I'm new here and I'll be taking over the care of my brother's turtle soon but before I even cross state lines to get it I want to have the basics set up and ready.
I have a lot of questions before I can really get started with purchasing stuff so please bare with me.
I am on a tight budget and have limited space to work with. I can always go bigger and more expensive later on down the line but would prefer if I can at least get a good filter right off the bat that's under $120
Following litefoot's advice I will probably not get the Zoo Med tank kit since the one I looked at in-store may not be big enough or have an adequate filter (36x18x18 tank, holds up to 50 gal if I go with a separate ATBA, with a ZM 511 canister filter) and am in need of some help with figuring out the best supplies for lighting, heat, and filtration that preferably won't run me a fortune. I can always upgrade to higher quality stuff later when I can afford it but this turtle is in desperate need of being relocated and literally anything is better than what it has right now. Poor Mr Turtle has been living in 4"-deep water with no filters, lights, dry area, or heaters for the past 4 years or so and I'm willing to sacrifice quality to start out with just to get it out of those conditions. Possibility of shell rot, will be speaking to my local vets on recs for a good, knowledgeable reptile vet experienced with aquatic turtles before Mr Turtle makes the move so I can already have an appointment lined up.
I'm currently unsure of the turtle's sex and age, and don't have an exact measurement on it right now but am guessing at possibly female, 5-6" until somebody sends me its exact size, and an estimated 7-9 years old since he's had it for at least 7. I am making tentative plans for a swimming area of 50-60 gallons (70 at max, I really don't have space for a tank bigger than that right now but hope to continue upgrading several years down the line.)
There's so much information on different brands and sizes that I'm a little overwhelmed and frazzled right now so good recommendations on mid-price-range lights, heaters, and filters to start out with are greatly appreciated!! Links to where I can get them are even more helpful. I plan to slowly buy up all the supplies over the next month or so, starting with stand and tank. I've been browsing the thread on pictures of your basking areas and tank setups and that's been supremely helpful since I may have to go with a above-tank area just to save space.
Side note: recommendations on sturdy tank stands, or similar furniture that can be used as a tank stand like a good solid cabinet, are also greatly appreciated. I was looking at a bunch last night and stability is something I always worry about. The person helping me out at PetSmart yesterday while I was asking about tank sizes mentioned I could probably get something cheaper at a place like Home Sept but I'm unsure of what to really be looking for since I doubt most tv stands are sturdy enough to handle all that weight. If you're using a non-standard setup that wasn't built from scratch I'd love to know where you got it or what kind of specifications I should be looking for!
I'll be browsing through as many of the stickied threads on care and setup as I possibly can over the next several weeks so I can be as prepared as possible!!!!
Additional question: is a large plastic "critter keeper" adequate to use when transporting the turtle and do you recommend I add any water to it , or make it a dry move? The drive is a little over 2 hours from my brothers place to mine and from that it'll be getting a good scrub-down to remove the gross algae and other junk off the shell and then going straight to the basking area.