Habitat - Indoor :: Two babies - birthday surprise for toddler!

[jason32835]

Everyone cringing??

Yep, my 4 year old got two 1" RES babies for his birthday.. Gulp. We got them on Sunday, so far I went and got a 10 gal tank and propped some pavers up to make a basking area. I put a 60 watt light on it and sure enough they are basking, leg up and everything (very cute).

Here is the problem.. my wife is about to go on maternaty leave and we are pretty much strapped for cash. I really want to try and keep the turtles, as my son "loves them" and he will be heart broken if they go live in a nearby pond. He named them Timmy and Timmy..

So, I want to try and give them a home on a budget! Here is what I was thinking... to get me by for a year maybe???

Tank = Going to try and keep them in the 10 gallon for awhile. If I fill it all they way up, they should be ok for a year?? Maybe??

Basking area = I was thinking about a nice dead branch that I could de-bark and scrub. They sure seem to like those in the wild.

Warming Light = I have a regular bulb on them now that they seem to like.

UVB = I guess I'll have to break down and buy one of these..

Heater = We are in Florida and keep that house around 84 - 79.. I don't think we need a heater until Winter.

Filter = I was going to go to Walmart and see if they have a dirt cheap one that would work. Maybe this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Regent-For-5- ... t/10313136 I realize this will be useless when they go to a bigger tank. The other idea was a DIY that I could then upgrade as they grow. If I just had a pump, the rest seems cheapo..
Going to need something soon, as their water looks like chicken soup after 4 days.. I'm not cleanging the take every week dangit..

Any suggestions for a home for babies on the super cheap?? I'll post pics when I get something half way respectable set up.. Just looking to stall a year and then start upgrading.

Spent so far $13.00 for the 10gal, Budget = $50.00 (for awhile)

[CaseFam]

craigslist may be your best bet, there are usually folks getting rid of entire setups for cheap.

though only a short term solution, check this ad out:

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/for/1719555962.html

food, filter, lighting, dock, everything to get ya started for $35.

[Outlander]

Each turtle is probably going to go almost 3 inches in the first year, so a 10 gal will definitely be too small. Rubbermaid containers are a super cheap (just not pretty) way to house them. Otherwise craiglist has great deals on lots of stuff. Have you read the basic care section on habitats?

[BullDog]

Welcome!
Pets sure make an unpleasant surprise for the kids bday, don't they? Especially since it's the parents that have to take care of them!

Ok, sorry to say, but your 10g is already too small for the two of them. In a year, it'll be really cramped.
Your cheapest option tank wise is a large rubbermaid type storage bin. These come in up to 50 gallons, and are usually $15 or under. You might even have a big one laying around somewhere. Just be aware that they are not meant to hold water, so you'll want to brace the sides somehow.
Also, keep an eye on your local craigslist, kijiji, classifieds, whatever. Sometimes you can pick up a big tank for dirty cheap.

Basking area, driftwood is good. You don't want to use live wood that you cut off a tree, because it will just rot in the water. You also won't want to use a piece of wood you find on the forest floor, since it will have already have started to decompose, and will have all kinds of microbes in it.
You'll want to find a piece of seasoned driftwood at a local beach. There are varying ways to treat it. First, as you mentioned, give it a good scrub with a stiff brush to get off any loose stuff. If it's small enough, you can boil it in a big pot. This not only kills any nasties that might be in it, but it'll also get rid of a lot of the tannins. If it's too big for a pot, you can bake it, or pour boiling water over it.
Another option for a basking area is to use pvc pipes and/or egg crate. Both these options are cheap, and there are lots of ideas on how to build a basking area around the site.

Heat lamp - that 60W bulb will be just fine.
UVB - yes, the UVB will be necessary for good shell health. They usually run $15-20, but it'll last you about a year.

Heater - as long as the water stays around 78-80F, you should be fine without a heater for a while.

Filter - Everything I've heard about walmart filters is that they suck. You really don't want to skimp on the filter, since it can make your life a lot easier. And I'm afraid if you stick with the 10g, even with a filter you're going to have to do at least a partial water change once a week. That's just how it is with small tanks. With a bigger tank (or storage bin), you might be able to get away with partial water changes every two weeks, but you'll have to see.
I don't know too much about filters in that small size, but I had an aquaclear once, which always seemed to get the job done. You'll want *at least* the aquaclear 30.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... =fish_fc2b

I've also got an Aqueon Quietflo 10 in my 10g fish tank, and I'm happy with that.

Whatever filter you go with, you'll want to make sure it's at least 3x the gph your tank. So for your little 10g, you'll want something at least 30gph, and with 2 turtles, that's going to have a hard time keeping up. The more filtration the better.

