125G Tank question

[steez]

I'm about to buy a 125G Aquarium from someone. He told me it was used as a terrarium before and not for fish. Is there a real difference if the tank was meant for a terrarium? Is there a way to tell if it can handle the water or not? Do they even make glass aquariums that big that are strictly for lizards and not for fish?

 

[kdpuffer]

I would check the glass thickness. If the glass is only like 1/4 inch thick then it's not meant to hold water, if it's 1/2 inch or more then it would be designed for water. I'm not sure if they make aquariums specially for terrariums or not but typically a terrarium is a totally different design with doors and venting.

 

[steez]

Thanks Kd.

Here's a picture of it. I'm going to look at it in a bit over an hour. This really seems like a regular aquarium to me. I've never seen a lizard cage with a top like that but I'll definitely check thickness.

 

[steez]

Here's the 100G one that he has too. This one definitely looks like an aquarium because it has residue and think glass.

 

[jetajockey]

It's probably a regular aquarium that was just used as a terrarium. Does it have a center brace? If so then I'd say it is probably an aquarium. If not then I probably wouldn't use it unless I put a brace in it. I'd check the seals really well, seems like most tanks turn into terrariums when they start leaking.

 

[steez]

Thank you Jeta.

Yes it has the center brace made out of glass on the top. It is definitely an aquarium. I felt and looked along all the seals and didn't see any sort of flaws, it was all pretty think rubber seals still. It was previously installed inside a man's bedroom in the wall above his bed and was used as a turtle tank. So the tank did indeed hold water. It was cleaned out and had been sitting outside for a couple months. I got it home tonight and gave it a thorough cleaning and filled it all the way up. It's currently sitting in the garage. No leaks as of yet!!


P.S.. The guy selling it was a new owner of the house and just wanted to get rid of the tanks because he had no use for them. He removed them from the wall in the bedroom when he moved in. He sold it to me for $100 including glass tops. Man what a steal!