terrariums! Aquariums!

[comewowme]

Hello all! i'm a new poster here. I am currently planning to begin a tank , but i'm running into a couple snags.

I currently own a 40g 18 X 36 Terrarium ( I believe). Can I use a terrarium as an aquarium? Also, I can't seem to find a hood for the size of my tank. IS there anything I can do?

 

[guppymonkey]

Was the terrarium originally built to be a terrarium or aquarium? Also what was kept in the terrarium? Some lizards waste can be toxic to fish and is impossible to clean out of the silicone glue in the tank. Also terrarium glass isn't as thick as aquarium glass so it can not hold up to the pressure of the water. If it can hold the water (and if you are going to test this I suggest you do it in a bathroom tub or outside) and you still can't find a hood for the tank you could make a cover glass. I use plexiglass to make cheap aquarium covers. They have a tendency to warp over time but they are still a lot cheaper then buying special size hoods.

 

[comewowme]

Thanks for your reply.


The terrarium is 3 quarters full with water now, and has been for the past month. I have one Small turtle in there which i saved. someone i knew bought those illegal turtles you find in the city and she didnt want it anymore. poor thing never ate b/c the water wasn't heated. But now i found someone who has turtle experience to take him, and i figured i could use this tank for an aquarium.

I'll see what my LFS has to say about the tank. Maybe i can do some sort of deal with him.

 

[ger87410]

You gave us 2 out of 3 dimension. I would test filling it up with water it in a bathtub or outside if you don't mind the chance of losing it. Watch out for leaks. As soon as one developes, empty the tank and fix it. You probably want to put bleach or use a strong hydroxen peroxide solution to prevent cross-contamination. Try comparing the thickness of the glass on an aquarium of the same size. It might just be the same thickness. If you do decide to convert it into an aquarium, I wouldn't put any large fish into it. Water weighs 7 pounds a gallon. Most terariums should be built to handle much more then 7 pounds per gallon (for rocks and ornaments). And if you already got it half way full, (how long have you had it like that by the way)you're already halfway to having it full of water.

 

[guppymonkey]

If the tank has had turtles in it then I would guess that it would be able to hold the water and wouldn't have harmful reactions with the fish. If thats the case and the tank hold water then it sounds like it could easily work.

 

[comewowme]

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

The tank was used before i got it for about a year or so, 1/2 filled with water/gravel for turtle shore effect. now its 3/4 filled with just water and one of those turtle floating pads. The girl is picking up the turtle tomorrow hopefully, thats when im going to start making the changes to the tank.