Habitat - Indoor :: stock tank and filter query

[marsspyder]

larry is getting ready for his big move into his new stock tank.(hes got a suitcase in one hand and his alge eater in the other ) its bigger than my bathtub! im a bit concerned that he wont know what to do in there because hes been in a clear 50 gal rubbermaid for over a year and likes to watch me, my sister, etc, playing on the computer. he wont be able to see us anymore!

i bought a pond filter thats rated for 200 gallons, is this enough for a 100 gal stock tank? the ratio was 2:1 for turtles i believe, and how well do they work with turtle debris?

im fixing to make his new basking area out of pvc pipe with one of those black rubber mats door mats(the ones with the holes in them). i also plan to fashion some sort of plexiglass "walls" around it, so he can climb up there and see whats going on in human-world.

i may be more excited about this than he is...

[megcornell]

Lucky Larry! I don't know much about pond filters, but with one turtle that should be fine for filtration. For the basking area, does the actual basking platform that Larry would bask on have holes in it? I'm just thinking that wouldn't allow his shell to completely dry, which can lead to problems, so you may want to revamp that if I understood the description correctly.
Other than that it sounds great, I'd be excited too about decorating it and seeing how happy it will make Larry

[marsspyder]

the door mat does have holes in it. theyre about an inch in diameter and they go all across it. hes(well hes really a she named larry) like 6-7 inches long so there isnt a problem of falling through).

the only other major problem is where to put his tank. i may have to do some serious cleaning and de-junking of my room so i have enough space for his new tank...

[megcornell]

No, I wasn't thinking he'd fall through, but can water go through the holes and keep the bottom of the shell wet? If so, you'll need to use something solid so that the shell can COMPLETELY dry off.

[marisa]

Sounds like a nice new home for Larry. What filter did you buy?

[marsspyder]

the platform would be up out of the water at least 2 inches, with a ramp so there is easy access. the pvc tubing should be structurally sound enough to support the mat and the turtle up and out of the water. the holes are for drainage purposes to allow air up under her belly, thus allowing complete drying...i will have to monitor temps closely to make sure it doesnt get to hot on the black matting tho, maybe cover it in astro-turf with the holes cut out, for traction and turtle-foot comfort against hot black rubber/plastic.

would a ramp made from a wire closet rack covered in matting and/or astroturf be able to support a turtle? i know it will support a fully grown overweight house cat, who likes to sit on it and watch the turtle swim...thats what ive been keeping over the top of the rubbermaid bin, i have 2, tied together with hose clamps and anchored to the tank on one side with c-clamps(made a great lid, with a hinge in the middle, i plan to do something similar over the stock tank, but will have to work out details...

the filter is rated for 200 gallons, i believe its a biological filter. i cant remember the brand name off the top of my head. they had one rated for 700 gal, but i thought that might be overkill...so i went with the smaller one.