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I know it might seem ridiculous, but my mom plans to put a huge tank outside in the porch instead of going along and getting the pond built. Now I know UV rays cannot penetrate glass but can they penetrate screen? And is this thing going to be an algae magnet?

Would the porch support the weight of tank? Water weighs 8.3lb per gallon, so 100 gallons of water would weigh over 830 lbs.

Another question, what kind of tank? Are we talking a pond or glass? Glass is heavy too and risky to use outdoors. A screen should have a grid of 1/2" to allow sufficient passage of UVB. As for the algae... you'll need to explore the different solutions to control it.

yes and if it is in direct sunlight say hello to algae LOTS of algae

Direct sunlight on a glass tank can cause the water temps to spike and cook your turtle as well. Something to think about...

An algae magnet, yes. Screen will block a fair amount of UVB rays, something like hardware cloth that has holes of 1/2 lets in a good amount.

Putting a turtle in a glass tank in the sun isn't a wise thing to do (the glass heats up the water very quickly), even with a shaded area.

Just curious, but what is your mother's objection to the pond?

My mother thinks the expense overweighs the benefits. She thinks it's too expensive for its purpose.

A huge tank isn't exactly going to be cheap...What about a preformed pond or even a larger stock tank?

Yeah, I've been thinking of getting one of those 250 gallon stock tanks, exept there's nowhere to put it but outside. Are preformed ponds the ones that only require to be put in the ground?

Well, preformed ponds don't have to to be in the ground but they would be a bit harder to support on the bottom.

A big glass tank is indeed very expensive, much more so than a stock tank of the same size. A stock tank on the porch, even a 150 gallon one, would be better than a glass tank, so long as the porch will support its weight.

Depending on the pond, you would have to support the areas that are raised.

This is a ground level porch, not elevated porches as you guys might be thinking of. I've been checking the 300 gal containers at Tractor Supply Co. Alot cheaper, hell yeah, by $400!! It's given my mom something to think about....

Wow, that is really big. I think that if she is really concerned about expense, 150 gallons would be enough for a turtle or two.

According to Tractor Supply Co., my local store sells these containers at $190 . At least it's a whole lot cheaper than the 220 gallon tank, costing $700 .

This is the 300-gallon Rubbermaid stock tank? Make sure the porch is wide enough for one...