peaceteacher Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 So I got a 37 gal (36L x 18W x 13H) tank for free from my school (it was donated). I was cleaning it out and under the seal on the bottom it says "DO NOT FILL WITH WATER". I was hoping I could convert it. From what I have read, the issue is usually with the thickness of glass or the silicone used. It does leak from the bottom seal. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it worth a try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewzero1 Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 Personally I wouldn't risk it... 37 gallons is a lot of water when it's on the floor. The most I'd attempt would be a paludarium with maybe a couple inches of water at the bottom, as long as the leak can be repaired. Also, welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry the fish keeper Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 I agree with @drewzero1 personally I had never tried this but I heard horror stories that people tried it and ended up being a disaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 On 4/8/2022 at 8:18 AM, peaceteacher said: Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it worth a try? They are different materials and requirements. The reason a lot of the reptile type enclosures are cheaper/lighter is because of that. You might get away with a gallon or a few in there for a small fountain scape or something, but this is definitely something that isn't meant to have water. I would just wait or take advantage of the $/Gallon sale at petco. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 I would measure the thickness of the glass most of my “reptile terrariums” were the same thickness as an aquarium. Granted they were all free so they very likely could have been aquariums. If it is the same thickness of an aquarium you will likely still need to reseal it. I’m currently using a 40 gallon breeder as a humidity box for plants and it leaks wildly just from small puddles of standing water. Whatever silicone they used for these is perhaps permeable? Don’t know the specifics of how they construct them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 On 4/8/2022 at 9:18 AM, peaceteacher said: So I got a 37 gal (36L x 18W x 13H) tank for free from my school (it was donated). I was cleaning it out and under the seal on the bottom it says "DO NOT FILL WITH WATER". I was hoping I could convert it. From what I have read, the issue is usually with the thickness of glass or the silicone used. It does leak from the bottom seal. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it worth a try? I second Biotope Biologist regarding measure the thickness. We have a 55 gallon that was a reptile enclosure, I measured it, then did a water test, and it has exact same measurements as brand new 55 gallon, including a cross bar at the top... so it was used as an aquarium until it got a ding in upper right corner and now its a paludarium. The 30 gallon we had needed a reseal before my kid could safely use it to keep adequate humidity for his tanks because it leaked from a bottom seal, and the glass wasn't thick enough to hold water. Tanner on Serpa Design has a great table that shows thickness of glass needed / gallon of water. He used to share it regularly in his early videos, I don't remember which ones though, may need to ask him for it. I'm pretty sure it's included on his "How to reseal an aquarium" video series. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted April 10, 2022 Share Posted April 10, 2022 On 4/8/2022 at 12:13 PM, nabokovfan87 said: reptile type enclosures are cheaper If you know where they are cheaper I am all ears! I've found them to be far more expensive for the same volume. I'm guessing from the front opening doors, which I suspect this one does not have though. Seriously, reptile enclosures cheaper than the dollar per gallon sale would be huge news for me, and I would love to hear about them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted April 10, 2022 Share Posted April 10, 2022 On 4/8/2022 at 10:26 AM, Torrey said: We have a 55 gallon that was a reptile enclosure, I measured it, then did a water test, and it has exact same measurements as brand new 55 gallon, including a cross bar at the top... so it was used as an aquarium until it got a ding in upper right corner and now its a paludarium. The 30 gallon we had needed a reseal before my kid could safely use it to keep adequate humidity for his tanks because it leaked from a bottom seal, and the glass wasn't thick enough to hold water. Some may work, but this one mentioned specifically has it printed on the glass not to use with water. It is not designed with that weight and stress load in mind. On 4/10/2022 at 4:33 AM, OnlyGenusCaps said: Seriously, reptile enclosures cheaper than the dollar per gallon sale would be huge news for me, and I would love to hear about them! What I was saying was, you should take advantage of the $/gal sale instead of hoping this tank you got doesn't burst. It's not manufactured using the same materials and same strength parameters. It will eventually fail. It's just a question of when. I guarantee you some are compatible and can be used for either. Some turtles and other animals need water as well. That being said, the one you mentioned specifically calls out not to use water. There are guides online regarding swapping sealant and glass panels. I'm just speaking from my own thought process, getting the raw materials to do that vs. going to go and get one for $40 or so isn't worth the hassle for me. You also need a stand to support the filled weight, it's a lot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyGenusCaps Posted April 10, 2022 Share Posted April 10, 2022 On 4/10/2022 at 1:18 PM, nabokovfan87 said: What I was saying was, you should take advantage of the $/gal sale instead of hoping this tank you got doesn't burst. Got 'cha! Thanks for explaining it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peaceteacher Posted April 11, 2022 Author Share Posted April 11, 2022 On 4/8/2022 at 11:44 AM, drewzero1 said: Personally I wouldn't risk it... 37 gallons is a lot of water when it's on the floor. The most I'd attempt would be a paludarium with maybe a couple inches of water at the bottom, as long as the leak can be repaired. Also, welcome to the forum! Thank you and I found and 40 breeder and 20L on offerup with a stand for $80 so I got that. the 37 gal of water on my floor was enough to scare me away from trying 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewzero1 Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 Sounds like a good deal! And way cheaper than water damage 😜 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 The reptile tanks do make great indoor gardens for plants that like more light and/humidity 😁 I turned one into a houseplant arrangement for a friend for her birth One year. It’s still growing. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewzero1 Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 On 4/11/2022 at 10:09 AM, Guppysnail said: The reptile tanks do make great indoor gardens for plants that like more light and/humidity 😁 I turned one into a houseplant arrangement for a friend for her birth One year. It’s still growing. I had a spare 55 that I was going to try using as a greenhouse to start plants earlier in spring. It gets a lot warmer in there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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