Aquarium or terrarium?

[PorshaF]

My brother gave me a tank, he said his friend was selling it and never used it. The seals all look great, no calcium buildup or molding, no drying out of silicone etc. Its 36" length, 18" width and height. So 50 gallons? Or 48 really if there's substrate. But how could I tell if it's an aquarium or a terrarium? I have a use for whichever it happens to be. Any tips to tell without filling it up and potentially breaking it?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Its 36" length, 18" width

How tall is it?

Could be a 30g breeder if it’s 13” tall or it could be a 40g breeder if it’s 17” tall.

It looks like an aquarium to me, so I would it for that.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Any tips to tell without filling it up and potentially breaking it?

Do you mean with water? Or with substrate?

 

[FF_Member146894]

terrariums are usually built with thinner and weaker glass than aquariums.
you can use an online calculator to determine the safety factor.
if the glass is thick enough to support being filled with water and you're still worried that it might be a terrarium, you can reseal the tank with aquarium silicone.
also, if you decide that it should be used as a terrarium you should be careful - an aquarium usually cannot be used as a terrarium for certain specimens because of less ventilation, etc.

 

[Slaphppy7]

40G breeder aquarium

Standard aquarium tank sizes and weights

Volumes in US Gallons and liters, dimensions in inches and centimeters, and estimated weights in pounds and kilograms, both empty and full with fresh water

www.aqua-calc.com

Bring it outside, place it on a sturdy level surface, and fill it up, to the top....let sit for several hours to check for leaks

 

[Salt]

I set my new tanks in the bathtub and fill them and let them sit to check for leaks. It's easy to fill them there and if they leak they don't ruin anything

 

[Slaphppy7]

I set my new tanks in the bathtub and fill them and let them sit to check for leaks. It's easy to fill them there and if they leak they don't ruin anything

That's fine for smaller tanks, but for bigger ones, like the OP's, I'd rather have the tank sitting on a flat, true surface, so as not to cause stress on the bottom trim and glass when filled....

 

[PorshaF]

Okay a 40 breeder seems like it. I compared the glass thickness to my 30 aquarium and it's a bit thicker than the 30. I'll still do a water test outside. Hopefully I don't have to replace the silicone haha if it doesn't hold water im just going to use it for a second grow out for the roaches I colonize as beardie food

 

[Sgooosh]

yea just test the water leak first and do whatever the heck you want with it.
you can even make a paludarium if you have foam

 

[PorshaF]

Dang I like that idea! I'll look more into paludariums. I used to have a biotope for a juvenile garter snake which was really fun but he outgrew the tank so only memories now haha

 

[Sgooosh]

Dang I like that idea! I'll look more into paludariums. I used to have a biotope for a juvenile garter snake which was really fun but he outgrew the tank so only memories now haha

ooh snakes are cute

 

[Colin_T]

An aquarium that is 3 foot long x 18 inches wide x 18 inches high should be made from 6mm thick glass. A terrarium would be thinner glass. Most shops don't sell terrariums that look like that so it's probably a normal aquarium designed for fish.

 

[PorshaF]

I did the water test and it didn't leak, just waiting to get motivated to rinse sand and then I'll start a cycle. I don't know what to stock yet, I'll post a separate thread once the cycle is complete and I buy more plants, (with my water parameters)for ideas