General Care Discussion :: Tank upgrade on a budget

[MVB]

Hey all, it's been a little while.

Yesterday I cleaned my turtle tank and realized that, damn, the little guys have grown quickly. I got them in April at the size of dollar coins and now they're over two inches long, each. They're still in a 20 gallon plastic sweater box and they're fouling up their water pretty quickly.

The problem is, my financial situation is a little messed up right now. I'm looking to upgrade to a larger temporary habitat as cheaply as possible.

Can anyone suggest a place to purchase 50 gallon (or larger) tanks or tank alternatives that don't cost so much?

Thanks in advance,

- MVB

[ljapa]

Pet stores will run $1/gallon sales up to 55 gallon tanks about 4 times a year.

I picked up a tank and then a stand and another 55 gallon on Craigslist for another $50. $105 total. Checking my Chicago area Craigslist right now, I see a number of 55 plus stands for under $100.

I know some have used large Rubbermaid containers, but I'd be leery of doing so for 50+ gallons without confirming from others that the one you are looking at will work.

For a bit more money, people have used Rubbermaid stock tanks from farm supply stores. These are designed for feeding or watering livestock and can be found from 50 gallon to 300 gallon sizes. I do not know pricing, but it is supposed to be much more reasonable than a similarly sized aquarium.

[VeipaCray]

Large rubbermaid or similar brand bins from the hardware store definitely work. They are cheap but ugly. As you explore larger tanks.. be aware the filtration costs rise significantly. A FX5/FX6, large eheim, or pond filter will be on your shopping list in the near future.

ljapa> you can stock tanks up to 500 gallons. Here are some prices... http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/27 ... k2BcWSFSas

[MVB]

My wife is against the black stock-tubs and wants something clear, so as a temporary measure, I upgraded them to this; http://www.containerstore.com/shop/stor ... d=10010965 It's small and obviously not ideal. That's the larger version of what I was using before. The construction is the same, and they told me it would hold water at the store, but I'm a little worried about it holding.

I also purchased a zoo-med 511 canister filter for 75 gallon tanks, which I intend to run in conjunction with my old repto filter. Hopefully this will keep the water nice and clean for them whilst I hunt for a larger proper aquarium.

Being in NYC, it's difficult to find a suitable tank for the longterm, but I have it on authority that the Petco in NYC will be doing another dollar-per-gallon sale soon and offering a 60 gallon tank on it, so that's what I have my eye on.

[MVB]

Someone told me that it'd be OK to run two filters. Is it OK to run two heaters? I ask because they both seem to like sitting on the thing and occasionally wrestle it away from one another.

[ljapa]

Two heaters are fine. They'll just run less often but should use roughly the same electricity as one to heat the water.

[steve]

Keep your eye on craigslist. I snagged a 100 gallon tank w/stand a few years ago for $100. So I would say look around $1 per gallon in the 55-100 gallon used tank market as well.

[MVB]

Thanks Steve. I almost bought a 75 gal. from Craigslist for $200, but I came to my senses.

[steve]

Yea, you need to be very patient with craigslist.

[CactusJohn5]

Yea, you need to be very patient with craigslist.

ditto,

especially, if you are looking for a "clear" see through type.

[MVB]

I just upgraded them to a 55 gallon tank (at last). It's a good size for them right now, but it's not ideal as they're obviously still growing.

When I moved everything from their old set-up into the new tank, and set them in it, I noticed something weird. A load of black crap had appeared at the bottom of the tank. I think it may have come out of one of the filters. It's certainly turtle waste, but there's no way they could have produced it in the time they've been there. If it came out of the filter, I don't know how old it is or anything. I didn't have time to clean it out this morning.

So my big concern is that they're -eating- it.

[steve]

Was this a new filter? I can't see how its possible some large going though the filter.

[MVB]

Two filters, one tetra submersible, one zoo med cannister. Both were used in the previous habitat, I just switched them over to the new tank. The submersible has started making a whirring sound since the move. I've owned it for about a month, I guess it's possible that it's due a cleaning.

[MVB]

Ah, I see, I should probably replace the carbon in the canister.

Not sure what I can use or where to get it from... anyone?

[ljapa]

Was this black, stinky stuff in the bottom, under the sand?

You can get bacteria in deep substrate wher there is no oxygen. It will turn black and process sulphur, producing sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Perfectly normal, and harmless as long as you aren't disturbing it with something in the tank.