Habitat - Indoor :: New Tank Question

[Poz]

I got my turtle about a month ago and he has been in a 20 gallon tank long, he is 4 inches long. So I want to get him a bigger tank, do I have to by another tank that is long or can i just buy a normal fish tank?

Thanks

[urbancleopatra]

you can go with a regular aquarium tank. i would just avoid some of those funky shapes like the extra tall circular ones. do yourself a favor though and buy like a 100 gallon tank or so and think for the future.

[Poz]

Yeah I really would like to buy a huge one. How much does a 100 gallon tank go for?

[urbancleopatra]

good question. it really all depends where you go. i'm in the process of tank shopping as well. my friend just bought a new 100 gallon (i believe. it was HUGE!) for about 150. just pray for a sale i suppose. for right now i suggest maybe getting a rubbermaid container for a temporary home. it will tend to buckle on th sides so you will need to figure out a support for it (which is why it would be difficult to keep as a permanent home) but it would at least help with the space issue for now.

[Poz]

I get my pay check this Thursday, I will prolly buy a 60 or so gallon tank depending on the cost... the bad thing is that I will have to buy a stand for it too!

[urbancleopatra]

a kitchen counter, toy chest, anything! don't buy a stand unless it's the last tank you'll ever get. it's way more of an investment than you really need to take on. save your money for filter media or a starbucks. lol!

[DavidY]

Wow! A new 100gal for $150! That's a really good deal.

[Poz]

I have a dresser that my tank is on right now but it is only 18 inches wide

[Poz]

Should I get glass or acrylic?

[DavidY]

Get glass definitely. Acrylic will scratch too easily. Turtles love to claw at the side of the tank and will make an awful mess of an expensive acrylic tank in no time.

[urbancleopatra]

glass. turtle nails scratch up acrylic and then algae starts growing in all sorts of impossible to clean places. seriously though no stand. just go to like a local hardware store and get one of those cheap shelves that could just prop up on the floor. don't invest a bundle in a temporary thing. yeah. i think he got the tank from big al's in norristown pa which doesn't help you in the slightest. i've actually really been considering a stock tank and just letting them grow into that forever. not as pretty but functional. and more swimming space equals happy turtles.

[DavidY]

Just make sure what ever you get to set your tank on can support the weight. A gallon of water weighs roughly 8lbs so a 60 gal tank full of water would weigh over 480lbs plus the weight of the glass which would be another 50lbs or more for a total of well over 500lbs. That's an awful lot of weight.

[urbancleopatra]

oh yes and what davidy said of course!

[urbancleopatra]

http://www.waresdirect.com/products/Com ... pingdotcom

a stock tank it is. look at the price of that beauty!! besides, plastic is safer to move and live around than glass. not as pretty but a sense of security and privacy for the turts

[DavidY]

Ooh, nice find, UrbanCleopatra! That's a great price...unfortunately the shipping to my location costs more than the tank. But for anyone who lives near Georgia that would be an awesome deal!

I agree that it may not look as pretty as glass, but it is sturdier looking than the storage bins and the solid walls would probably make the turtles feel much safer. I've seen several really nice looking setups from others here who have stock tanks. With some nice plants it could look really cool.