Habitat - Indoor :: New 180 Gallon Set Up

[michelangelo]

I have two RES Turtles, one female with around a 10 inch shell, one male about an 8 inch shell. They are around 20 years old, but I dont know because I was not the original owner and only came to care for them over the last few years. They have lived together their whole lives, and for the most part with any bickering or fighting.

I purchased a standard 180 gallon tank (72x24x24) which should be (better be) enough room for the two turtles. I also created a wooden basking area (24x14) to sit on top of the tank like a "Turtle Topper" but for a realistic sized tank. The topper has wooden insets that secure it to the top of the tank and it is nearly impossible to remove without lifting. We are going to put some sort of water resistant material underneath some astro-turf for the flooring in the basking area. As for lighting I am going to use a Repti-Glo bulb with a heat bulb for UVB and heat.

I understand and have the filtration, heating (both basking and water), and lighting basically taken care of, but I am looking for some outside the box ideas.



Here are a few questions for the more experienced RES care takers:

1.) What do I do for a stand? This thing is gonna weigh close to 2000 pounds when full, is it even worth it to raise it 18-24 inches?

2.) Should I use a sand bottom? I like the clean look, but have heard that a sand bottom is beneficial. Thoughts?

3.) We are having a huge problem solving the ramp problem, any thoughts on how to get them up into the box?

4.) I have a corner of my tank that is hidden and they seem to love it. I want to make some sort of hiding area/cave/resting area, any ideas on a way to achieve this safely?

5.) Are there any fish/animals that are safe to add with them to help clean the tank, keep it running smooth, etc? They for the most part know other animals only as a food source.

[VeipaCray]

1. If you're filtration is a canister filter, then yes you need to raise it. What to do depends on your budget. Go to local store and buy a nice one, build one, have one built for you. I guess this also depends on where in your home you're keeping the tank and how you want it to look.

2. Sand helps extend the natural bio filter by providing additional surface area for the nitrifying bacteria.

3. I went with a bent piece of acrylic. Cheap, easy to bend (just heat it), and easy to clean. I drilled holes in the ramp to provide some grip. Holes were free . My ramp is in the build thread linked in my signature. Cork bark is another option.

4. Hollow log?

5. Plecostomus can help with algae, but any cohabitant you put in there runs the risk of becoming a turtle meal. If your turtles will leave them alone long enough to grow, live plants aid with tank filtration.

[michelangelo]

I have 2 over the side (Aquaclear 110) filters so I guess I dont need to make a stand. Obviously it makes it look better to have a stand, but is there a cheap, easy way to make a solid stand for it? Ive heard stack cinder blocks and 2x4, but that seems like a lotta weight and not extremely stable. Is there anywhere that sells that large of a stand for a reasonable price?

As far as the hollow log, I dont know where to find one that is big enough and can sit at the bottom of the tank. I was thinking some sort of shelf-like thing that has a few different areas, but was big enough to not get stuck. Obviously would have to be non-toxic

Thanks for the response by the way

[VeipaCray]

Two AC110 filters won't put a dent in the filtration needs of a tank that size with two adult turtles. You need at least an FX5, probably more.

Do you have a budget in mind? We might define reasonable differently. Craigslist for a used stand might be a more affordable option.

Maybe a local reptile shop or a nicer fish store?

[VeipaCray]

Here's our suggested filter sizing and media thread. These filters are sized for the bioload of a single adult turtle.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

[Rubicon]

You could easily make a stand out of some 2x4s and 4x4s. Id put the 4x4s in each corner and the middle then frame everything up with 2x4s.

Those 110's aren't anywhere near adequate. I'd highly recommend picking up a Fluval FX5 which will meet your needs just fine. Even then you'll probably need a power head on one end to help with turnover.

You can easily pickup a piece of acrylic from Home Depot drill it and mount it to help them get in there.

Here's a stand I made out of <$20 worth of 2x4s. You could have parked a car on that thing and it wouldn't have phased it. This is a 75gal btw.

[Julibee]

lucky turtles

nice stand; I don't trust myself enough to build my own lol. When I upgrade to a 125 I'm just going to buy used w/stand from craigslist XD

Have you considered building a cave/hiding area/shelving using the foam + cement method? there are tons of videos and tutorials about making custom decor/background using that technique. That's what I shall be doing when I upgrade :O)

[michelangelo]

Oh ok... I was told that the 110's would pump at a rate of 500 gallons per hour each and that unrealistically each gallon would be cycled 5 times in an hour and that would be enough. The fx5 says that its pumps at around 900, so that really has nothing to do with how powerful a filter is? If I say had 1 or 2 of the 110's and a fx5 would this be enough? Anyone know where to find a good deal on an fx5?

Julibee I have not heard of the foam/cement method... Is that basically coating a foam piece with cement?

As far as a budget for a stand now that I have to buy an fx5 it has decreased. I prolly could spend 100-200 bucks on a stand if it was really nice, but craigslist seems to be a dry hole.

[VeipaCray]

The FX5 is somewhere between 600 and 900. It's 900GPH right at the pump. When you push the water through the media then up 6 feet of hose it's 600GPH. So depending on how high the pump has to push the water, it's somewhere between those two values.

It's a combination of things.... yes water flow and tank turnover, but also the amount of media capacity. You could fit both AC110's inside a FX5 with room to spare.

FX5 Deal: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=32554

The link I posted earlier on this thread covers the media for the FX5.

[Teagan917]

I got my fx5 on ebay for 244 and some change just a few days ago. It was at my door in 2 days. We have it up and running in our 120 gal and it seems to be working beautifully.

[Rubicon]

Oh ok... I was told that the 110's would pump at a rate of 500 gallons per hour each and that unrealistically each gallon would be cycled 5 times in an hour and that would be enough. The fx5 says that its pumps at around 900, so that really has nothing to do with how powerful a filter is? If I say had 1 or 2 of the 110's and a fx5 would this be enough? Anyone know where to find a good deal on an fx5?

Julibee I have not heard of the foam/cement method... Is that basically coating a foam piece with cement?

As far as a budget for a stand now that I have to buy an fx5 it has decreased. I prolly could spend 100-200 bucks on a stand if it was really nice, but craigslist seems to be a dry hole.

I would just use the FX5 that thing is one heck of a filter. I know the guy that adopted 2 rescue RES I had was running an FX5 on a 150Gallon tank with ZERO issues.

[VeipaCray]

As long as your water is clear and your ammonia / nitrites are 0 you're filtration is adequate for a turtle. You can't tell if a filter has zero issues without measuring the water.

[michelangelo]

3. I went with a bent piece of acrylic. Cheap, easy to bend (just heat it), and easy to clean. I drilled holes in the ramp to provide some grip. Holes were free . My ramp is in the build thread linked in my signature. Cork bark is another option.

How did you heat the acrylic so you could bend it?

[VeipaCray]

It's in the build thread linked in my signature. Pictures and explanation. Basically you heat it with a plumbing torch.

[Listen97]

3. I went with a bent piece of acrylic. Cheap, easy to bend (just heat it), and easy to clean. I drilled holes in the ramp to provide some grip. Holes were free . My ramp is in the build thread linked in my signature. Cork bark is another option.

How did you heat the acrylic so you could bend it?

It's in the build thread linked in my signature. Pictures and explanation. Basically you heat it with a plumbing torch.

You can also use a paint stripper heater from Lowes (in the paint section). Not sure what you feel safer with and what's cheaper in your area.