"Fish tanks"

Marshallarts · 01-14-15, 10:06 PM

It really annoys me when people say that you shouldn't keep your snakes in fish tanks when they make specially made plastic snake cages. Well actually terrariums are designed for reptiles that have all the features if not more than a plastic cage. They have the holes for cords to go through, ventilation, many have front opening doors, a litter dam, good viewing, and much more. Lots are coming with backgrounds now or you can buy a separate background. They hold humidity and heat fine, they look good and are much cheaper. AND they are specially made for reptiles.

eminart · 01-14-15, 10:18 PM

A lot of the opinions you find on online forums are just things people read somewhere else online, and it gets passed around as gospel. Reptiles have been successfully kept in "aquariums" for 60 years - long before anyone dreamed of plastic tubs or ready-made plastic reptile enclosures. There's nothing wrong with plastic enclosures, but a fish tank with a top is a perfectly viable option for most reptiles as well.

**Minkness** · 01-14-15, 10:57 PM

It's one of those things that just because there may be something 'better' doesn't mean the other is 'bad'.

After all, if you took a simple fish tank and had a peice of glass or acrylic cut the same size as a screen lid, it's almost the same as a plastic enclosure. Shoot, they do that for breeding bettas because when raising young bettas the air they breath has to be moist or their lungs get dried out and they die or don't grow properly. Why would it be different for a snake? And there's lots of ways to keep in humidity. Not to mention the reptiles that don't need much humidity in the first place!

I think it comes down to preference and cost. I have all my geckos in fish tanks but I want to upgrade to front opening reptile enclosures for ease more than anything else. However, what I may do is just customize what I already have. =)

JinxtheBP · 01-15-15, 12:43 AM

My four are all kept in tanks. The BPs and the corn have screen tops and the BRB has a fancy, special plexiglass lid that my dad helped me make to keep in the humidity.

That being said, I dream of having a nice display set-up with glass fronts that open. Mostly for aesthetics! My collection of cheap and free tanks do just fine for now.

Zelg · 01-15-15, 04:03 PM

I think its about where you live and how easy it is to maintain the temps and humidity. My BP is in a tank right now but after a year of having him I'm very much looking forward to my new cage arriving soon which will be pvc with front opening doors. Theres pros and cons to tanks vs others but if you live in a severely dry climate and you need to keep a tropical species, you're going to have to go through a lot of extra effort to maintain that climate.

However if you're keeping a something that doesnt require too much and you can manage that climate, fish tanks are fine. I actually found that if you layer the bedding then you can keep humidity up rather easily without the top layer being soaked. Of course thats just another step you have to take to maintain humidity. Not impossible, just takes more

Marshallarts · 01-15-15, 04:07 PM

That's th thing though, I live in alberta(very dry) and I keep two whites tree frogs in a big glass tank with screen top and have absolutely no problem keeping humidity in. I use a heat lamp which supposedly drys out the air. I only have to spray them every few days.

**Aaron_S** · 01-15-15, 04:07 PM

Fish tanks are designed for fish. End of story. With modifications they can work for a large amount of reptile species. Cleaning still sucks though.

What 'argument' there may be with tubs/PVC vs. FISH tanks is that a tub/PVC has far less work to do to it to make it work than a FISH tank.

For my tubs I only need to put a few holes for air flow.

Marshallarts · 01-15-15, 04:23 PM

Okay yeah fish tanks are made for fish. Are terrariums made for fish? No. Glass terrariums designed for reptiles.

**Aaron_S** · 01-15-15, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshallarts

Okay yeah fish tanks are made for fish. Are terrariums made for fish? No. Glass terrariums designed for reptiles.

Why are you being snippy? Did I state anything to do with terrariums? No. I went off the part of your original post where you said "Why do people say you shouldn't keep snakes in FISH TANKS when they make snake specific caging?" That was your statement. I answered it.

You went on a tangent about terrariums (note those aren't fish tanks). So why are you still talking about terrariums when people are critisizing fish tanks?

Zelg · 01-15-15, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Why are you being snippy? Did I state anything to do with terrariums? No. I went off the part of your original post where you said "Why do people say you shouldn't keep snakes in FISH TANKS when they make snake specific caging?" That was your statement. I answered it.

You went on a tangent about terrariums (note those aren't fish tanks). So why are you still talking about terrariums when people are critisizing fish tanks?

Can you explain to me the difference between a fish tank and a terrarium? They're 4 glass walls with a screen top. Is there more too it besides one being water tight?

**Aaron_S** · 01-15-15, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zelg

Can you explain to me the difference between a fish tank and a terrarium? They're 4 glass walls with a screen top. Is there more too it besides one being water tight?

Ask the person who loves them. I don't use either and have only taken a cursory glance at one in a store while passing by. They look like garbage to me.

SSSSnakes · 01-15-15, 04:57 PM

They make Critter tank, that are designed for reptiles. They are glass style fish tanks with sliding screen lids. The glass is thinner, making the tank lighter. They are not designed to hold water. As far as keeping humidity up in a glass tank, just cover the top of the lid restricting the air flow, and the humidity will go up. Put a heat lamp over the water bowl and you will end up with condensation on the glass. It really comes down to what your personal choice is and works for you.

I personally don't care for front opening enclosures for dealing with snakes, I prefer to deal with snakes from above them and not at their level. Just my preference.

CosmicOwl · 01-15-15, 05:46 PM

Fish tanks are made for fish. They're usually taller, longer and have less depth, so that fish keepers can have more viewing area. They also usually lack any kind of locking lid that is necessary for a snake enclosure. Terrariums, as name implies, are used for terrestrial animals that need floor space. So they're generally shorter and deeper. They also frequently come with a lid that can be secured. Even if they don't it's easy enough to find lids that fit common terrarium sizes/shapes, such as 20 longs.

This is all irrelevant to the fact that glass tanks are generally inferior to tubs/plastic cages in many respects. Don't get me wrong, they're still fine for many snakes(I have a corn in a 40 gallon bio-active tank), but they're harder to work with. They're heavy, glass is dangerous, and you can't modify them easily. I can take a plastic tub and easily melt holes in it to secure as many perches as I want. You don't have the same options with glass tanks unless you want to work with specific drill bits or silicone.

The simple answer is that glass tanks are more difficult to work with than plastic tubs or enclosures.

SSSSnakes · 01-15-15, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

You don't have the same options with glass tanks unless you want to work with specific drill bits or silicone.

Almost all glass fish tanks are tempered glass, which can't be drilled. If you drill a tempered glass tank, it will shatter.

reptiledude987 · 01-15-15, 06:05 PM

If I want to mount a perch in my glass terrariums I use a specific type of non toxic epoxy and use it to glue pieces of pvc plumbing connectors cut in half lengthwise to creat little cups to hang branches from. The supplies I use to do this are all purchaced at a local pool supply store. The epoxy is called mister sticky. While its setting I have nothing in the tank once its set its rock solid and can support a really surprizing amount of weight.