tank question

[tropicfishman]

ok, I havea 20 gallon terrarium, it says on the inside to not be filled with water, so I take it that its not sealed as good as an aquarium, but the trim and everything is the same thickness, its just long instead of tall, if I bought aquarium sealent and resealed everthing real good do you think it would hold?

[TCTFish]

Tanks not made for holding water have weaker glass. It's not neccisarily what seals the glass nor the thickness of the trim. It's the quality of the glass itself. DO NOT risk it.

I've used reptile tanks with water but no more than half way up (for river set ups), but any higher the risk of the tank breaking from the sheer weight of the water become significant. It's not worth risking coming home to broken glass and a soggy floor and all your fish flopping on the ground.

To make the tank not such a waste for resealing, you could make it into a tide pool with shallow water and animals like urchins, starfish, smaller anemones, clams even. Small coral frags, shrimps and crabs, worms, etc. Tide pools are neat, but I wouldn't do a full aquarium in it.

[tropicfishman]

cool, good thing I never attempted this yet lol

that tide pool sounds fun!
fill with sand and water and little sea creatures... he he he.

[tropicfishman]

I was thinking about buying a red eared slider ( turtle ) there only like 25 bucks at petland, really pretty also

[rich311k]

Red eared sliders are great pets but they need a lot of room. I have my adult male in a 60 gallon breeder. He is very friendly and active. They need a place to get out of the water and bask under a heat lamp. If you have the room for one you will not be dissappointed.

[TCTFish]

I was thinking about buying a red eared slider ( turtle ) there only like 25 bucks at petland, really pretty also

Cheap pretty pets generally come with a much higher price tag in equipment...just like fish...LOL. Who would have thought a $25 animal would need at least a $500 set up??? LOL. Just kidding, but red earred sliders do require a lot of specifics for good longevity under healthy conditions. Turtles get sick easily and their water fouls quickly. A 20 gallon tank is only good for hatchlings, which are not legal (any turtle under 4" is considered a health risk and are illegal to sell or buy). A red earred slider of legal size is already too big for a 20 gallon, but if you can find some babies, good luck to you. They are fun critters to have if you have the proper space for them. Otherwise they become miserable. Read up on them as you would with fish before getting mixed up with them. There are smaller land turtles that may be more suited for that sized tank.

A frog tank would be neat. Something like little poison arrow frogs, but an animal you'd also would want to read up on for specialized equipment (misters mostly). Could get a leopard gecko or a simple little corn or king snake. Now those are easy animals so long as they are kept away from drafts.