012)

Should work then. If it was a large python and hide it probably wouldn't without lots of bracing.

Saximus's idea though would probably suit you perfectly.


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## phatty (Dec 4, 2012)

where are you at try get one of the fly in fly out guys to get it for you or the local builders trades men


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## Cypher69 (Dec 4, 2012)

I'd personally go with attaching legs to the shelf OR if your enclosure has a mesh top then maybe use cable/chain/wire & suspend the shelf.


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## Stuart (Dec 4, 2012)

Some fantastic ideas there guys, thanks.


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## longqi (Dec 4, 2012)

If you use windscreen silicone you can stick virtually anything to anything
Harder to remove 
But very adhesive and very strong and elastic
Nothing else comes close
Yet easy to remove with a blade


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## Reptiles4me (Dec 7, 2012)

A very easy way to attach the shelf simply pick a couple of self holders from bunnings you screw them in and place the shelf on top and there you go. They aren't actually called shelf holders but I can't think of the proper name.


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## Monitors_R_Us (Dec 7, 2012)

Silicone.


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## Gonemad (Dec 7, 2012)

Reptiles4me said:


> A very easy way to attach the shelf simply pick a couple of self holders from bunnings you screw them in and place the shelf on top and there you go. They aren't actually called shelf holders but I can't think of the proper name.



That only works well on wooden enclosures this enclosure is glass with plastic.


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## Stuart (Dec 7, 2012)

Thanks for all the help guys. I managed to get my hand on some curtain railing and 2mm Perspex. Will try my hand at putting them together tomorrow


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## Anunnaki (Dec 7, 2012)

Aquariums aren't held together with "Selleys Glass" they are held together using V2 silicone. It is made by bostik and is structural grade.


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## Reptiles4me (Dec 7, 2012)

Ok I did not see that the enclosure was made of glass and plastic Gonemad.


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## Stuart (Dec 7, 2012)

Reptiles4me said:


> Ok I did not see that the enclosure was made of glass and plastic Gonemad.



Next time it may pay to read the title of the thread, hehe :lol:


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## Reptiles4me (Dec 7, 2012)

Oops sorry but it still might work by attaching them with silicon.


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