Equipment Review and Discussion :: alright, my first tank ideas... please read, and review.

[rj.laroza]

ok so heres the deal, i bought my girlfriend 2 RES when they were about a inch long and she has been taking decent care of them so far, they are now about 3.5 inches long and i feel sorry for them because they both live in a 20 gallon tank. she says its fine to take them back because they are now too hard for her to take care of.

anyways, this is going to be my first experience taking care of RES, but ive been reading alot here and think i have a basic understanding of whats going on... this is what i plan to do...


55 Gallon Fish/Turtle Tank (48" long, 21" high, and 13" deep.)- $80
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/fur/576386020.html

Canister Filter Rena Filstar xP3 - $150
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... sterfilter

Aquarium Systems Visi-Therm Stealth Heater @ 200 watts- $20 each (2 needed)
http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx? ... Redirect=1

Python No Spill Clean And Fill 25'- $25
http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCatalo ... =0&offset=

Current USA Aquachef Aquarium Fish Feeder- $25
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... fishfeeder

Penn Plax Background-Deep Sea Blue/Midnight Sea 12" 6x- 2x6= $12
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ct ... nightsea12

Zoo Med Turtle Dock Large - 9" X 18" - $25
http://www.petco.com/product/12389/Zoo- ... Docks.aspx


the one thing i do not understand is lighting. i understand im going to need 2 lights set up, one for general use i guess, and one for UBV? please assist me in choosing the right lighting set up for these turtles..

im planning on buying all my extra accessories later.. such as gravel, rocks, and what not.

also, if there is something i am buying that has a better replacment please let me know.. thanks guys for any imput.

[TheComputerGremlin]

For lighting, you can get a standard ceramic base lamp fixture with an incandescent light (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752571&cp=2767037.2862253&view=all&fbn=Taxonomy%7CHeating+%26+Lighting&fbc=1&clickid=topnav_dropdown5_link5&parentPage=family&keepsr=1) and for UVB, any fixture like this (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752557&cp=2767037.2862253&view=all&fbn=Taxonomy%7CHeating+%26+Lighting&fbc=1&clickid=topnav_dropdown5_link5&parentPage=family&keepsr=1) and this light bulb (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752555&cp=2767037.2862253&view=all&fbn=Taxonomy%7CHeating+%26+Lighting&fbc=1&clickid=topnav_dropdown5_link5&parentPage=family&keepsr=1). Obviously, you can pick and choose, but those are pretty standard at most pet stores. Stick with the 5.0 bulb, 10 is too strong, 2 is too weak.

[erinemcgreevy]

I would get an mvb (mercury vapor bulb) it offers both heat and uvb/uva and last longer than the other bulbs. You will need to get a deep domed ceramic lamp, since the mvb is large (check out reptilesupply.com). A 55g tank is a bit small, I would either try for 100g tank or get a stock tank, the stock tanks are cheap compared to glass aquariums. I would do a search for the xp3 filter, I think you might be able to find it cheaper somewhere other than bigals.

Here are the lights, both the zoomed and the t-rec com highly recommended:

http://www.reptilesupply.com/index.php?cPath=26_33

Here is the light fixture:

http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.ph ... ts_id=1924

[rj.laroza]

alright cool. thanks for the input erinemcgreevy and TheComputerGremlin. i think im getting a more general view of what i should get...

i was wonering... is it unusual for someone to put a 36 inch light fixture on a 48 inch tank... i want to do this so i can have ubv light on the 36 incher, then have a mvb shine straight down onto the basking area from a clamed lamp.

[rj.laroza]

also, whats a good wattage to get for the mvbs?

[TheComputerGremlin]

If you look through pictures of tanks on here, you'll find that nothing is "weird". Lighting always seems to be the big problem when setting up the tank because you really just can't grab the normal aquarium lighting to fit the tank. I have a two-light panel that's barely the width of my tank, I just have it suspended diagonally near the middle!

[megcornell]

With an MVB bulb you don't need an additional UVB bulb.

Also, you said you were planning on getting gravel later-- you can scratch that plan as turtles tend to eat gravel and become impacted which can be deadly.

The best suggestion I can make is to get the largest tank you can now- preferably 75 or 100 gallons. If you get a larger tank, you'll naturally need larger filters and heaters, as well.

good luck!

[rj.laroza]

so my cousin was over and he asked me if i was going to do any preping to the tank before i put the turtles in. he suggested that i have the tank run for a month with regular gold fish in it so that bacteria would grow. is this something that is commonly done to benifit the transition from a old tank to a new tank?

[TheComputerGremlin]

It's recommended that if you have the option to let the tank run for about two weeks without a turtle in it, you should. Sometimes you don't have the option. You can also buy a substance to help cultivate the bacteria faster. Don't bother with gold fish, your turtle shouldn't eat them, they're too fatty. But you can get some rosie red minnows or guppies if you want.

[octpusgirl8]

The reason for that is to start the nitrification cycle in the filter. The beneficial bacteria need ammonia to begin growing, which can come from fish or turtle waste. The bacteria "eat" the ammonia and produce nitrites, which aren't good but aren't as bad as ammonia. After that, another kind of bacteria begins growing that "eats" the nitrites and produces nitrates, which are less harmful still and are removed by regular water changes, or plants if you have them. It's not necessary to pre-cycle the tank before putting your turtle in, as turtles aren't nearly as sensitive to ammonia as fish are. It doesn't hurt though. If you are going to use fish, use something that you can leave in as feeders afterwards, as Vtolds suggested.

[rj.laroza]

ok, ill buy a couple of rosie red minnows and guppies. and have my tank run for about a week before i put the turtles in.

will the rosie red minnows or guppies be able to live under the temps that i want my tank to run @? i want to run the tank at its warmest for my turtles. prob around 75 in the water and 85ish at the basking area.

also, the turtles will be able to eat these once placed in the tank right?

since that is the case how many red minnows or guppies should i put in the tank for each of my RES. they are about 3.5-4 inchs long in a 55 gallon tank. im planning on having both of them live in the 55 gallon for a bit.

[steve]

The minnows or guppies should be fine in there. And yes, your turtles will want to eat them. I don't think there is a set amount of how many you want in there, but do keep in mind that they will add to the load of your filter.