Habitat - Indoor :: water heating problem ~ help!

[pumpkinsherbet]

i won't be able to afford a bigger tank until friday so for now i have my turtles in one of my large storage bins. the major problem is heating. i put warm water in there and the temperature drops so quickly. in the last 10 minutes it's gone from 76 to 68. the bulb said that the wattage and design will help with heating as well but temps are still dropping. i tried a small water heater, but it's not doing much good. it needs to be submerged in the water and i don't want to put in too much. this is only for a few more days, and i need some stay warm solutions, i don't want my babies getting sick.

this is what their tank looks like right now:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/ ... CI0012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/ ... CI0013.jpg

(they pulled the pet grass down almost immediately)

also, when i get paid i plan on getting a 10-15 gallon tank. what's the best water:land ratio to use? i read that the water level is not supposed to be deeper than the size of their shell, but they are avid swimmers. would it be okay to make it a bit deeper (for the sake of submerging the heater). i don't know if water depth is something meant to be kept more delicately for the young'ns.

the long term plan is to build a large atrium that will take up most of my backyard. about tantamount to a 150 maybe 200 gallon tank (i'm really poor with measurements) but i would like them to have a good home while i'm working on that.

[cam722]

First.. Welcome to Turtle Talk Take what I'm going to say as constructive help and in no way trying to put you down or discourage you. That being said...

Now.. for your post. You really should consider getting a larger tank than what you are planning on. We recommend 10 gallons per inch of shell and considering a turtle should grow to 3" in the first year that would mean a 30 gallon within a year. So if you can afford a bigger tank that's what I suggest. Also, you need to get a submersible heater because the water temp needs to be more constant. It should be around 78 for a turtle the size of yours. You also need a basking area, preferably one that floats. (check the photo gallery for examples) The really need only a tiny bit of land, but the more water the better, as long as they can't escape. In the wild RES live in ponds/lakes so they can handle deep water. You also need to have a UVB and UVA light source over their basking area.

If you have more than one turtle, you need to double the tank size.

I'm not sure if you've read any of the main website but if you haven't, please start here.. http://www.redearslider.com/index_basic_care.html

[Pizza]

what's the best water:land ratio to use? i read that the water level is not supposed to be deeper than the size of their shell, but they are avid swimmers. would it be okay to make it a bit deeper (for the sake of submerging the heater). i don't know if water depth is something meant to be kept more delicately for the young'ns.

Where did you read that? Well whoever wrote it probably hasn't had a turtle before, or had one that didn't live long, .

Aquatic turtles, as the name suggests, are aquatic, and Red-Eared Sliders are one of them. They spend most of their time in the water as we spend on land, they eat, sleep, and live in the water, they only surface to dry land to bask or lay eggs (for mature females), and anyone that has had a good knowledge of these turtles will tell you, fill in as much water as you can (without them escaping). Their legs are webbed for swimming and diving, and from birth, a hatchling has the instinct to swim, so chances of an aquatic turtle drowning is low (unless they get caught in a tight space and cannot free themselves). Even in the wild turtles can dive meters deep without worry, the recommended minimum depth of water for a Red-Eared Slider is 2x its shell length, the more the better.

[pumpkinsherbet]

i do appreciate the advice. the atrium will be finished by the summer but if they need a bigger tank before then i will provide it for them. right now the largest i can afford is a 20 gallon i'm very broke. i would say my largest one right now is about 1.5"

i shifted over the land to one area, and put more water in the tank. submerged the water heater as much as i could, but can't keep the temp above 74. at least it's not dropping down to 60 now! aeryn immediately took to swimming in her new ''pond" and john just burrows.

they do have a basking light, and they love it we'll be taking them outside for about half an hour a day (if more or less is necessary please let me know!) so they can get real sunlight as well.

where did you read that? Well whoever wrote it probably hasn't had a turtle before, or had one that didn't live long, .

i typed ''turtle care" into google and read through some of the sites that popped up.

this one has by far been the most helpful.

[SpotsMama]

On 30 minutes a day of natural sun, that's great if you can keep it up. Turtles in the wild like to bask for hours under the sun and it keeps their bones and shells healthy. They have to be exposed to UVA and UVB rays to maintain their health.

Most of the time, though, it's just not practical for us to keep hauling them outside and in again all the time. For day to day care, you can get adequate exposure inside to the essential UVA and UVB rays and also heat with some good light bulbs.

When you do take them out, here are some tips:

1. Make sure they don't overheat. Don't leave them in direct sun in a glass container even if it has some water in it. It can overheat remarkably fast. Other types of containers also can overheat so just be cautious.

2. Make sure they don't get a chill. If it's cool or windy and they get a chill, they can get ill. The little ones, especially, are quite susceptible to respiratory infections.

3. Make sure your little guy can't get bitten by ants, and that he/she isn't exposed to any harmful chemicals like pesticides or fertilizer.

4. If you let him/her out to crawl around (and you should do this sometimes - they love it!) you'll have to watch them every single minute! They are incredibly fast and they'll disappear before you know it if you're not watching.

[pumpkinsherbet]

4. If you let him/her out to crawl around (and you should do this sometimes - they love it!) you'll have to watch them every single minute! They are incredibly fast and they'll disappear before you know it if you're not watching.

hahaha it's funny you should say that. i grabbed aeryn just before she managed to escape under the fence. the little scamp.

weather's stayed steady around 60 lately (boo) but i will take that to heart. when it drops to 35 (which it does occasionally, stupid southern states don't get cold enough) then i'll forego the outside trip.

[cam722]

Are you putting them in a container outside or are you letting them walk around in the grass? If you're letting them walk around, you really need to keep in mind that the ground temp probably isn't warm enough for them. Usually we recommend that you dont' take them outside unless it's at least 70 and sunny. You don't want them to get chilled and get sick..

[pumpkinsherbet]

weather's stayed steady around 60 lately (boo) but i will take that to heart. when it drops to 35 (which it does occasionally, stupid southern states don't get cold enough) then i'll forego the outside trip.

i suddenly realised what i said was completely asinine. i feel like i had two more babies and just seem to make blunders everywhere.

i moved them to the warmest room in the house and rigged up a (safe) heating system. the temperature has been holding steady at 70 for a bit being in a warmer room away from the window (drafts) and put the heating system on a couple minutes ago.

i'm trying i really am. it's been a long time since i've had something to take care of.

[steve]

Hi there, if you have hatchlings, you'd want to keep the water around 78F. A fully submersible water heater is the best way to go (they have thermostats to regulate the temperature). Older RES do fine in 75F and a bit lower.

[pumpkinsherbet]

i woke up this morning their tank was at 77, when i got home from work it was 75 so the heating problem is fixed. thanx for the advice.

steve ~ they're both bigger than a quarter, smaller than a coaster. i don't know where that would be on age exactly.