Used aquarium question

[rlpardue]

On the houston Craigslist is a used aquarium for sale. I love the dimensions (5x2x2) and would want to set it up as a reef. But it is currently used as some kind of reptile tank. Should I be wary of any problems specific to reptile-used tanks?

 

[biocube14g]

Ask if it is tempered, and also if it was baught as a "reptile tank" or an aquarium used for reptiles. Also, ask how long there were reptile in it. Over time, the silicone will dry and become seperated from the glass,thus making it not water tight. I have a bunch of reptiles and know exactly what you are talking about. Oh, and if there was sand in it for a while, it can leave a perminate hase on the glass. And some lizards will leave micro scratches in the glass from their claws.

 

[RaviC]

I've heard that if a lizard stayed in there that there's stuff left behind even after cleaning that can harm fish. Things that get stuck in the silicone and stuff. I wanna say ammonia or urine or something. Either way I'm guessing it wouldn't hurt the fish anyway.

My main concern would be that it's not a terranium (reptile tank) and is actually meant to hold water.

If the silicone is bad, you can always resilicone it if you really want to

 

[James77]

I had a 90 that was a long term reptile tank that I bought used. I had freshwater and saltwater including corals in there with no problems. Just clean it very well with vinegar and water. Do look for damage to the silicone from the reptiles claws.

 

[thegrun]

Make sure it is an aquarium and not a reptile tank. Reptile tanks are not built to withstand the pressure of being filled with water and would eventually collapse. Aquariums use much thicker glass and most have added bracing.