Then I realized how not cheap they would become I made several of the newbie mistakes listed in the beginners section, such as wrong type of tank, wrong type of filter, etc. I spent $350 at the local pet store because that's what they told me I needed. Thankfully I found this site! I returned most of the junk I bought and upgraded to a proper filter, proper tank, and proper diet. My 2 little 1 1/2 turtles are swimming pretty in 45 gallon tank now, for now
I look forward to learning more and meeting some fellow happy RES owners 
