General Care Discussion :: New Tank setup questions & pictures

[the_mushroom]

Hi,

I just got a new tank and was having trouble with setting it up. Well Napoleon and Louise are about 4-5 months old (i think they might be older) and i got them a tank which is easily very comfortable for them (i don't know the exact capacity, i'll check and update the thread)

I've made a ramp for the turtles which they frequent quite often. As i've said before, it's quite hot in India so i don't really need heating apparatus..although since it's the rainy season now (yes, we have a rainy season in India) i have a bulb near the basking ramp (they seem to quite like it)

I don't think the filter is quite good for the tank capacity, so i shall be getting a new filter soon and i hope it balances it out and stops making the water cloudy.

I wanted to know if there are any biological filters or cleaners that will help keep the tank clean. I'm talking about aquatic animals like Fish, Snails or something like that to eat up the waste and naturally keep it clean.

Alternatively, i also wanted to know about bacterial filters or microorganisms to help clean the tank. The only worry is, the pet shops here are not so well equipped and will not have any organic filter, so please let me know if there's anything i can farm/cultivate at home (i might sound crazy, but i know nothing about this!)

Here are a few pictures;

The ramp



The tank:


Louise:

Basking pic:

[SpotsMama]

Hi mushroom,

You have a couple of very pretty turtles. I like the yellow, orange and green color scheme in your tank, too.

A good filter will make a lot of difference in your water quality. Go as large as you can with the filter, stopping short of a size that create too much turbulance for the little turtles. It looks like your tank may be large enough for a nice canister filter, which is good because it doesn't take up swimming space in the tank. If you get a larger filter you may not need to upgrade so soon as your turtles grow.

The main elements required to keep a tank clean are: (1) plenty of water volume for the size of the turtles (2) a good filter (best is one that functions as bio filter, mechanical filter and chemical filter (carbon) and (3) regular partial and occasional complete water changes.

There are bacteria in the air naturally (nitrifying bacteria) that will populate a bio filter and do the lions share of the work of nutralizing the ammonia that animal life produces. You don't have to add them as they will grow on their own, but if you want to speed up the process of growing your bio filter you can buy some to add to the tank. The product I used was called Biozyme. We can buy it here on-line or in the fish section of pet stores. I don't know how available this type of product is in India. I'd look for it where aquarium fish are sold or at on-line pet supply sources.

A few minnows or ghost shrimp in the tank help keep it cleaner. They are great for picking up after turtles! However, some turtles like to eat minnows and ghost shrimp so you may find yourself having to replace them frequently. Actually, minnows and ghost shrimp make good occasional treats for your turtles and, if your turtles like to hunt (some do, some don't) they will also provide exercise.

For larger turtles, there are products that help to break down solid waste so it's easier for the filter to pick up. They are called waste degraders. One brand that's popular with people around here is called Turtle Clean. Since your turtles are so tiny you probably don't need Turtle Clean just yet.

By the way, the gravel on the bottom of the tank looks like a real hazard to me. Turtles will eat gravel and it gets stuck in their insides and can kill them. We always recommend that people take any gravel out as soon as possible.

[RunninWideOpen]

I have had great luck with Pleco's in the tank. They keep the algae and slimy stuff completely gone for me. They just don't help with the solid waste.

Your tank looks beautiful! as do your turtles. I second the gravel thing tho, get it out of there. Squirt used to try and eat that stuff.

[the_mushroom]

My filter is just a mechanical filter, and not a bio-filter..and i'm completely unaware of what they are..

The gravel in the tank is long gone. Those were old pics..In fact, i went to the hills nearby to get more white marble rocks. I have to clean them and boil before adding it to the setup, will post pics when that's done.
Here's how it looks now


When you say go as large as you can, you mean a mechanical filter? the ones which have a mesh to strain the water for the waste and then spits out the water.

Do i need all the three kinds of filters at once?

I change my water partially once in 3 or 4 days and completely when the water smells or looks cloudy (thats mostly in 7 or 8 days)

I'm pretty sure i won't get the bacteria thing here, although i will surely take a look. Ghost shrimp also, i don't think they're available very easily however, i'll try asking around.

Here,s another picture of the twosome basking:



Yes, that's a snail next to the turtles..I don't know if i want to keep him there yet (and hence, he doesn't have a name) he's not aquatic..he just chills out on the ramp and sticks around everywhere.

[RunninWideOpen]

Does your filter have charcoal that goes in it? My filter cartridges come with charcoal to put in it. That is the chemical filtration.

I don't have a bio ring or anything to assist the bio filtration. I just have plenty of surfaces, including the filters, that the bacteria can colonize on. I don't think you need a bio ring, you just need to give the bacteria time to colonize, then when you do a water change don't clean it SOO well that you kill all the bacteria.

it's hard to tell from the pics but it looks like your turts may have some pyramiding going on. what and how much are you feeding them?

[adam85491]

A mechanical filter is basically a sponge that picks up waste..most filters are equipped with one of these sponges and don't do too much..in fact, I am suprised yours only does that.

You desperately need a 3 in 1 filter which is almost all filters. They usually come with a cartridge that is white with black stuff in it and some even have inserts of ceramic rings that are good for water quality and other things. Basically..your filter isn't doing anything if there isn't any charcoal/carbon in it...I have to ask what lights you have, though?

