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So I just got a new 55 gallon tank for my Leo (I'm so excited!!) and I'm going home for Thanksgiving break this Friday, so I plan on setting it up and all that when I get home and using my current, 20 gallon setup for when I'm at school. I have most of it figured out except for a few things:

I need a stronger heater, around 275 watts or so, are heaters that powerful dangerous, as in, can the turtle burn himself on it?

Also, would putting things like funky roots be wasting space, or would it be something he'd enjoy?

Right now, I'm planning on adding some rocks at the bottom, an air stone, a log to hide in, some fake plants, a background, the basking area (obviously) and using an XP3 as a filter. Am I missing something?

I can't wait till friday!!

They are usually longer, so there shouldn't be much of a difference. Objects that they can rest on and hide/swim through are fine

Awesome, what about the heater? Is it safe?

i have a Rena Top Fin 300Watt water heater. The glass on it is very thick, and i can touch it while it's plugged in and on. The site says it's fine for the inhabitants of the tank to be in contact with it... I don tthink they should burn just touching it.

The heat from submersible heaters are safe for your turtle. The heat from a submersible glass heater travels 20 times faster than in air, so the chances of him burning himself on it are zero since the water is constantly dispersing (moving) the heat away from the heater & thru the rest of the aquarium.

In my 19 yrs of turtle-keeping, I have never had a turtle burn themselves on a heater.

For a 55 gal tank, you don't need bigger than a 200W heater, even if you fill the water all the way to the top of the aquarium.

Don't know where you can buy a 275-watt heater, but I would think a 250-watt one would work fine (unless you're planning on upgrading again fairly soon). I wouldn't worry about your turtle burning himself, but if the heater is glass (even "unbreakable" glass) and you have rocks on the bottom, using a heater guard to protect the heater would be a good idea. (You can make one from PVC pipe (drill holes for the water to circulate) or buy one (Tronic/Fluval makes them)---make sure the length of the guard is at least equal to the heater if you buy one.