Equipment Review and Discussion :: New Tank, What Do I Buy Now?

[Taylordmcclure]

Hello! I have 3 RES 6 month old turtles and they are my babies! I recently switched them form a 10 gallon to an 80 gallon tank. I have a few questions.
1. What type of filtration system do you recommend I use if I plan to have around 40 gallons of water in the tank? I have heard that turtles need extra or even double filtration since they get so dirty and I am not sure what brands are good, They had a whisper in the previous tank and it is way too little for this new tank.
2. Do my little guys or gals need an air pump? I know they do not breathe underwater, but is this necessary, or even beneficial to the turtles, or would it be wasted space in my tank?
3. Is there any other major things that I need for my turtles? I have a basking area, plenty of room for them to swim, I feed them 2 times a day (once in the morning and once at night) and turn the heat lamp off at night and back on in the morning when I give them food. Do they need any other things to maintain their healthy lives and keep them clean and not sick?

Thank you so much for your help!

[steve]

1) If you can add a bit more water in there, I would go with a FX6. Stock it with activated carbon and bio media.

2) Air pump not required because you can use the filter to agitate the water surface. This is good for the water quality.

3) Get rid of the gravel. A lot of people like sand as a substrate. Not necessary, but it looks nice, is cheap, and is easy to maintain. If not, then keep the bottom bare.

What kind of basking area do you have now? You might want to upgrade.

What type of lighting do you have besides a heat lamp? They also need UVA and UVB.

Consider a timer for the lights.

Do they have submersible water heaters?

Do you have thermometers?

Since you just joined, you might want to re-evaluate their diet as well.

Welcome to the site!