I am about to finish my indoor habitat in the basement hot water heater room for my 3 RESs and would like to run it by you. My electrician comes by in the morning to set up the electrical circuits for lights and appliances.... it's getting down to the wire... hehehe!!!
I used to use this room for storage, but since it has a drain and easy access to hot and cold water pipes.... well, it's an entirely different kind of room now! WoW!!!
75 gal, 48" long, 18" wide... is this long enough to permit two basking areas? I have no idea. I am planning on two areas... what is your opinion?
The plan is:
1) Secondary Basking area: 75w UVA /incandescent basking bulb turned on from 7am - 6pm in right front corner (Zoo Med floating dock), 90F spot;
2) Primary Basking area: Mega-Ray Heat Projector plus a Mega-Ray 60w UVB/A Hg Vapour lamp turned on from 8:30am - 4:30 pm in the left front half, several inches above the water line, atop the aquarium, 90F spot and 100-200uW/cm2 UVB, varying over the months to simulate summer/winter cycles;
3) Background lighting: 48", 40W, 5000K fluorescent daylite tube across the back, turned on from 10am - 3pm.
The total time the lights are on will vary over the months to mimick the seasons.
Secondary basking area will be the Zoo Med large floating dock;
Primary basking area will be built above the water, on top of one half of the aquarium (a second story) using vinyl coated, 1/2"x1/2" wire mesh for the floor, ...the wire mesh will form its own ramp into the water (edges covered) for the turtles to walk up onto, ...using a tile on top of the wire mesh under the Heat Projector so it heats the tile, rather than the water below; and 1/4" plexiglass for the walls (18" tall across the full front and sides of the aquarium to fence the turtles in and shield people and kitty eyes/skin from the uv). I may use copper tubing for a frame, if it needs that for structural support. The turtles may be able to walk across from the floating Zoo Med large dock along the front right onto the wire mesh along the front left.
Across the back of the aquarium will be the standard fish aquarium fluorescent 48" fixture using a daylight tube. There will be plexiglass as a fence so the turtles cannot escape over the fluorescent fixture from their wire mesh/tile, primary basking area.
The plexiglass fence will be removeable as a unit, for cleaning and portions of it will be hinged for feeding (that part is going to be tricky unless I use a frame).
Eheim Pro 3e external canister filter setup underneath the aquarium, wave action activated, with the outflow directed from front toward the back, the outflow tube positioned across the front left half, about 2-3" below the wire mesh; its intake or inflow tube is located under the daylight fluorescent tube toward the back, also on the left side of the aquarium.
Across from the secondary basking area, on the right back end of the aquarium, under the daylight tube, are the air bubblers, along with a decoration that might help fish and fry hide. I think the air bubbles, lots of them, will create a current along the right half of the aquarium which will compliment the wave action over at the left side. This may make it difficult for debris to settle, hopefully helping the Eheim intake tube collect debris better.
Turtles will have the full 48" length to swim and about 3/4s of the width, unobstructed. There will be an artificial log along the back, across from the primary basking area, down in the water for an underwater place for the turtles to hang out and stalk prey, just have fun, like in a real pond. That obstructs 1/4 of the width, along the back, but they can swim up and down, in and out and all around the artifical log. It's actually pretty cool.
The total water surface itself will be accessible/unobstructed for the turtles to catch a breath, except for underneath the Zoo Med large floating dock. The water is level.
Oh, yeah, a water heater, pH and Nitrogen-type indicators and test kits, uv meter and temp. spot meter, utility sink with hot and cold water, small refrigerator for their food, microwave oven to help heat their newly changed water, water chemicals for the fish and Eheim bacteria, air pump, ummmmm.... potable hose, siphon for later, 3 timers for multiple plugs (take care of all the light fixtures), surge protected power strip, rod suspended across the ceiling above the front half of the aquarium to suspend the heat/uvb/a fixtures from chains, which will be used to raise and lower the fixtures as the bulb/lamp emissions change over time, ummmmmm..... waterproofed wall and ceiling panelling (RFP), sealed with silicone (protecting against future mold), ... ummmmm.... automatic food dispenser for vacations or emergencies. I plan to install a peep-hole in the door to peak in on the turtles and not disturb them when the door is closed. I might need a space heater for that room. It's ambient temp might be too cool year round. Not sure yet about that. The floor already has a drain for the worst case scenario.
I thought this hobby would be cheaper than owning a horse. I'm not so sure anymore
Friends assure me that turtles are better, because I don't have to go out in 30" of snow at 20 below to feed them. Well, and they are so cute!
So, do you think this will make it? I'll have to take pictures once it is up and running, but I would like your opinion before I build the whole plexiglass thing, which I need to do very soon. Once the electicals and the panelling are completely installed, I will begin cycling the water and will be building the primary basking area/plexiglas fences, too. Then classes start and I won't have time anymore. So, there's kind of a rush.
Thank you in advance for your opinions/help/suggestions/warnings/concerns/sage advice
), but I don't think it's necessary for 2 basking areas. With the atba big enough, they can just move from one side to the other if they feel too hot or too cool. Plus, they may just end up basking on the 2nd basking area, which sounds like you aren't going to add a UVB light.
