Tortoise for a 36 x 18 x 18 tank?

fishyfriends876

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Hello! I am a newbie on tortoises.

I was wondering if any type of tortoise can live in a 36 x 18 x 18 tank for its life. It is Exo terra and has front opening doors.

I would love it if it could live there its whole life.

Anything would help. Thanks!
 

TechnoCheese

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There is no tortoise that can live in a tank that small. In fact, that’s the minimum for every hatchling I know of.
For anything common, you’ll preferably need at least 8x4 feet indoors or out.
 

Kim&Tim

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Hello! I am a newbie on tortoises.

I was wondering if any type of tortoise can live in a 36 x 18 x 18 tank for its life. It is Exo terra and has front opening doors.

I would love it if it could live there its whole life.

Anything would help. Thanks!

No, there isn't a tortoise that can live in such a tiny space for the rest of his life. He would have a horrible life in there. They need walking space, they need a cool and warm side, which is impossible in such a tiny space.
 
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LasTortugasNinja

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Not suitable for any shelled reptile. 36 * 18* 18 would work well for a lazy rosy boa, single leopard gecko or day gecko. A few anoles with plenty of hiding spaces. Active snake species like Kingsnakes or corn snakes would benefit from more room to climb and move. Too small for Ball Pythons even though they are very lazy snakes. They need to occasionally stretch out and can get up to 4ft long. Adult Bearded dragons need more space, and it's way too small for any monitor lizard, iguana, or tegu. Chameleons do better in mesh enclosures.
 

TechnoCheese

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Not suitable for any shelled reptile. 36 * 18* 18 would work well for a lazy rosy boa, single leopard gecko or day gecko. A few anoles with plenty of hiding spaces. Active snake species like Kingsnakes or corn snakes would benefit from more room to climb and move. Too small for Ball Pythons even though they are very lazy snakes. They need to occasionally stretch out and can get up to 4ft long. Adult Bearded dragons need more space, and it's way too small for any monitor lizard, iguana, or tegu. Chameleons do better in mesh enclosures.
Just to add to this, my general rule of thumb for snakes just to make it clearer for OP is to make sure that they can completely stretch out on one side.
 

NandoC68

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Hello! I am a newbie on tortoises.

I was wondering if any type of tortoise can live in a 36 x 18 x 18 tank for its life. It is Exo terra and has front opening doors.

I would love it if it could live there its whole life.

Anything would help. Thanks!
Not really tortoise's shouldn't be kept in anything they can see through cause they don't understand the concept of glass and will keep trying to walk through it cause they can see out and can't understand why they can't keep going forward and it's going to cause it stress
 

Pastel Tortie

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If the tank had solid glass on all sides instead of front opening doors, you could consider getting a small mud turtle or common musk turtle. The watertight issue is a deal breaker with that particular enclosure, though.
 

Tom

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Not really tortoise's shouldn't be kept in anything they can see through cause they don't understand the concept of glass and will keep trying to walk through it cause they can see out and can't understand why they can't keep going forward and it's going to cause it stress
This is false. This is an old and often parroted myth the has been perpetuated for years. I, and many other experienced keepers here, have been starting babes in glass tanks for decades and this problem you describe doesn't exist. I believe this myth start when someone put a wild caught tortoise into a small glass tank and the tortoise kept clawing at the sides trying to get back to its known home territory. The problem is not the glass, as the tortoise would do this same thing in a similarly size wooden tortoise table.

Please don't perpetuate incorrect old myths.
 

Tom

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A tank that small is definitely not recommended for any reptile
This is not true. There are many reptile species that could be comfortably housed in an enclosure that size. Not any tortoise species, but several lizard or snake species would be fine.
 

The Tortoise Tree

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This is not true. There are many reptile species that could be comfortably housed in an enclosure that size. Not any tortoise species, but several lizard or snake species would be fine.
But definitely not a tortoise!
 
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