Another thing to put on your list is a thermometer. You can get one for pretty cheap though. I found one at the dollar store for $1 recently, and it seems accurate enough.

Sorry for the long post, but there is a lot to turtle keeping.
And if you end up finding you can't keep one or both, please don't release it into the wild. Try to re-home it or find a shelter for it. Maybe the person who gave them to your son would like one

[jason32835]

Wow! Thanks for the great feed back. I can tell how passionate everyone is about their turtles and it really makes me want to do right by these little buggers.

- I have been reading the care details on the main page. But, I have a few questions.

Ok, so they will grow by 3" in the first year, or total size will be 3"? How big are they going to get in 3 years? I wish I could find a home for one of them, but no.. Grandma isn't going to take one. They sell them at our local Asian market.. so they are easy to come by. Plus, my son won't understand why one of them has to go.. Anyway..

So if I am going to look for a tank, lets say we go on the 3 year plan. How big will they be in 3 years? Could I get away with a 50 gal tank for 3 years?? I mean, I see some people have 90 gal tanks half way full, couldn't I use a 50 gal tank full near to the top? Maybe build a basking box on the top?

[marisa]

Do look into a Rubbermaid or Sterilite storage container for a temporary solution. They're not meant to hold water, so they will bow out if filled more than half way, but the sides can be braced for support.

If you are considering an Aquaclear filter for that 10 gallon, don't go less than an Aquaclear 50. This is what I used with one small hatchling. Anything less than that is a waste.

Each will probably have a shell length of between 3 - 4 inches by the time they're a year old. They're prime growing years are the first 3 years, so you could be looking at nearly a doubling of that. Unfortunately some people do keep more than 1 RES in a 50-gallon tank, however, as they grow, if space is inadequate, the chance of bullying and further aggression increases. If that does happen, they may need to be separated.

Keep an eye on your local classifieds for possible bargains for tanks and equipment.

[brandonsdad02]

Bulldog.....can a person do anything to cork bark to stop it from turning the water brown? I have had mine for about 2 months now and it is still turning the water brownish.

[jason32835]

I took my son to Petsmart tonight just to check some prices. We ended up getting a floating turtle dock, as I just couldn't figure out how to rig one up. We also got some water treatment drops. Seems like those should last awhile anyway.

Cleaned the tank, filled it all the way to the top and installed the dock. Turtle babies seem pleased. They are already starting to bask, however if I even peak in the room they freak and go swimming.. so I'm trying to leave them alone.



I know this isn't a permanent solution, but a big improvement..

[sull324]

Your setup look excellent and do not worry about leaving them alone,eventually they will stop freaking out. Completely ignore them when you enter the room and eventually they wont mind basking in front of peoples.

[theartbook35]

Is that a regular ultra-violet bulb (UVB), or a mercury vapor bulb (MVB)? I just want to make sure. MVB can't be used for tanks smaller than 50 gallons, but most pet stores I've been to, do actually make it a point to mention that. In addition to the UVB you need to have a heat emitting bulb, preferably a ceramic heat emitter, but you can also an infrared heat emitter, which can been turned off at night if you have a water heater.

There are fairly cheap water heaters on http://www.petdiscounters.com , as well as heat emitters and other interesting things. They sell a food there called RepCal, too, which I give to all three of my turtles. It provides a lot of calcium, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin A.

[jason32835]

It is a regular old 60w bulb for now. I am going to get some kind of UVB for them this weekend. I like this one:

http://www.petco.com/product/108454/Zil ... erralID=NA

On the top of my list to get are the UVB light and a filter.. they poop constantly.

The dock was a great purchase.. they seem to love it.

I don't think we need a heater here in Florida this time of year, but I'll get one before winter time.

[theartbook35]

This time of year, the water will most likely heat to room temperature, maybe a few degrees below.

However, just to warn you, if the water temperatures change too much too often, one of, or both of your turtles can get a respiratory infection. Respiratory infections are deadly.

I use a Rena smart heater for mine, and it was 35 dollars from an independent pet retailer. I have seen glass ones for cheaper prices. I like the smart heater because it doesn't get hot to touch when it's on, and tells you when the water is just right, too hot or too cold. A heater will help to keep the temperature more constant.

Hatchlings are very fragile to changes in their environment.

[jason32835]

Ok Ok.. I'll put a heater on the list. Did I mention I was a cheap skate??

[jason32835]

This weekend I built a DIY filter for Timmy and Timmy.. Water is clearing up! Here is a link to the design case anyone is interested.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... 965#256965

I think their quality of life is stabilizing.. I still need a UVB bulb... Hard to figure an economic way to handle that.