Habitat - Indoor :: New Habitat advice please!

[emm13]

The screen isn't secured. As of yet, she hasn't tried to escape, but I'm keeping an eye on it. So far I've seen no evidence of her trying to escape. Tonight is her last dose of antibiotic! She's been doing very well, but isn't very pleased with me since I keep forcing her to drink yucky medicine. The cut seems to be healing, and she still has a healthy appetite. No signs of infection, thankfully. I bought a scale, and she's been maintaining her weight (1.36kg!). The vet at My Zoo even called twice since her visit to check on her!
Yes, my little Donnie is definitely a climber..... I put her in a quickly made dry dock area when I was cleaning out her tank, so that she could wander around a bit, and I used some wire shelves as part of the walls. She was almost to the top of the wall when I turned around. So she went back into her box until her tank was clean.

As more loveliness, I also realized that the black edging on the top of the tank is coming loose. this makes me frightened for the rest of the construction of the tank, especially since the black edging appears to have been attached with the same seam of silicone as the glass. (I'm not sure I said that clearly at all....) I found this very cheap stock tank online http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/t ... nk-110-gal and I was wondering if anyone has had experience dealing with Tractor Supply. I'm not sure I love the idea of a stock tank, especially since I wouldn't be able to see her unless I'm standing over the tank, but the cost for the size is very tempting, as well as the peace of mind for no leaks due to faulty seams.

[steve]

Glad to hear about her recovery!

Is the tank you're using the one in the 2nd page or a different one?

If there is no drain on that stock tank, it should be fine. Some have noted that tanks with drain plugs leak, though I have not had that problem.

[emm13]

Thanks! I'm glad my first drama with her being hurt is over.... and relatively painlessly.

Yes, its the same tank.

It supposedly has a drain, but I can't see its placement from the online picture. I may try to find the store next week when I'm in Columbia again.

[steve]

Was the tank always like that? It looks like it was pieced together from different sized tanks and the rim is not the solid, single piece we normally see it as. Anyway, reattaching a rim is pretty easy, but a stock tank seems is a good upgrade.

[emm13]

Yeah, that's pretty much what it looks like to me too. To be fair, it was free.... and I'm surprised it survived moving. I've had it for about 6months now. Even when I first got it I was a bit leery of how it was constructed.
A stock tank isn't the most aesthetically pleasing option, but it seems by far the most economical.
Has anyone had issues with heaters or filters when they're using their stock tank? I've seen some great setups on this site where sand was put on the bottom to brighten the whole thing, as well as large rocks to avoid sand being sucked up by the filter.

[steve]

I've seen some nice stock tanks and ponds setup, it really depends on skill level. Heaters a not a problem. If you have a canister, you might need to make a notch on the tank rim to allow the hose to fit. You can also use your own PVC fittings to make your own intake (those are safer too). Large rocks won't stop sand from getting sucked up, but can add to natural look of the tank.

[emm13]

Donnie successfully escaped this morning. She hadn't left the room yet, so she was easy to find, but she scared me pretty good. She appears to be uninjured. I didn't see any cracks in her shell, or scrapes. I put her in her sandbox that i made for her for a few hours to see if she laid any eggs (she didn't). So now she's back in her tank. And I have to attempt to make it escape proof. again. I'm going to check her over again later today, just to make sure I didn't miss any injuries.

A couple of weeks ago, I tried to buy a 110gal stock tank- I say tried because it didn't fit in my sister's car, and that was the biggest vehicle i had access to. And the delivery charge is over$100 for the store I was at. So she's still in her 75 gal tank set up. I've now got her sandbox up against the edge of her tank, so that if she escapes the tank, she'll then have to escape the sandbox too (its a rubbermaid tote with high walls). And now I have to figure out how i'm going to get the new tank to my apartment, AND make it escape proof. Gah.

[steve]

What about renting a vehicle from a hardware store? It goes by the hour. For the tank cover, what about a heavy duty wire shelf, you just need to weigh it down.

[emm13]

Unfortunately, the one hardware store near me that does that sort of rental has the rule that you have to be using it to transport something from that store. And they don't stock the tanks at all. I've also considered UHaul, but that's easily going to be $40 with the mileage charge. That may end up being my best bet tho. Oh i hadn't thought about a shelf! I may actually have one I can steal from my sister that could work. Not sure what I would weigh it down with that she won't be able to knock into her tank tho.

[steve]

What about Home Depot? I think they charge by the hour. A wire shelf is pretty strong, you can use almost anything to hold it down. Bricks, phone books, etc.

[emm13]

The closest Home Depot to me is about 40min away. Not undoable, but certainly not super convenient.

[steve]

Can you hire a taxi then? My 100 gallon barely fit into a SUV. Sorry this is being difficult

[emm13]

It's been a while since I've given an update- sorry about that! I've gotten Donnie secure in her tank. I still haven't managed to get her the stock tank, but i'm feeling much better now that i have a lid. My sister had all these heavy duty wire cube storage things- the ones you assemble yourself- and i used a lot of zip ties to make her a lid from those. It's not weighted down, since its fairly heavy on its own, but i did attach it with some velcro straps to the storage area i made next to her tank.


Donnie wasn't very pleased with me at first, but she doesn't seem to mind the lid any more. Now I just have to do the stock tank upgrade. Still working on getting the vehicle for it, but one of my friends has a truck she can borrow, so that's my current plan. I just have to find a weekend for her to come over so that we can take care of it, since she lives about 3 hours away.

[steve]

Where have you checked for the stock tank? Maybe a local hardware store or garden center can order it?

[emm13]

There are a couple of local hardware stores that have the tanks- there's even one 3 miles from my apartment. I've checked with them, and it will be easy to get the tank if they don't have it in stock already. The issue is getting it from the store to my apartment. None of them deliver, even that short of a distance. I have a friend with a truck she can borrow to get the tank to me- we just have to plan it out, since she lives 4 hours away. this tank upgrade is getting very frustrating.