Habitat - Indoor :: Need a bigger setup. Please help.

[gdesigner]

Okay so I am a little guilty of not having a big enough setup. My Spike grew faster than I expected and grew about 2 inch in the past 6 months already. She is now 3.5 inch. I still have her in a 10 gallon I live in a small apartment in the city, so I don't really have enough room or money atm to buy a 4o gallon setup. When I bought her I just knew I had to have her, and I bought her from a Chinese 99cent store. At the store they have about 20 hatchlings in one of those tiny plastic tanks that they give you when you win a reptile at the fair. They have no heater no basking area and not heat lamp. I just figure that any setup I am able to provide for her is better than the hellhole she came from. And my girlfriend was in a rescuing mood and brought home a little 1.5 inch one day. So now I am really feeling like it is way overcrowded now after hearing about the 10 gallon per inch rule. I just don't know what to do. My friend is willing to give me his 20 gallon long tank. Would this be sufficient until I am able to buy and find room for an adequate setup. Thank you for any help. I am also going to be in need of a better filter than I have atm, if anyone has any suggestions.

[steve]

20 gallons would be a better upgrade, but look into Rubbermaid/Sterite storage containers too. You shouldn't have problems finding them at 40 gallon sizes.

Beyond that, there are lots of inexpensive ways to keep your RES in a good habitat. They might not look very good compared to a glass aquarium, but that's not the point.

For tanks, look into Rubbermaid stock tanks. You should be able to get a 100 gallon into your place, and those things are practically indestructible. Good water heaters don't cost much more than others, so an Ebo Jager submersible should last for years. A canister filter is ideal, but they are pricey. Hang-on filters are good substitutes but will need a little modding to work with stock tanks (they have a wide rim).