Habitat - Indoor :: Newbie has questions about habitat!!!!!

[bently11]

I'm new to this forum and I realized that I need to get a better setup. I have a bad UV light (ESU slimline) and only a 10 gallon tank with a basking light. In October, one of my turtles George, died because my turtle Bently, which is thriving to this day, became more dominant. I was wondering if I could use these items for my setup:

-100 gallon stock tank
-Reptisun 5 UV light

Is that ok? Also, for a basking spot, can I just use a jumbo floating dock or something? Will the floating docks you can buy at petstores be able to stick to this stock tank: http://www.thegreathardwarestore.com/10 ... 776385.htm?

What are the temps supposed to be in the tank? Water temp and basking temp. What kind of thermometer should I use to take them? Temp gun, stick on, digital w/probe????

What filter should I use? Is there a filter that's really strong and can keep a 100 gallon stock tank clean for a long time?

Sorry this question is about feeding but can I feed Bently Tetra Fauna Reptomini pellets, collard greens, and occasional hornworms (leftover from my bearded dragon)? Does anything need to be dusted w/calcium or multivitamins?

Thank you so much to whoever answers! Sorry for all the questions but I'm afraid Bently will die!

[mat012]

There was a recent thread on filters - folks seem to like the Fluval FX5 for large set ups. I have an Eheim and so does Bean. You may want to check out his recent post on building an indoor set up. He also used a stock tank and has a great deal of detail about how he set it up.

I have a thermometer with a digital probe. Others use the temp gun. I think it is up to you. As long as the turtle doesnt bother the probe you should be fine. I have a stick on above the dock to measure dock temps.

You can use a cuttle bone for calcium. My turt loves it. Again there are nice discussions about how to "peal" here and in the nutrition section of the site. i dont dust with calcium because I have a cuttlebone available.

Sorry to hear about George. Bentley will be fine. Especially if the death was caused by "bulling". You are on the right track.

[octpusgirl8]

Well for starters, if you haven't already, read all of the habitat and feeding info on www.redearslider.com. A 100 gal stock tank would be wonderful for your turtle. As far as a basking light goes, you should really look into getting a mercury vapor bulb. They provide both heat and UVB, so you don't need two separate lamps, and turtles really seem to prefer basking under them. When i got one my turtle went from basking 1 or 2 hours a day to 4 or 5.

For the basking area, you're going to have to be a little creative, since suction cups probably won't stick to the sides of the stock tank. PVC pipe is frequently used to make basking platforms, check out the habitat gallery for some ideas. A digital probe thermometer is great for checking the water temps, but they're not the best for checking the basking temp. A temp gun is best for that. Water temp should be somewhere around 75 for an adult turtle, and the basking area ahould be around 85-90. You might need to play around with the temp of the basking area to find out what your turtle prefers.

A Fluval FX5 would be great for a 100 gallon tank, but there are plenty of other high quality canister filters that would work as well. Do a little online browsing to see what your options are. Good filters can be expensive, but trust me, it's worth every penny!

For the feeding, how big is Bently? If he's over 4", you hsould switch him over to the adult formula of reptomin, and feed them every other day, about the amount that would fit inside his head. If he's still a little guy, he can get a head's worth of the baby pellets every day. Greens and veggies should be given every day, try to get a wide varitety. On the main site there's a great page that shows what veggies are good to feed and how often. Worms should just be an occasional treat; i'm not sure about the nutritional content of hornworms so i can't say too much about that.

I'm sure you still have lots of questions, a lot of the answers are on the main site, but we're always here to help

[imderanged]

I had problems with the reptisun 5.0 if you are talking about the compact fluorecent. For a 100 gal set up, I would sugest a Mercury Vapor Bulb. I made the switch and my little guy is basking more than before. I also have the Fluval FX5 on a 75 gallon tank, and I love it, but I never had another large canister, so I don't have much to compare it to. I have one of those little temp guns and they are a great tool. I use it not just for my turtle, but all my herps.

[bently11]

Bently is about 3 and 1/2 inches long, not quite a year old yet. The MVB sounds great! They are expensive though. I have a bearded dragon and I am a member of beardeddragon.org so I know all about UV bulbs and MVBs. However, would you have to hang the MVB up? MVBs generate a lot of heat so if it's only supposed to be 85ish...

Can I use of those glass stick on thermometers that are meant for fish tanks for Bently's water?

[TheComputerGremlin]

The basking area should be 90-95, depending on your turtle, some like it a little hotter, some a little cooler. You would want to hang it so it is directly overtop of the basking area and not at an angle. I think it's recommended to be like 12 inches away from the basking area? But I'd check the temps to make sure it's okay.

In the stock tank, you won't be able to stick anything on. A digital probe thermometer would probably be best, get one that's metal so that he can't chew on it and I think you can find those in the fish/reptile section of the pet store.