Habitat - Indoor :: if you cant afford the time or money for an aqaurium

[musicalturtles]

like me, im having problems finding a tank that i can buy. on my bathroom sink counter, the biggest thatll fit is 30 gall. or 30 gall long. but i have 2 4 inch RES that have thus far lived in a very very small container (the biggest ver. of those little plastic containers they come in.)

[steve]

You need to make a sacrifice somewhere if you are determined to keep these turtles. A bathroom in no the best place to the keep them.. is there not other place you can use?

[musicalturtles]

where do people usually put them?
i used the bathroom counter because there was space and it was a place i went all the time (obviously). most of my rooms are carpeted with VERY fluffy material. and we rent the place so we cant mess anything or change anything. ... another reason why i cant make a pond.
by sacrifice, what do you mean?

[megcornell]

If you had a dog you wouldn't expect it to stay inside all the time because everyone knows that dogs need exercise outside. Likewise, turtles have needs that must be met and you need to make some changes to meet their needs, or consider putting them up for adoption if you cannot make the necessary adjustments.
I too live in an apartment and I have no problem keeping an aquarium. If you're not sure about a sturdy stand, keep the tank on the floor. If you can't afford an aquarium buy a stock tank or a rubbermaid container (be sure to reinforce the rubbermaid because water pressure is heavy on it). Before you plan out a new set up look on the main site at the needs of a turtle. It is suggested that you provide 10 GALLONS PER INCH OF TURTLE. Especially if you are housing turtles together they need ample room to lessen the chances of aggression.

It's pretty simple, turtles are more demanding pets than many people think when they first purchase them. They need a large swimming tank, adequate filtration, heaters, and basking areas/lights. If you haven't been providing these things you need to consider what you can or are willing to do to change your turtles' setup. Two four inch turtles simply cannot live in a 30 gallon tank. Not only will the tank be gross, but the turtles will become ill and be under stress.

[musicalturtles]

i know that. but for now, theyre 4 inches and they seem pretty small. ive never had a problem with them. till now that i read that they needed 1 gall per inch. i just let them out during the day in the summer. and brought them back inside at night. hmmmmmm................ where do people put their turtles? living room? bed room? bathroom? i have no basement.

[Josie1023]

You can put your turtle in a living room, dining room or a bedroom but I have never heard of people putting them in their bathrooms, enless you have a huge bathroom.... If you can, put them in a low activity room. But if you cant do that then put them anywhere you have room for a tank or rubbermaid container. My tank is in my living room since I live in an apartment.

[megcornell]

4 inches is smaller than full grown but still requires more space than what you've provided. As Josie said, people put tanks wherever they fit and preferably in quieter rooms although many people keep turtles happily in louder rooms like living rooms. I keep my turtle in my bedroom because that's where I had room and it was nice and quiet.
Once you have a good set up turtle keeping really isn't labor or money intensive, maintenance costs are minimal at best and all the tank requires is a monthly cleaning and some partial water changes. Set ups are expensive, but they're well worth it so buy the largest one you can so you don't have to upgrade as much in the future.
And, I was quite serious about thinking about whether you can commit to giving your turtles a better habitat. Up to know you've been lucky that they haven't become aggressive or ill but without changing their set up your luck won't continue. So you need to be a responsible pet owner and think of what's best for your turtles since they can't represent themselves. There are adoption places around or you could always post on here about finding a home for them if that's what you decide to do.

[Jagz64]

Hi Mate

@musicalturtles:

You are in the same place as me mate.

I have a 4-5inc RES in which where ever i look i can't find a 50Gal to 90Gal
which i can afford.

I have looked all over and different places in the UK but can't seem to find
squat.

You lot in the US are very luck as you can pick up 50Gal+ at a cheap price
were as here in the UK you are look @ UK-£300+ US-$619 just for a 50Gal

Its very insane that we U.K People get ripped off left-right and center.

I'm hoping to by a preformed pond or a wine barrel which is about 50Gal's
and cost me less then £100.

Just waiting for this month's pay then me going to get his kit.

Please also note i had never had any knowledge of how to keep a RES and
the RES i got was given to me by my mate who never knew anythink.

right now this site has helped me and provided me all the information i required.

A Big Thank You To The Main People @ RedEarSliders.Com

Regards, Jagz

[marisa]

musicalturtle, look at my response to your other post.

[musicalturtles]

thank you guys! I've really been thinking a lot lately. and as megcornell suggested, i have been very irresponsible. But it was for lack of knowledge. I know its not an excuse but really. I'm only 15, my budget is limited and at the time i got them (9) my parents thought turtles would die in a year. How wrong that was

[Josie1023]

Thats understandable, at least you want to make a change now so your on the right track.

[musicalturtles]

><" thank you all for all the help! the next day im open (very busy person) i will go out and about to go find a stock tank (since it seems to best fit my needs).

[musicalturtles]

ugh... i need to find a place to put them, right now theyre outside, which is fine because i live in socal. but i cant get a filter for them cuz i need an electric outlet

[ZombieTurtle]

i keep mine in my room on top of my dresser(this will be changing when i get a bigger tank soon, for it will probably to heavy for the dresser, but will remain in my room) the intial setup isnt even that costly compared to other pets maintance fees. for a dog you need to take it to the vet to get shots and take it to get haircuts and all this stuff. plus the price of the dog is expensive. some people pay more just for the dog than the whole turtle setup and then on top of that pay for vet/etc. even if for right now you cant give the turtle 10 gallons for every inch at least give it something decent until you can give it the right setup (better sooner rather than later).
if nothing else go buy rubbermaid for the $20 bucks or whatever and clear out a spot for it to fit on the floor of your bedroom. clamp the 2 required lights that are needed (uvb + basking lamp(reg light bulb)) and hopefully a filter (but if not have fun changing the water probably constantly).

[ellman605]

If you can't provide the essentials for the turtles, you might need to reconsider.

A stock tank is definitely the best way to go.