Habitat - Indoor :: 10Gal Tank

[jeffreys-res]

Hey As I mentioned in my intro in another section of this board, I'm soon to own 2 baby RES. I placed an order a few day's ago. Looking forward to having them in my household sometime this week.

I do have a question.. I only have a 10Gal glass tank. What are some basic stuff I need to get my turtle tank setup? Should I let water sit without filter for a few days before adding them? get a bubble filter? etc ... I must mention this time of year is not good with money for me.


tyia

[jenaero]

I would suggest spending a few extra dollars and going for a 20gal long (it's shorter and wider than a standard 20gal tank). It's still going to be less than ideal for space, but it'll do for a bit.

1) a good filter, which someone else can recommend because I've had no luck with internal filters.

2) a basking dock (I like the Zoo Med turtle dock)

3) Heat lamp and uvb bulb, or a combination uva/uvb lamp

4) NO GRAVEL! If you'd like to use something on the bottom of the tank, buy some river rocks at the dollar store

5) Two thermometers, one for the water, one for the basking spot

6) possibly a water heater, depending on how warm it is in your house

7) Plants for them to rest on

8 ) Water conditioner, anything suitable for fish is fine. That way, you don't have to let the water sit out for any length of time.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.....but that's a good start.

I just realized you'd said you already have a 10gal. Make upgrading a priority, saving whatever spare cash you can

Good luck

[megcornell]

It's great you're researching before getting the RES, that will hopefully save you a lot of money and frustration.
A 10 gallon is fine for one hatchling, but it's not so great for two. May I ask why you're getting two? If you do a search on the forum you'll see a lot of the common problems people with two turtles encounter- mostly aggression issues and set up issues. Two turtles means twice the space and money... and may mean twice the set ups. RES can be a pretty aggressive breed of turtle and if they're cramped or just don't get along, they'll need to be separated. So if you were planning on getting two turtles to keep each other company, don't worry about that, RES are solitary and would much rather have the space to themselves
As for necessities-- everything Jenaero listed is right, the only thing to remember is when buying a filter to buy one that is rated for a larger tank than your own (so for your 10gal, you'd want a filter rated for a 30gal). Take a look at the actual websites for good info on feeding and set up tips.
Good Luck!

[jeffreys-res]

Thanks for all the tips, I'm writing everything down in a notepad.

I would suggest spending a few extra dollars and going for a 20gal long (it's shorter and wider than a standard 20gal tank). It's still going to be less than ideal for space, but it'll do for a bit.

1) a good filter, which someone else can recommend because I've had no luck with internal filters.

2) a basking dock (I like the Zoo Med turtle dock)

3) Heat lamp and uvb bulb, or a combination uva/uvb lamp

4) NO GRAVEL! If you'd like to use something on the bottom of the tank, buy some river rocks at the dollar store

5) Two thermometers, one for the water, one for the basking spot

6) possibly a water heater, depending on how warm it is in your house

7) Plants for them to rest on

8 ) Water conditioner, anything suitable for fish is fine. That way, you don't have to let the water sit out for any length of time.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.....but that's a good start.

I just realized you'd said you already have a 10gal. Make upgrading a priority, saving whatever spare cash you can

Good luck

[jeffreys-res]

Megcornell Thanks for the advice on having and keeping two turtles. I will have to reconsider somethings.

It's great you're researching before getting the RES, that will hopefully save you a lot of money and frustration.
A 10 gallon is fine for one hatchling, but it's not so great for two. May I ask why you're getting two? If you do a search on the forum you'll see a lot of the common problems people with two turtles encounter- mostly aggression issues and set up issues. Two turtles means twice the space and money... and may mean twice the set ups. RES can be a pretty aggressive breed of turtle and if they're cramped or just don't get along, they'll need to be separated. So if you were planning on getting two turtles to keep each other company, don't worry about that, RES are solitary and would much rather have the space to themselves
As for necessities-- everything Jenaero listed is right, the only thing to remember is when buying a filter to buy one that is rated for a larger tank than your own (so for your 10gal, you'd want a filter rated for a 30gal). Take a look at the actual websites for good info on feeding and set up tips.
Good Luck!

[industrial_girl_2000]

Just be prepared that the most expensive thing on that list will be the UVB bulb, so be prepared. For a 20-gallon tank, you won't be able to get the all-in-one "MVB" bulbs which have both UVB and UVA. UVB is the deep-penetrating UV rays that help a turtle absorb calcium & regulates mood.

Oh yeah, and for a UVA bulb, you can just use a regular household bulb. UVA is a lamp that delivers heat only so you don't have to spend premium prices at the pet store to get a heat bulb.

[jeffreys-res]

thanks industrial_girl I'll keep that in mind and I won't forget to post some pics of my new babies. Tomorrow they should be home

[untsmurf]

This might be a long time in the future, but you also want to prepare yourself, one day (if they can still be housed together) they will need at 150-250 gallon tank depending on their sizes. Also, as they are growing up together, watch for signs of aggression. If this occurs you will have to separate them and give each of them their own tank (which will eventually need to be at least 100 gallons each).