Habitat - Indoor :: Tank Issue

[Brianthedog18]

I've been searching for a while to find a pet that I would love to have, and finally settled on a red ear slider. But, my knowing my luck, I didn't realize how big the tanks had to be. The sticky post says to go with 10 gallons per inch, and where I live, turtles under four inches are illegal to sell, which would mean a minimum of 40 gallons. My problem is that the prices for these tanks are outrageous, I can't afford one, not to mention that I wouldn't be able to fit a 40 gallon tank in my dorm room when I move to school. However, I already own a 20 gallon tank. My question then is, is a 20 gallon far too small for a growing red eared slider? I very much want to get one, but if having that small of a tank would hurt the turtle, then I don't want to get it. Thanks for you're help in advance.

[bradhart]

if you can't get a res under 4 inches, I wouldn't put it in the 20 gal. Even if you could find a small one, you'd need to upgrade the tank size in a year or two. They cna get up to 8-10 inches when they're full grown. That's 80-100 gal. tank

[GouzlanTheAmerican]

yeah definatly dont get one if you dont have room for a tank. the tank means everything to an res. i think if you alredy have a 20 gallon tank, i would go fo a lepord gekco. they only need a 20 gallon tank to live in there whole lives. i was gonna get one, but i decided to get an res instead.

[Brianthedog18]

Yeah, that's what I thought the answer would be. But, I've heard and read from a lot of different sources of people who have kept turtles bigger thatn 2 inches in 20 gallon tanks and still had a very healthy and active turtle. Are these misleading, or is it possible? Also, thanks for the Gecko idea, but I'm not sure, as it is, fish are the only pet allowed at my school, so I'm kinda pushing it with a turtle!

[jenaero]

I know a person who keeps a fully grown res in a 20 gallon tank with no heater, no filter, no light and hardly any water. Sure, he survives, but has no quality of life. To me, that's like locking an adult person in a bathroom for life. If I were you, I'd stick with fish just til you're finished school.

[Brianthedog18]

Thanks for the help, I really want a res, so I might just either get a bigger tank or see if I can find a smaller turtle somewhere, not sure. If I find a smaller one, it will be easy for me to upgrade the tank in a year or two. And, by the way, I never said I was not going to get all the other necesities for the tank...I'm still going to get a basking light, UV light, dock, etc. so I'm not sure why it was made to seem that I was going to mistreat the turtle, sorry if there was some misunderstanding. Also, I've heard various views about the water level in the tank, and I'm looking for another oppinion. Should the water be just enough for the res to submerge, or should it be higher to allow more swimming. And one last thing, is there a way to rig the filter so that is not ridiculously loud because the water has to fall such a long way? Thanks again for your help.

[jenaero]

Thanks for the help, I really want a res, so I might just either get a bigger tank or see if I can find a smaller turtle somewhere, not sure. If I find a smaller one, it will be easy for me to upgrade the tank in a year or two. And, by the way, I never said I was not going to get all the other necesities for the tank...I'm still going to get a basking light, UV light, dock, etc. so I'm not sure why it was made to seem that I was going to mistreat the turtle, sorry if there was some misunderstanding. Also, I've heard various views about the water level in the tank, and I'm looking for another oppinion. Should the water be just enough for the res to submerge, or should it be higher to allow more swimming. And one last thing, is there a way to rig the filter so that is not ridiculously loud because the water has to fall such a long way? Thanks again for your help.

Sorry about that, I didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't get the other necessities. I was just trying to say that a lot of people will tell you a small tank is ok, and I've had sooo many people tell me that my turts don't need light/heat/whatever, I just wanted to make sure you knew about the other stuff.

If you get a RES hatchling, a 20 gallon will be just fine for a year or two, assuming you don't overfeed because then he'll grow a lot faster.

[jenaero]

forgot to add that the water should be as high as possible without letting him escape. RES love to swim..the deeper the water, the better.

Can't help you with the filter..hopefully someone will jump in on that.

[cam722]

you might want to think about getting a long tank instead of a high tank.. more surface area for swimming.

btw, its illegal in all States to buy/sell a turtle under 4" unless its for scientific/educational purposes yet they sell them at our local pet store. They just have a little sign on it stating the law.

The solution to the filter problem is... fill the tank as high as possible without an escape route for your turtles.. then it doesn't have to fall so far. I also got an aquaclear filter and its not all that loud, and you can adjust the flow. I also recommend if at all possible to buy most of your setup online, its almost 1/2 the price even with S/H. I learned that the hard way.

[Brianthedog18]

Thanks for your help everyone. Cam, my current tank is 24" long, 12" deep, and 16" high, which, I believe for now is decent until I can afford a larger one. Also, you were talking about how your store sells smaller ones...do you know where I can find a store that sells them, or do I just have search for it?

Also, I heard there was a filter that kind of splashes the water against the glass so it doesn't make much noise...is that the aquaclear one?

[cam722]

no, the aquaclear one doesn't splash. I have well water and the splashing made a mess of the glass and more clean up for me. Until I found out about the white vinegar treatmen it was rough going.

I don't know what pet stores in your area sell smaller turtles, you'll just have to search. btw.. what area are you in?

[TrooperRES]

if price of the tank is the only issue try goin to garage sales. ppl usually try to get rid of their old tanks. u can also look for tanks on ebay? i kno they got some good deals on tons of stuff, including filters!

[bradhart]

local classifieds is a good place for second hand tanks. I use www.craigslist.com for local stuff... go to the site, see if there's a listing for your city/area

[GouzlanTheAmerican]

just use a submersible filter. they go under water so that there isnt any noise. or a canister filter. canister filters have the intake and out put go under water so that there isnt any noise.

[GouzlanTheAmerican]

here is a link to an internal filter i have. it is approved for 20 gallons, but i use it in my 30 gallon, and it dose a superb job!
http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?familyid=5409&sku=5137806940&tab=3&dept_id=1055&c1=1051&c2=1055&c3=&ct1=Filters&ct2=Internal&ct3=