Terrarium vs. Aquarium tanks--is there a difference?

[Latlaw]

I bought a 20 gal long aquarium today at a major pet store chain so I could separate my two females into their own tanks. The terrarium they had there was more than twice the cost of the aquarium. Granted, the terrarium had a screen cover but I was going to replace that with one of those double hinged ones anyway so I bought the aquarium with no lid. Same size, both glass. The one I bought for Henry was a terrarium and my second was bought used on CL and was listed as a terrarium but I suspect it is a aquarium. Anyone know if there really is a difference, and more importantly, does it matter?

 

[Tony C]

The only difference is weight, aquariums are made from thicker glass because they need to be strong enough to hold up to the weight and pressure of water.

 

[leogecko88]

I've seen the same thing at my local pet store. An aquarium is supposed to be completely leak-resistant, as it is designed for aquatic animals. Terrariums are not made to hold water and it can cause them to warp (at least, that is what the labels say). No, it does not matter which one you choose. I would just get the aquarium as it is half the price.

 

[Latlaw]

The only difference is weight, aquariums are made from thicker glass because they need to be strong enough to hold up to the weight and pressure of water.

Thanks! It's amazing that they are double in cost--for just the screen lid I guess . .

 

[project1]

yea i buy the aquariums and a screen lid and i think its only like alittle over 40 bucks

 

[mariex4]

hi heres a pic of my tank devided into 3 section all i used was polystirene then taped the backing for a fish tank round them as 1 morning i got up and thought suger weres my female as i had a male in the next part and when i removed the lid she fell to the floor she had climbed up the polystirene little monkey , heres the pic ive also added pics of each section just to show you how much space there is also i put the heat mat in the middle so they both had heat and it was cheaper if cant see click enlarge:main_thumbsup:

 

[Gregg M]

In my opinion, glass aquariums and glass terrariums are not worth anything when it comes to keeping tropical species... They loose too much of the valuable heat and humidity needed to properly keep our reptiles healthy and feeding throught the year... Racks and solid bodied cages like the ones made from expanded PVC are the best choices for housing reptiles...