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So, with the weather getting warmer here in Kentucky I've decided about upgrading my RES's enclosure. In the past, when he was smaller I had him in a 20L then had him in a large rubbermaid tub as he got older. The rubbermaid tub has gotten too small, I believe for him. I kept him outside and would clean/change the water out of the 20L and rubbermaid tub every 2-3 days since I didn't have a filtration system or anything on them. I hit up Google to see what custom enclosures could be built or what else could be used for an enclosure and stumbled upon the Stock Tank idea. I really like it. It would be big enough for him to live out the rest of his life & it's up off the ground so my dogs can't stick their noses in it.

My main question is would a power filter suffice on a 40 gal stock tank? I think I've seen them used in pet store set ups before, but can't quite remember.

My other question would be - what could you use as basking areas? Something besides the large turtle docks you can buy. I've seen styrofoam used before...but not sure if that's really even safe?

My last question...what plants would be safe to use?

How many inches long is your turtle? Stock tanks are usually pretty cheap, so I would buy biggest one you can afford.

A 40g tank is only good enough for a 4" turtle

I'm not sure how long he is, but definitely bigger than 4"

Yeah I dont buy tanks from stores. I hit up the craigslist lol You can get a nice 100 gal on craigslist for usually 120$ or less if you find a good deal. and sometimes they come with ALL Kinds of stuff. or if you wait you can usually snag something real nice for cheap when someone is moving or something and needs it gone asap. I see 55 gals on CL ALLL the time for 30$

Hell, I bought a nice 60 gal not too long ago for TWENTY BUCKS!!!! that was one of the better deals iv found if you dont count the 3 55 gals iv gotten for free off there so far.

from what i have read and experienced its better to buy a tank that will hold the turtle its whole life, dont always go for what is cheap or recommended by pet stores.

I would say get a 100-150 gallon stock tank and a pond filter, also if its going to be outside i recommend getting a filter with a built in uv sterilizer. I have this setup and once the uv went out i could definitely tell how much it helped.

So overall i would recommend to spend the extra money now to get a bigger filter and tank then you may need at the moment just because it will save you money in the long run.

I agree with Skids. Having a tank for an adult sized turtle will avoid incremental upgrades. Larger glass tanks in good condition do hold some value, so you can find them on craigslist to buy or sell.

I'm using a 40-gallon stock tank (with about a 4-inch turtle in it), and, if by power filter you mean a H.O.T. filter, I'm using one of those on it. It's rated for up to a 110-gallon tank (Aquaclear 110), however, and the set-up is indoors. I use corkbark for the basking area. Just about any aquatic plants for aquariums would be fine to use in it (they will get eaten or torn up), but the ones I use most often are anacharis, duckweed and water hyacinth.