Habitat - Indoor :: DYI tank

[Robtheheretic]

hey every one im new to the forum and looking for some help.
So my bro has red eared and she has out growen her 30 gallon were looking for a 75 but haveing trouble finding one so were looking at making one does any one have any exp. at doing so

[Seroster]

Experience, no, but I have seen several guides on how to make home-made aquariums out of Acrylic. It's still moderately expensive, but not as much as you'd probably pay for a new acrylic or glass tank from a retailer or manufacturer.

Only problem is, while it LOOKS simple enough to do, basically just get thick enough acrylic & "glue" it together (w/ what's really an acrylic "welding" chemical), I'd imagine getting it 100% water-tight is a bit trickier than it looks. And as such, if you put one together & it leaks, you've just spent a decent amount of $$ on acrylic sheets that you have no use for, bc they're now sealed together permanently.

All that being said, I would personally stick to looking for craigslist & classifieds and such for an existing tank. Even one that needs re-sealing is probably going to be easier & less expensive to get up & running than trying to make your own acrylic aquarium for the first time. If you're having trouble finding one in your immediate area, you might check places that aren't too far away, if you don't mind the drive. That's the best suggestion I have.

[worldpeace]

The chance of failure when building your first aquarium be it glass or acrylic is around 90%. So unless you are willing to spend lots of money on a project that has a high chance of failure I wouldn't recommend it.

Like Seroster said, if you're not in a big hurry to get a new tank, keep an eye out on websites like craigslist.com and you'll most definitely find a deal. I just acquired a 40 gallon acrylic tank, wooden stand, canister filter, heater, lights, floating basking area, and a red ear slider FOR FREE.

[jameshermanto]

=.= how come world peace doest know his res gender +.+

[Seroster]

Typically you can't tell for certain till they're at least 4 in. long. So if it's only 3 or so, like my little guy/gal, it's too soon to tell. I THINK mine is a female bc it's tail is short and has a cloaca close to it's shell... but that could just be my guess, never seen any other turtle tails up close.

[jozzep]

Before building the real deal, you can build a smaller "practice" one and see how it comes out.
I would not recommend acrylic for turtles because of the possibility of them scratching it when clawing at the sides.
Glass or fiberglassed plywood tanks are the way to go.The second is much cheaper, but a lot more involved.Google it.