Habitat - Indoor :: how can i make a 10 gallon the most efficient?

[LeslieMW]

so unfortunely my dorm only allows 10 gallon tanks, so sadly they will be stuck in their own 10 gallon tanks for a little too long.

so i'm doing the best i can (until i move into an apartment off campus) to make their tanks the most effecient that i can for them.

i'm already in the process of making a sort-of above tank basking area. (filling the tank all the way up and making a barrier around the top of the tank so they can't escape..i'll post pics when i'm done)

i've taken all bulky decorations out,..but i'm wondering if i should get one of those out of tank canister filters for a ten gallon lol.

think it is worth it? it's only a little extra swimming room?

i found one,
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=16742



any idea's on how i can make a 10 gallon most comfortable for a turtle? i'd say at the most they would grow to be 3 1/2 inches while still being stuck in the tank.


i mean cosmo is 2 inches and the 10 gallon still looks pretty spacious to me, but i want to make sure they are happy!

[spaceapple]

My college apartments only allow 10 gallon tanks too...I thought I was the only with this dilemma. ^_^ I got lots of compliments when I posted pictures of my redesigned tank with sand a little while back. Oh, wait...you commented on that post! I never looked closely enough at your profile pic to notice that Cosmo was a YBS, duh!

Anyway, that mini canister filter does look pretty cool. I'm kind of wondering how well it works though. What kind of filters are you using right now? (You have them in two separate tanks, right?) I use the crappy Reptofilter, and it works ok. It's not amazing or anything, but it's functional. As you saw in my pictures, I sacrificed swimming space for hiding places. Since I keep my two turtles together, they like to have some privacy, not having to look at each other all the time.

[LeslieMW]

lol yea they have their own tanks. and i use the reptofilter too haha.

i just don't see why places don't allow bigger aquariums. i mean i understand anything bigger than a 50 gallon is too big..but seriously..what's a 20-30 gallon gonna do? hahaa

[MoreBloodWine]

That filter looks fine, I got one similar to that to replace the one stage fluval I have now. Right now the fluval only has a sponge in it but with a filer like that you got the added benefor of the media rings for beneficial bacteria to grow and then the carbon bags for amonia handling etc.

[untsmurf]

I think the best way to make a 10 gallon the most efficient is to take out all decorations, leave a small layer of sand on the bottom with one or two fake plants. Then have a floating basking spot and raise the water level all the way up. You can get some eggcrate and make a cover for the top. This is what I did, I used to egg crate to make a box, then placed it on top of the tank. This way the lights can shine through, you can fill the tank all the way, and nobody can escape.

[spaceapple]

lol yea they have their own tanks. and i use the reptofilter too haha.

i just don't see why places don't allow bigger aquariums. i mean i understand anything bigger than a 50 gallon is too big..but seriously..what's a 20-30 gallon gonna do? hahaa

Make a bigger mess if something happens to it? Sand and turtles and 30 gallons of salmonella-flavored water all over the floor! Yay...

[steve]

What if you were to bring in a 30 or 40 gallon plastic container. That doesn't qualify as an aquarium, does it ?

[LeslieMW]

hahah steve i was thinking of that.

but then again, i'm also smuggling a hedgehog in my dorm, so the less to piss of the RA's the better! hah.

i mean i possibly could keep plastic tub in my bathroom under the sink...then drag it into the shower if there is a room check hahah.

what are room checks in dorms like anyways? i have a single room with my own bathroom, i mean do they search through your room looking for things? or do they just pop in to make sure nothing bad is going on?

[untsmurf]

They cannot legally look through your things. So as long as you hang a sheet over your bed, they can't look under it. You can also put it in the base of your closet and just close the door whenever a room check is going on. If they go through your things (open doors, pick up blankets, etc.) it's illegal search and seizure. You only get in trouble for things that are in plain site.

[steve]

When I was in a dorm, I was never inspected and I never even met the RA

[LeslieMW]

ooh alright awesome. the dorms have those beds that you can raise up really high so you can fit storage underneath, so maybe i'll just keep all my animals under there and make some sort of curtain to hide it all. i'm sure i'll be able to sneak a 30 gallon tub hahah.

hahaah i'll be starting a zoo underneath my bed!

[Reel Girl]

What if you were to bring in a 30 or 40 gallon plastic container. That doesn't qualify as an aquarium, does it ?

Totally my thinking, too!

Also, how many people know, just by looking, the diff between a 10 gal & the 29 gal tank available at the Petco & Petsmart??