Habitat - Indoor :: HELP! I NEED HOMEMADE HELP WITH MY TANK!

[moldygrape]

I WANT TO MAKE A BETTER TANK FOR MY RES. I HAVE A 20 G LONG GLASS TANK I DONT HAVE A LID JUST THE OLD 10 G LID TAPED ON SIDEWAYS. NICE AND SAFE ... I HOPE! IM POOR AT THE MOMENT AND NEED TIPS ON MAKING A LID. I KNOW ALOT OF YOU GUYS DONT HAVE LIDS BUT I HAVE CATS AND THEY WOULD LOVE TO PLAY WITH MY TURTLE, BUT I DONT THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA SOOOOOOO I NEED HELP WITH A HOME MADE LID..... ANY IDEAS I HAVE WOOD, PLASTIC SCREEN FROM OLD WINDOW SCREENS I DONT KNOW HOW MUCH HEAT THOSE SUCKERS CAN WITHSTAND THO? HELP!!!!! yes her tank is a little dirty and the lid is madness... i know.

[joeybsmooth]

Sorry I can not give you any good tips on making a lid. Anything that I could suggest would cost you more than looking on http://craigslist.com/ for one. If you are as poor as I was a few weeks ago , one tacky thing could be to find a top that goes with a rubbermade and use that just cut it to size . Are just get a screen top . They are not really that much.

A few side types. You may want to give her some more water and talk the gravel out .

[Daniel3507]

take the gravel out and fill the water up as much as you can. start looking for a bigger tank cause that one is way to small. you can use egg crate as a lid and cut it to fit alot of people here including myself use it. also make sure you have a uvb light in addition to heat. also, whats the temp of your water? i didnt see a heater in it.

[robind]

You can get egg crate fluorescent light diffuser panels at home depot for about $10. They are easy to cut with a pair of side cutters or similar, and can be cut to fit your tank. Presto! Lid. It's what I have on my tank. I used the same material to construct an above tank basking area, as well.

[moldygrape]

the gravel i know is bad this is an old pic its gone the water level is at 3/4s but not too high because she likes to go on long walks. the temp is 73 right now, i have the room heated with body heat. i dont put the heater in until winter comes im in california so it hit 85deg today. what im i going to do with a rubber maid top and the light?

[joeybsmooth]

The egg crate is a much better way to go. You would come off spending just a little more and not look tacky, like my idea .

[moldygrape]

ok i dont know what that is but ill write it down and go to home depot 2marow with my measurements thanks i hope this will work and yes i will transfer my res into a big industrial water bin i think its 80g but right now i dont have the money for the filter i have the bin tho.

!!!!!!!!!THANKS TO EVERYONE I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON MY RESULTS!!!!!!!!!

[robind]

Moldygrape, if you don't have the money for a filter you might consider building your own. It's not as difficult as it may seem. Also, the panels only come in one size, so you'll have to buy the whole panel and cut it down when you get home.

[moldygrape]

HOW DO U BUILD A FILTER THIS INTRIGUES ME.... GO ON

[joeybsmooth]

There is a sticky on the top of the page , If I can not find a cheap on I will do that.

[robind]

The diy filter thread that's sticky'd is only really suitable for tank less than 40g. If you're going to be putting them in an 80g tub, or upgrading later to a larger glass tank, that filter won't cut it.

I built a sump filter using a quiet one 2200 pump, a 10g tank, various media commonly sold for canister filters, clear tubing, and some PVC fittings. You'll need an overflow box, as well. This filter keeps my 140g tank sparkly, and cost me about $50 to put together (not counting the pump, which I already had).
See more here: http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19167

[moldygrape]

thank you joeybsmooth, but robind i have some qs:

yea i saw that the sticky is good for if i upgrade to something in between like a 40g but i dont think i want to when i have the room i can just go for the 80g um i looked at
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19167 and i can understand most of it so thank you ill look up some of the stuff to see how to put it together i have an old 10g tank thats awesome i have plexi glass from a previous project will the glue be ok in the tank filter system that scares me. i mean of course after it drys will it release chemicls into the water? and how has this worked for you? and what kind of pump did you use or should i say what kind of pump do you think i should use for my 80g? thanks!!!

[joshr82192]

First you need to get a heater...., you need to clean her tank..... add more water that is not enough water for her ...... get a uvb light if not she can get soft shell.... and for the lid go to the dollar store or somthing and buy one of those lids that go over a storage container and cut a hole for the light to sit on thats what i did until i bought a screen for it..... take the rocks out all it does is hold the waste and it can cause the turtle to get sick and die and if you keep them in there clean the tank atleast once a week.... also get a new filter get a in tank filter one for a 30 to 40 gallon i kno you have a 20 but turtles are dirty and its better because those can suck out more waste

[moldygrape]

well lets see joshr82192 i dont need a heater the temp in my room is goog her water is at 73 right now i live in LA its like summer here. this is an old pic her water is clean and 3/4 to the top i dont have a uvb light right now my fixture broke =( i have been taking her out tho. the rocks are out i have like 5 large stones in there no more pebbles . and my filter is for a 30 gal tank it works great!!! thanks tho!

[robind]

I think that joshr needs to read the other posts in the thread before posting.

To answer you question, moldygrape, I have two tanks plumbed to the filter, a 100 gallon and a 40 gallon. You're supposed to turn the water over 5 times an hour, so on the 100 gallon I have a quiet one 2200 and on the 40g I have an aquaclear 70. For an 80 gallon tank, you need a pump that's rated at 80*5=400gph. I know it seems like a lot, but believe me, high flow is what keeps it clean when there's turtles. Don't forget to buy a pump that can pump that much water at however much head you'll have. The 'head' is the vertical distance from the pump to the edge of the tank.

Note that if you're not technically inclined, I don't necessarily recommend this project. Building a sump can be tricky, because you have to plumb things such that the sump will not overflow. You don't want a lot of water on your floor! One thing that comes to mind to make this project easier is to elevate the sump tank above the display tank. That way if your pump turns off for whatever reason, the 80g tank can easily take on another 5g of water without overflowing.