Anyone ever used a Reptile aquarium for fish?

[xar256]

Just like the topic says...I have a shot at a large aquarium and stand on freecycle that I would like to use for a reef aquarium...Does anybody know if there will be any sort of issue since it was used to hold an iguana previously?

Xar256

[xar256]

Hmmm...Seems I found my answer already...  For anybody curious...

Can I convert a reptile tank to a fish tank?

Yes IF the tank was originally sold as an aquarium tank. Most reptiles are kept in "reptile tanks" which have thinner glass and are not built to hold gallons of water.

Ah well...

Xar256

[DrewKaree]

There's a good chance that it was an aquarium though. 

What you COULD do is fill it up only a little bit and set it up as a little swamp.  Throw some turtles, some frogs, some salamanders in there....make a little waterfall or fake stone spillway or something. 

I'd take it if I were you.

[GreenKnight37]

Hey Xar,

If you get the tank, just fill it up with fresh water and leave it outside for a few days (assuming you have the room).

If it doesn't burst open, leak, etc....then you might have found yourself a suitable tank.  If it does break, well, it was free

Oh, and most tanks I see at my local pet store don't differentiate between reptile and fish.  They're just tanks for whatever.  I've never heard of any difference until now...I would have thought that it was all the same construction, but who knows.

[Bones]

There's a good chance that it was an aquarium though.

[xar256]

Hey Xar,

If you get the tank, just fill it up with fresh water and leave it outside for a few days (assuming you have the room).

If it doesn't burst open, leak, etc....then you might have found yourself a suitable tank.

[Bones]

Also worth mentioning (and it is probably a bigger issue under the hot Aussie sun), but silicon/silastic used to seal tanks is affected by exposure to sunlight.

If you do take it outside to check for leaks, don't leave it out there for an extended time (weeks). You will likely cause problems rather than discover them.

[Zakk]

If you do need some pointers on getting a reef up and going, I have a 125 gal reef in my dining room:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=14534

[Zakk]

I will add, that if you need to get a free aquarium to get started, a reef is probably not for you...I've spent well over $10,000 on mine over 8 years, and I'm still miles away from having a killer show tank.

[xar256]

It's not a matter of "needing" to get one free...But I won't complain too loudy if one just happens to fall in my lap. 

Xar256

[DrewKaree]

It's not a matter of "needing" to get one free...But I won't complain too loudy if one just happens to fall in my lap. 

That's how I got mine.  I'd always wanted to buy a tank, ended up being GIVEN a 150 and took it from there.  Got into breeding a little bit just because...well, I figured it'd be cheaper to just "make" more fish.    Anyone who's done it can tell you it costs you more anytime you think something's gonna cost less

What size is it?  If you know the size, you should be able to tell almost instantly by heading to the store and comparing it to a same-sized one there.  Just make sure you're comparing glass to glass. 

Salamanders (newts and whatnot) tend to get out only if you put 'em in with your regular fish tank where the water's up close to the top.  Crabs too.  Sneaky little daisies!  In the setup I proposed, I never once had one get out, but I also sealed as much of the openings up to try to keep as much moisture in as possible (as Bones pointed out, evap is a never-ending problem in that setup unless you figure something out).  I just had holes big enough for the cords and all the bigger stuff like lift tubes and whatnot were hidden behind "landscaping" inside the tank. 

Bones, you guys have to be licensed to do stuff like that down under?

[xar256]

All they said was it's 4ft long.  A little bit of looking around at standard sizes gives me a hint it's between 55 and 85 Gallons.  (That blows away my 33Gal.  That's why it caught my eye in the first place.

Xar256

[Bones]

Bones, you guys have to be licensed to do stuff like that down under?

Well yes.

You can't keep a reptile or amphibian without a licence. I think some native fish also fall under these laws.

For children, you are allowed to collect tadpoles for educational purposes but they must be released back into the area they were captured before their metamorphosis is complete.

Legally, you can not buy or trade such animals without a licence and your records have to be accurate to account for births, deaths and trades. You can not keep an animal you find. Audits can be conducted without notice into your records and collection. Fines for offenses are pretty bloody steep.

The initial licence is incredibly easy to get. It only requires an official application and small processing fee. This allows a list of amphibians and reptiles to be kept whose care is minimum (and natural population is strong).

Once a person has demonstrated they have what it takes, they can apply and may be granted further licences that permit the keeping of a broader range of selected species.

I don't think the system is a bad one. It is there to protect wildlife and educate people. From memory, things such as spiders and scorpions also fall under similar laws. We take our environment and especially our wildlife pretty seriously over here.

Without a licence we can still enjoy a large range of fish and some oddities like a axolotls & yabbies.