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Post Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 9:59 pm   Re: Brand new set up - need input

devilduck, I thought I had put a type of media in my filter to absorb excess biomatter. I will have to double check I guess. I do a water change about every other week, but being 9 months pregnant its getting to be a bit of a challenge. I actually got a pleco before reading your post. Its about 4" long at the moment, and I have a friend with a pond that I can release it if and when it gets too big for my tank. I also bought suppliment tablets for it. I used to breed freshwater fish, so I am familiar with their needs and how large they can get. My husband also brought home 2 medium sized Oscars as he wanted some interest in the tank beyond the turtle. So far the turtle has chased them a bit, but decided they werent worth it (they are already almost as big as he is, and much quicker).

Steve, there are still some minnows in the tank from when we rescued the turtle back in March. He chases them, but never catches them, which is why I mainly get goldfish now. He still has a hard time catching the goldfish, but he is able to catch them a bit easier. I like knowing he gets live food more often than not. It feels more natural in my opinion. His diet includes fresh veggies, live aquatic plants (which I need to find a good online supplier as my in town supplier went way up on their prices), live fish, earth worms, mealworms, freeze dried shrimp and crickets, and then "commercial" turtle food (little green disks), frozen beefheart (as a treat), and the frozen "turtle diet" from petsmart. I like to give him a variety as best I can.

Since adding the Oscars we have added a bubble "curtain" and it has become the turtle's favorite thing in the tank now! He loves to play in the bubbles and swim through them, as well as just lay across them on the bottom of the tank. Its rather entertaining to watch him enjoy the bubbles so much!!
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Post Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:06 am   Re: Brand new set up - need input

Congrats on becoming a soon-to-be mom!
I hope your not hauling buckets around at 9 months! A Python or Aqueon water changer makes it soo much easier.

A turtle, 2 Oscars, and a common pleco I see another tank upgrade in the very near future :)
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devilduck
 
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Post Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:38 pm   Re: Brand new set up - need input

Thank you!! Actually I have a nice tubing system to clean out the tank that goes right out the door next to the tank. But being only 5'6", I have to stand on a stool to be able to reach the bottom of the tank lol. And then I have to haul around 2-3 buckets of water from the sink to refill it, which is why the water changes have been a tad more infrequent lately. Hoping this tank will hold for about a year or so, until we can find space and work on an upgrade :) But yes eventually Id like to put all these guys in a 125 gallon or larger if we can get a larger space :) The little pleco (whos about 4" now) has done a killer job in a couple of days of clearing up some of the algae! Im hoping he grows very quickly so he no longer needs to hide as much. It seems he is "sleeping" or hiding in a few of the decorations during the day, and does the damage on the algae at night :) The oscars are still relatively small (around 5" long each) and are quick enough the turtle has lost interest in chasing them in general already! Haha lazy guy! I am going to be looking into getting real driftwood eventually in the tank, I love the look and I know the pleco would be happier with it too :) If for some reason a larger tank indoors isnt an option in the next year or so, as I said before here in south east Texas the weather is super nice 90% of the year and I want to put a stock tank or pond in the back yard and set it up for the turtle :) Possibly then the tank we have now will be ok for the oscars just by themselves and put the pleco when hes big enough, out in the stock tank. My only concern with that is in our "winter" time, theres about 8-10 weeks of fairly cold weather (we even get a light snow about once every 7 years or so), should I bring the turtle in and house him in the oscar tank for that short time or?? Im thinking I need to do a bit more research :D
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Post Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:29 am   Re: Brand new set up - need input

It depends on how cold and how much water that outdoor setup will have.
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steve
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