redearslider.com

Hello I am new to the forum. I recently received a 4 year old res from a family member who got a turtle as a present (terrible idea). She no longer wanted it and since I am a huge animal lover I couldnt bare to see it given away to someone who wouldnt care for properly. He is currently in a 20 Gallon tank with Heat lamp/UV lamp, Water is always between 78-81 degrees and small filter attached to tank. We change his water regularly becaus the filter is small and doesnt do a great job. I truly believe he needs more space so have been looking to upgrade. I do not have a lot of money to spend but have seen the Zoomed Aquatic turtle set up (40 gallon) at Petsmart advertised for a reasonable price. I would much prefer to give him an even bigger tank but cannot find a company that makes a bigger tank with all the accessories! I feel like if I bought a 55 Gallon tank and then getting a quality filter and everything else would cost a pretty penny!

Sorry to ramble but does anyone have experience with the zoo med set up i am referring to? Is it worth the money even if its not as big as I would like? I read one review that the cannister filter didnt work well and now im afraid to bite the bullet. My turtle seems pretty happy but I know he would be better off in more water to swim around. The tank I currently have has a cut out on side for filter so I cant fill it up too much. Any suggestions on my next step would be appreciated. I personally would love to see him in my outdoor pond but we live on east coast and that wouldnt work very well! Thanks again for any input.

How much have you seen the kit for? Those are usually a bad deal and almost all turtle-specific products are a waste of money.

A 55 gallon can be had for $55 during those quarterly sales from Pecto/Petsmart. You can also snag pretty good deals on Craigslist for used aquariums. The filter is probably what you will spend the most on, and getting a good name brand filter will last you 5-10 years or more. Having a bigger tank (more water) will reduce the amount of maintenance as well.

Do you know if the turtle is male or female?