[Tenodera]

Wow beautiful turtles! They look so peaceful and relaxed...

Hey that snail looks like one of my former pets! LOL

[SpotsMama]

I agree with Adam that, for the size of tank you have and for two turtles, the best filter for you would be a three-in-one type filter. Even though your turtles are small now, they're going to be growing!

The best filters are canister types in which the filter iself is a large box that sits on the floor underneath the tank. There's a tube from the tank that pulls water down into the filter, then another one that takes the cleaned water back up and into the tank. Most canisters will provide both mechanical, chemical and bio filtration. The mechanical filter is a sponge or mesh, the chemical is some sort of carbon, and the bio is usually little porous ceramic rings or something else similar.

Here's a link with more info:

http://www.redearslider.com/index_water_quality.html

[the_mushroom]

it's hard to tell from the pics but it looks like your turts may have some pyramiding going on. what and how much are you feeding them?

The're fed twice daily, turtle pellets, coriander leaves, lettuce, and occasionally fish eggs, boiled chicken etc. Thanks for pointing that out, i didn't know what pyramiding was. I'm going to keep a check on their diets from now on.

And about the filter, i'm just waiting for some money to come in, after which i'll enquire about the charcoal filters. The thing is, Turtles are illegal in the county, and people normall only have fish..I kind of rescued these turtles from somewhere and so most of the things required are not readily available too. I had to make the ramp from scratch using sheet metal and bathroom tiles.

Thanks for all that advice, shall keep you posted. I also want to thank you for the advice given during Napoleon's R.I, he's well now (He's a fighter)

[SpotsMama]

You've done remarkably well! You have a very nice setup, especially considering that you've had to create some of the stuff yourself. And you also get credit for the good care that got Napoleon through his serious illness.

Don't worry about not being able to buy the bacteria for a bio filter. Like I said, the bacteria are in the air naturally so they will colonize in the tank and filter on their own. The bacteria that people buy just speed up the process.

The filters people use for turtle tanks are actually made for fish tanks, so they should be available in your country. Until you get a really good filter you should be able to manage the water quality with frequent water changes. Your turtles are still pretty small. You'll find life is easier with a good filter, though, since you will really be able to stretch out the time between water changes and the water will stay crystal clear. Just read up on filters on this site as thesame principles will apply regardless of which specific brands of filters are available in your country.

[SpotsMama]

By the way, does that light over the basking area provide UVB? UVB bulbs are special and around here they are sold in the reptile section at pet stores, not the fish section. It always says on the package that the bulbs provide UVB. It's important that turtles get to bask under a UVB light for them to be able to absorb calcium for their bones and shells.

Just curious!

[the_mushroom]

By the way, does that light over the basking area provide UVB? UVB bulbs are special and around here they are sold in the reptile section at pet stores, not the fish section. It always says on the package that the bulbs provide UVB. It's important that turtles get to bask under a UVB light for them to be able to absorb calcium for their bones and shells.

Just curious!

Actually, no that's not a UVB light, it's a normal bulb. I think i ought to get one, it being the rainy season so there's no sun. Although if you see, i've cut a hole in the background near the ramp and my tank is at the window so i'm thinking there should be enough sun the rest of the year..it goes upto 35 degrees celcius most of the time.

[RunninWideOpen]

actually it's not good to have the tank near a window. direct sunlight can cause drastic changes in the water temp, and temperature changes like that stress out the turts. the water temp really needs to be as stable as possible. it shouldn't vary. also, when sunlight goes through a window it filters all the UVB out. the UVB rays can't go through the glass.

Spotsmama's right, I found my filter in the fish section.

keep up the good work!

[marisa]

Get a good canister filter that has room for lots of biomedia (which is where most of the beneficial bacteria that help maintain water quality will colonize). There will/should be room for media for mechanical filtration (sponges or foam) and chemical filtration (usually carbon) as well, but the most important types of filtration you're looking for is mechanical and biological. Filters are overwhelmingly made with fish in mind, that that's what you're going to be looking for. In fact, if a filter says specifically that it's made for turtles, I'd avoid it. Don't expect any filter to clean the bottom of the tank, though, its purpose is to maintain water quality. Because turtles are much messier than fish, you also want to get a filter that's rated for 3X the size of the tank your turtles are in.

Nice-looking turtles. Their shells seem a bit uneven, though. It also looks like one of them has scutes that should have been shed a long time ago.

[SpotsMama]

And on the UVB light, Runninwideopen is correct, it's not advisable to keep the tank by a window where the sun comes in. Also, glass filters out UVB so any light that passes through window glass or aquarium glass provides no UVB at all. So, even if the sun were shining outdoors, your turtle wouldn't be getting any UVB right now.

The good UVB is required for the turtles to be able to absorb the calcium they eat. This, of course, is necessary for their growing shells and bones. If their shells are starting to look uneven, or if they aren't shedding scutes like they should, it's probably because of a lack of UVB light.

Turtles can get good UVB from natural sunlight if it's unfiltered. Since that doesn't happen in an aquarium, we have to provide it with a UVB light bulb. UVB bulbs should be available where supplies for reptiles are sold since lizards and snakes need them too. They're somewhat expensive I'm afraid - starting at around $20 each in the USA but they are necessary.

Do you have a place where you can get UVB bulbs? By the way, the UVB bulb would be in addition to the heat bulb you are already using.