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Do you need to know the difference between an aquarium and a terrarium? Here’s exactly how you can tell the difference.
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What’s the difference between aquariums and terrariums?
Aquariums are designed to contain water with fish and sea animals, while terrariums are generally for reptiles or plants. Therefore, an aquarium is waterproof, while a terrarium can have a drain or holes to circulate air.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to tell the difference.
What Are Aquariums And Terrariums Used For?
The differences are built into the words.
They both come from Latin:
- “Aqua” means water
- “Terra” means land.
So as you can see, aquariums are meant for water creatures while a terrarium is meant for creatures that will live on land.
As mentioned above, an aquarium is made for fish and water creatures. This means we are talking about a sealed environment where the water is 100% contained inside the aquarium.
We don’t want the water to be leaking out of the aquarium which this why we need to make sure the thing is built for holding water.
Terrariums, on the other hand, are not built to contain water.
Terrariums typically contain plants and reptiles, such as snakes and scorpions, so they don’t need to be waterproof. We might even want them not to be waterproof so we can circulate air through the system from the bottom and top.
However, there are several reptiles that you can keep inside the dry aquarium. We will get back to this in the second.
Can I Keep Reptiles In A Dry Aquarium?
I suspect you are asking these questions because you are wondering whether you can keep reptiles in a dry aquarium. The answer is that it depends.
One thing you need to pay close attention to, though, is the temperature inside. You cannot conclude that the temperature will be the same in the aquarium as in the terrarium next to it. This is because the glass walls of the aquarium are much thicker, so you can have different temperatures inside the aquarium.
So, if you keep snakes inside an aquarium, you must always watch the temperature closely.
You might experience colder temperatures in the aquarium and need a heat lamp to create the environment for the little creatures. Just watch it so the animals won’t get too cold (or warm, for that matter).
You need to consider the two things as different setups and monitor the temperature separately.
Let’s examine what you need to consider and which animals might do well in a drained aquarium.
Can SNAKES live in an aquarium?
Most snake breeds will do just fine in an aquarium if you do not sell it at the top of the air.
You probably want to have a lid on the aquarium that will keep the snakes inside while still being able to circulate air into the system.
As long as you get this in place there’s no problem why you shouldn’t be able to keep your snakes in an aquarium instead of a terrarium. Just remember to watch the temperature, as we mentioned above.
Snakes typically wanted around 85° Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius) during the day and a little colder at night. Monitor this closely, as the temperature will behave differently inside the aquarium.
Can LIZARDS live in an aquarium?
Just like snakes, most lizards, especially smaller lizards like geckos, can live well in a drained aquarium.
Just remember that terrestrial lizards should always live in a horizontal environment, while arboreal (animals that naturally live in trees) species will thrive in a vertical space.
So, you might need to tilt the aquarium on the side.
Can CHAMELEONS live in an aquarium?
Chameleons do not do well in an aquarium. They need much more airflow, so we will have to use a “Vivarium” here.
They can also be freaked out by all the reflections from the glass sides.
They require way more care and attention than your average lizard or snake that will just lay in the corner most of the day.
Can TURTLES live in an aquarium?
With the turtles, it’s actually hard to say whether they would do well in the more sealed environment. It mostly depends on their size and the breed.
In this case, you must ask the pet shop for advice.
Ensure you do not cram a rather big turtle into a small aquarium because these creatures need space to roam around.
Can I Turn A Terrarium Into An Aquarium?
This might not be such a good idea. The reason is that aquariums are built with a special silicone to keep the water inside.
The silicone material is really important in order to seal the glass surfaces together around the edges and corners. But what matters here is not whether you can get it sealed well enough. The problems arise with the types of silicone you can use.
The type of silicone you will normally get from a store should not be used to seal the terrarium.
This is because it will contain toxic things that are bad for the fish and they will leave the water toxic to most water creatures as well. So you really need the thing that was built as an aquarium because you will probably not be able to turn the terrarium into a watertight thing.
At least without ending up with a poisonous environment for the little ones.
5 Differences Between Aquariums & Terrariums
1) Aquariums have stronger glass
Aquariums are built much more strongly because they should be able to contain a whole lot of water. This means that they have thicker glass walls in order for them not to break when the water pressure rises.
They are also built differently, with silicone sealing around the edges and corners.
You will probably be unable to tell whether these silicon lines are waterproof, so you might need to fill them with water to find out.
2) Aquariums are typically taller
Aquariums tend to be a little taller than terrariums.
But you will probably be able to find aquariums that are lower too. Just make sure that you end up with a terrarium that’s big enough for the reptiles. The snake will typically need to space that is twice as long as its own body length.
Most other reptiles are much smaller and will do better in a smaller environment.
3) Terrariums are lighter
Because terrariums are not built to hold the pressure off the water, they are made from thin glass. This also means that they are a lot lighter and easier to move around.
So, if you want to move the thing occasionally, getting a terrarium is probably better because it’s not as heavy.
4) Terrariums will often open to the front
Terrariums will often have a door or lid to the front so you can access the animal more easily. While an aquarium will never have the ability to open toward the front.
So you need to think about how easy or difficult it will be to feed and nurture the creatures daily.
Remember, you need to clean the place often, and you will also need to supply the animal with food and water. So it’s probably a lot easier to do this from the side if we talk about reptiles (or plants).
5) Only aquariums are waterproof
As we mentioned in the beginning, the main difference between a terrarium and an aquarium is the ability to hold water. If you are still unsure whether you are holding an aquarium or a terrarium, you can try to fill the thing with water.
You will instantly know whether this is a terrarium or an aquarium. If the water is dripping out, it’s not an aquarium – at least not a very good one 😉