what's the difference between a critter cage and an aquarium?

[gajeep94yj]

ok so after searching forever for a larger aquarium that was deaper than 12" and not as long as most large aquariums I finally found one used. the guy I bought it from said he used for a while as a salt water tank. bought it, size was perfect for my living room and it was 18" deap instead of the standard 12".

so all is well and good I am finally happy.

until this morning. I was looking for a name brand to find out more information on it. instead I found this little tiny tag that says "critter cage, do not fill with water"

well now I am pissed.

what is the difference between a critter cage and an aquarium? is there a difference in the glass that it won't hold the pressure? is the silicon toxic to fish? is it not built with stong enough silicon to hold the pressure? or do they just not leak test it?

I took it to the garage and filled it up with water. so far no leaks. if it busts out there it will be much better than to bust in the living room.

anyone know what the actualy difference is?

 

[jonathan]

Who is the tank (critter cage) manufacturer? Dimensions? Glass thickness?

 

[brisco15]

critter cage is not water safe!meant for reptiles and other pets.Or atleast from my understanding.All glass i believe is the manufacturer.Don't use it is my recommendation they normally come with sliding screen lids but some are sold to where you can buy a screen lid for it.

 

[brisco15]

oh didn't read far enough yes don't fill with water as the tag says.

 

[gajeep94yj]

No manafacture tag. Demensions are 36l x 16h x 18d
Glass thickness is 3/16".
So far no leaks.

Also it didn't come with a lid.

 

[ricksconnected]

its my understanding that they are built the same, nor it the glass as thick.

 

[jonathan]

I wouldn't risk it.

 

[lilrobb]

Only difference is glass thickness - critter cages are much thinner and might crack under load.

 

[oil_fan]

dawgdude;500898 wrote: I think you are playing with a lot more water than I would! You are asking for a flood, the plastic rim on the tanks are different, the silicone is not nearly as thick and the glass is not thick enough to support the weight. I have run into more than a couple people who tried it and lost big time. One person had to spend $4,000 in floor repairs.

Ouch!!

 

[kirru]

i had my sister's turtle tank full of water for about a month, though it was had mostly live rock in it but it held steady. On the build tag it said not to fill more than half with water or it may bow... in my experience all my tanks have bowed so i didn't fret about it. Now its half full with water and rocks.. need to get rid of them and get it out of the way lol

 

[harleyguy]

let's see, that tank is ~45 gallons so it's going to be holding about 400 pounds worth of water... IMO that tank should have at least 1/4 to 5/8" thick glass. Secondly... If it was sold as a "critter cage" that makes me think it's a Glass Cages tank (although I could be wrong) so I definitely wouldn't risk it (if it were mine). With that said, you can probably get an inexpensive 60 gallon from Glass Cages or wait and keep an eye on the selling forum and get what you want. I feel that the one thing in your system you should not skimp on is the tank. Think about it, it has to hold loads of weight and you have to look at it everyday, and of course it keeps all that water from ruining your house... My suggestion, put it up for sale or Craig's List and get something different.

 

[dakota9]

3/16" is pretty thin, just a little better than window glass.

Far from being worth the risk. Make it a yard sale item and buy a new/used tank.

Go with Oceanic! My 30 cube has glass that's about 1/4" thick. They are overbuilt.

 

[gajeep94yj]

That tank has made me so mad I would rather use it as a target!

I am not going to use it. I will wait until I can find another tank that will fit both the room and the budget.

A corner tank would be perfect!

 

[ricksconnected]

call chris at fishscales. he might be in the market for a critter tank.
maybe he will do a trade-in with you.

 

[gajeep94yj]

I will thanks for the idea.