Habitat - Indoor :: Baby RES in tropical climate- new owner questions

[Vave]

Hello, I am in need of some help with our little pet. We are brand new owners to a tiny RES. About three weeks ago we were shocked when someone gave a little baby RES to our daughter, complete with a tiny little plastic cage. Completely new to turtle-owning, I scoured the internet for info. I actually didn't even know what kind of turtle it was when it was first given to our family, and I think it is too young to know its sex yet. Anyway, in my internet wanderings I quickly learned that our little turtle, Shelly, was not ok in that little cage.

Please allow me to clarify: we are living in the Philippines and there are not the same rules about the size of turtles that can be sold here as there are in the U.S. This little turtle is probably 1.5-2 inches from top of head to end of tail. So, after making a long list of the things I wanted to look for to give our little friend a comfortable home, I went to one of the only pet stores I know of here in our city, the same one that sells turtles. They had nothing I was looking for.

Finally I went to a regular store and bought a large clear plastic tub that would at least provide a little space. I don't know how many gallons it holds but as of now I have our turtle in about 3-4 inches of water in 2/3 of the tub and some large rocks on the other part for it to crawl up on and bask. She (I'll just call it that since "Shelly" seems sort of like a girly name) doesn't seem to have any trouble climbing up and diving back in to swim around. We put the container by our large window which gets lots of natural light all day (12 hours) but no direct sun.

We've been feeding her three little ReptoMin Baby sticks one time each day and she has had a good appetite.

So, I have lots of questions but I'll just start off with a few:

1) In a tropical climate with high humidity, where day temps average 85 degrees (this time of year is "cool season") and night time temps average 79-80 degrees, do I need a heater? I couldn't even find one in the store, although they did seem to have lots of filters, etc.
2) Does Shelly need a UVB right away if she is by a window?
3) Can I use a desk lamp with an incandescent bulb for her basking area? If so, what wattage and what distance from her basking area?
4) Should I give her more water to swim in? I read somewhere that hatchlings don't need as much water when they are really little (in case of drowning), but if she'd enjoy the water I wouldn't mind giving her more.
5) Do I need to run out and purchase a filter immediately? The quality of filters here seems to be lacking so I would probably have to have something imported and it would be quite pricey for me. Can I achieve the same thing by cleaning frequently (every 2-3 days)?

Ok, that is enough for a start. I've enjoyed reading through all the helpful info on this forum. Thanks for any advice you might be able to give me!

[steve]

You won't need a heater. UVB is filtered by screens and glass, so you will need a UVB bulb. Yes you can use a desk lamp. Wattage and distance doesn't matter as long as it maintains the proper temperature. Of course the wattage cannot exceed what the light fixture is rated for and the bulb not to close to be within reach of the turtle. You can determine the size of the tank this way L x W x H / 231. LWH need to be in inches and the result will be in gallons. I'll wait to see what kind of tank you have before picking out a filter.

[crotalus]

For typical aquarium tank sizes, you can get some ideas from here:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/aquariumsandstands/a/tanksizesweights.htm

1) In a tropical climate with high humidity, where day temps average 85 degrees (this time of year is "cool season") and night time temps average 79-80 degrees, do I need a heater? I couldn't even find one in the store, although they did seem to have lots of filters, etc.
3) Can I use a desk lamp with an incandescent bulb for her basking area? If so, what wattage and what distance from her basking area?

As Steve mentioned, you won't need a heater. I'm from Malaysia(so our condition should be quite similar) and the avg temps is around 30-32 deg C for above water while the water temp avg about 28-30 deg C. I'm using a 125W mercury vapour bulb for the basking/heating area in a 40gallon tank and the basking temp shoots up to 36-40 deg C (so I set a timer to regulate the temp). If your tank is smaller, I would suggest a normal incandescent bulb(maybe around 40W-60W) for heat and a tube type UVB.

4) Should I give her more water to swim in? I read somewhere that hatchlings don't need as much water when they are really little (in case of drowning), but if she'd enjoy the water I wouldn't mind giving her more.

If 'she' is swimming fine, I think more water should be ok as long as you provide a resting area(maybe like a driftwood if your tank is big).

5) Do I need to run out and purchase a filter immediately? The quality of filters here seems to be lacking so I would probably have to have something imported and it would be quite pricey for me. Can I achieve the same thing by cleaning frequently (every 2-3 days)?

Definitely YES but like Steve answered, what type of filter depends on how big is your tank.

[Vave]

Thank you so much for your replies.

Ok, it looks like I need to know what kind of filter you would suggest for a 30 gallon tank.

I increased the water depth in her tank today to about 7 inches. She seemed to love swimming but had a hard time finding her dock again. I think she swam for nearly 2.5 hours before I helped her back onto her dock. She looked exhausted and hasn't yet returned to the water. Was that too quick or great of an increase? She is very tiny.

Thank you.

[steve]

If you're interested in a canister filter, there are a few mentioned here that will suit a 30 gallon: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

You can make more gradual water increases, but what kind of her basking area does she have?

[jols_navarra]

Hi! Were you able to completely set up your baby RES's home? If you live in the Metro Manila area, you might want to check out Cartimar. Apparently it's where you can find a lot of aquarium equipment at a cheaper price. As far as quality/durability goes, I don't know how it fares, but some friends have recommended the place -- heading over there this afternoon to check it out I'm a new RES owner myself and I'm still working on a permanent tank for my friends.