Habitat - Indoor :: I'm new to turtles, so I have a couple of questions. =X

[Jennuhrrific]

So, I got my turtle a few days ago and he's very small. I currently have him in a 10 gallon tank and I'm aware that needs to be upgraded, but since I'm keeping him in it for the meantime, I figured I should get everything that's needed. I have a water heater, a floating dock to bask on and a heat lamp, however I still have a couple of questions.

-Should I be filling the water all the way to the top? Whenever my turtle goes for a swim, he tries to climb up the sides of the walls and I'm afraid he's going to drown or something. =X That's probably pretty dumb to think that but it worries me.

-What kind of filter is good for my aquarium since I've seen different types and I'm not really sure which works best.

-If I use sand on the bottom of the tank, how long should I wait before I replace it? Or can sand be reused?

-It's also been brought to my attention that I need a UVB bulb. Does it have to be in fluroscent light form? Or can I use one of these?

http://www.petco.com/product/108299/Zil ... SiteSearch

http://www.petco.com/product/13365/Zoo- ... SiteSearch

-If so, can these bulbs also be used as basking bulbs or would they not give off enough heat?

Any answers would be GREATLY appreciated as I'm completely new to turtles. I'm also looking around the forum for answers to these questions, however I figured it would be best to get these answers right away. I also have a couple of food questions, but I will post those in the other section. Thanks again. =)

[RR38]

So, I got my turtle a few days ago and he's very small. I currently have him in a 10 gallon tank and I'm aware that needs to be upgraded, but since I'm keeping him in it for the meantime, I figured I should get everything that's needed. I have a water heater, a floating dock to bask on and a heat lamp, however I still have a couple of questions.

-Should I be filling the water all the way to the top? Whenever my turtle goes for a swim, he tries to climb up the sides of the walls and I'm afraid he's going to drown or something. =X That's probably pretty dumb to think that but it worries me.
Thats not a dumb question at all. It is very possible for a turtle to drown. I havent used a dock in a long time, but when I did use them I filled it about 3/4 full. A good rule of thumb is dont make the water much deeper than your turtle is long.

-What kind of filter is good for my aquarium since I've seen different types and I'm not really sure which works best.
I use hang on the back filters myself. Others on here like canister filters.

-If I use sand on the bottom of the tank, how long should I wait before I replace it? Or can sand be reused?
I dont use sand, so someone else will have to answer this one.

-It's also been brought to my attention that I need a UVB bulb. Does it have to be in fluroscent light form? Or can I use one of these?

http://www.petco.com/product/108299/Zil ... SiteSearch

http://www.petco.com/product/13365/Zoo- ... SiteSearch

-If so, can these bulbs also be used as basking bulbs or would they not give off enough heat?
Yes you can use a compact bulb like you linked, I always say get the 5.0, becuase the 10.0 is made for desert speices. And you will still need a heat bulb. if you dont like having two fixtures you have two options. You could buy a mercury vapor bulb, but with your small tank I would advice against doing that, because MVBs throw out alot of heat. Maybe in the future when you upgrade to a larger tank a MVB would be a better optiopn. Your second option is zoo med has released a fixture that has two lamps in one. So you can have UVB on one side and heat on the other. They have also started releasing combo pack light bulbs that have both the UVB and heat in one pack.

Also you might wanna try looking at reptliedirect.com and reptilesupply.com. Both have great products and great prices.

Any answers would be GREATLY appreciated as I'm completely new to turtles. I'm also looking around the forum for answers to these questions, however I figured it would be best to get these answers right away. I also have a couple of food questions, but I will post those in the other section. Thanks again. =)

[coreyvht]

what he said or she lol

for the sand u can basically have it in there forever as long as it stays clean

[theartbook35]

Turtles like deep water (one of my hatchlings wasn't too fond of deep water at first, but the other was). If your hatchling seems like it is struggling, keep the tank half full, and slowly raise the water as the turtle gets used to it.

We usually put in resting spots, like tall plastic plants, driftwood laid on an angle, or turtle hammocks, etc...

[n00bEmpty]

So, I got my turtle a few days ago and he's very small. I currently have him in a 10 gallon tank and I'm aware that needs to be upgraded, but since I'm keeping him in it for the meantime, I figured I should get everything that's needed. I have a water heater, a floating dock to bask on and a heat lamp, however I still have a couple of questions.

-Should I be filling the water all the way to the top? Whenever my turtle goes for a swim, he tries to climb up the sides of the walls and I'm afraid he's going to drown or something. =X That's probably pretty dumb to think that but it worries me.
RES are great swimmers so they can swim. Does he swim on the walls, like just going up or does he look like he really struggles trying to swim?

-What kind of filter is good for my aquarium since I've seen different types and I'm not really sure which works best.
Depends. The best choice you can get is a canister filter, which is pretty pricey but for such a small tank then I would say that a hang on would be all right for now.

-If I use sand on the bottom of the tank, how long should I wait before I replace it? Or can sand be reused?
Sand is fine, never use gravel or small rocks. The best choices you can do is sand, large river rocks or bare bottom (no substrate). Sand can be used as long as you keep it clean. I personally use large river rocks now as it gives my turtles something challenging to dig in, push around and easier to clean.

-It's also been brought to my attention that I need a UVB bulb. Does it have to be in fluroscent light form? Or can I use one of these?

http://www.petco.com/product/108299/Zil ... SiteSearch

http://www.petco.com/product/13365/Zoo- ... SiteSearch
Those are fine, but I would suggestion a ReptiGlo 5.0 UVB as those listed above are mainly for desert animals such as lizards. If you don't want to get two bulbs then you can get a Mercury Vapor Bulb, which is an all in one solution. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... catid=7327. They're pretty pricey though but they don't need to be replaced as often.

-If so, can these bulbs also be used as basking bulbs or would they not give off enough heat?
Those bulbs do not generate enough heat for your turtles. They will give off the UV lights your turtle needs but not heat.

Any answers would be GREATLY appreciated as I'm completely new to turtles. I'm also looking around the forum for answers to these questions, however I figured it would be best to get these answers right away. I also have a couple of food questions, but I will post those in the other section. Thanks again. =)