# terrarium into aquarium?



## bolivianram123 (Jun 5, 2008)

ehh so today i got a terrarium that i thought i could use as an aquarium. its a 5.5gallon. one of those "all things living _reptiles_" terrarium you see at petsmart. ive been reading online though and some people say that it can't become an aquarium because of glass thickness... is this true? 
the only thing it says is "caution, if filled more than half, may cause top to warp". i just measured the glass thickness and its 3mm :/


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## sick lid (Jan 13, 2008)

Look deep DEEP within you, young bolivianram.... you already know the answer which you seek.







(Don't do it)


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## bolivianram123 (Jun 5, 2008)

dayyyyyyyyyymmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ihatemylife. okay so fjsldfa then where do people get those 5.5 gallons?  i was gonna get the 2.5 aquarium but i wanted soemthing bigger than that.


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## spinycheek (Apr 26, 2008)

you could always try it, but don't get mad if it makes a mess.

Just out of curiosity, why not just buy an aquarium made for water that size, they're only $10


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## bolivianram123 (Jun 5, 2008)

ehh well cus i cant find any that size. or i didnt see any, i didnt really look just scanned real quick. i found 2.5 gallons but i wanted something bigger. i guess i might just have to go for the 2.5...


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## spinycheek (Apr 26, 2008)

I got a 5.5 at petco.


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## bolivianram123 (Jun 5, 2008)

oh... wow i feel dumb.


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## Natty (Apr 2, 2008)

I was wondering why the 5.5 gallon cost more than the 10 gallon typical rectangular LFS tanks?

At my LFS its almost 12 bucks for the 5.5 g and about 10 bucks for 10 g. I have a hunch but not sure if its true. Sorry, side tracked a bit.

Some terrariums can be used like an aquarium, but its best not to go through that route because each one has its own built specifications. It's like cars, some cars are meant for one thing while another isn't as much. Doesn't mean it's impossible but it's not as efficient or a good idea, especially if you're thinking about using it in the long run. Bad example? Sort of :hihi:


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## fish_fasinated (Mar 30, 2006)

i bought an aquarium and made it a terrarium, pet passed and it became an aquarium. but i wouldnt use this as an aquarium. its just not built for it.


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## Natty (Apr 2, 2008)

fish_fasinated said:


> i bought an aquarium and made it a terrarium, pet passed and it became an aquarium. but i wouldnt use this as an aquarium. its just not built for it.


You can make an aquarium a terrarium AOK because it's not the leaking part you have to deal with...

The issue with the OP is turning a terrarium into an aquarium, only issue there is it not being able to handle all the water that it's not meant to handle in the first place.

So of course aquarium to terrarium is okay if you can find the right size since there's a commonly sold size difference between the two. 

Aquarium ---> Terrarium (Definately okay, only issue is dimensions suitable for your pet)

Terrarium ---> Aquarium (Most likely not okay due to different build specifications like glass thickness)

Aquariums are very very cheap nowadays too. The only pro between a terrarium over an aquarium is their larger width/depth which is great for planted tanks, other then that, not a good idea.


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## spinycheek (Apr 26, 2008)

Natty said:


> I was wondering why the 5.5 gallon cost more than the 10 gallon typical rectangular LFS tanks?


Because there is less demand for 5.5 gallons so there is less on the market. The more that are produced, the cheaper it gets to make them.


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## bolivianram123 (Jun 5, 2008)

hokay thank you for the input. ill be returning the terrarium and checking out petco, if not tehres a couple other LFS. worst comes to worst ill buy the 2.5.


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## Natty (Apr 2, 2008)

spinycheek said:


> Because there is less demand for 5.5 gallons so there is less on the market. The more that are produced, the cheaper it gets to make them.


Yeah but if there's less demand, shouldn't that be another reason why it should be cheaper instead?


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## Basilisk (Mar 1, 2004)

Is not 3mm plenty? 10G's are also made out of 3mm glass. I don't think there's really a specification to build them differently at that size. The only reason I can think the warning is there is to avoid complaints about the top not fitting perfectly, due to natural flexion of glass (which is still minimal).

Of course, if you can return it, get an 'appropiate' tank, a larger 10G I'd suggest.


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## kevinstpeter (Mar 26, 2008)

i know from expierence that even the 5.5 will not hold water:icon_eek: They'll work for a few days, and once you have everything set, BAM one of the sides busts and you have a mess.


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## spinycheek (Apr 26, 2008)

Natty said:


> Yeah but if there's less demand, shouldn't that be another reason why it should be cheaper instead?


Yes until you start to enter the luxory category of things. Not that a 5.5 gallon is a luxurious purchase, but some people really want that size even though they could live without it. So they will happily pay the extra couple dollars.

And my 5.5 has been holding water for years with no leaking.


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