Habitat - Indoor :: upgrading

[Kansasslider]

Sounds like a good deal.

[Impulse Shopper]

So, not the Impulse Shopper then?

LOL! Only an impulse shopper when it came to George. Since then, yes, I'm carefully planning, preparing, researching, etc. But bringing her home with me that fateful, fine day in Chinatown one August afternoon: very impulsive!

They keep marking down the prices to clear inventory. They have another tank for $49. I'll take it...in a few days.

[Impulse Shopper]

Sounds like a good deal.

I think so. For $107 I got the glass aquarium, this Jebo Internal Power Filter 101 (hope I'm putting it in right; I don't want her to fall in), aquarium came with a light bulb lid that kinda bums me out (I'm used to her lid to her container being open, but I know she needs the lighting), a beautiful rock sculpture, a turtle calcium block, and a heater!

Hope I'm putting this together correctly! I have no idea what I'm doing! But I'm confident. It's not brain surgery, right?

The basking dock I had my eye on: they sold out of, will have by Monday, but the rock sculpture is elaborate as such that she'll be OK for the time being, methinks...

Wish me luck!!! Advice welcome!

Update: I hope everything went OK. She appears to be in her bliss. She's hanging out/napping by the heater. I suspected she's been cold.

Update: I noticed the light on the heater was not on. It was not fully submerged enough. So when I added water, little George freaked out and I don't want her to drown. I see the heater is fully submersible so I can lay it on it's side. Just gotta pick up an extension cord. Right now, the heat from the light bulbs though: she seems to be enjoying.

Update: there's a whole lotta leg and arm stretching going on. I can see a growth spurt coming on now

[steve]

I probably would have gone a different route with some of the other stuff. What kind of heater did you get? There are some for fishes that can't be fully submerged or has a thermostat. How high is the water level? ZIlla makes a nice simple basking platform that is good with smaller tanks.

[Impulse Shopper]

I probably would have gone a different route with some of the other stuff. What kind of heater did you get? There are some for fishes that can't be fully submerged or has a thermostat.

That's the kind I got. Not sure if it's for fish, but it has a thermostat, and turns itself off and on when it reaches the set temperature.

How high is the water level? ZIlla makes a nice simple basking platform that is good with smaller tanks.

Well, I picked up a basking platform in Chinatown yesterday. The water level is at about half full. She's crawling on the platform (her curiosity is at an all time high since she has a new home) and diving off of it. Basking, not so much, but we'll see...

The lid/light question: can I leave it on? I don't like thinking of her in darkish conditions (it's winter, so the days are short) but at least she's got a heater so she won't be cold...

Yesterday I left it on from 11:30am to 7pm while I ran errands, and it felt warm but everything was OK. Then I just kept it on a few hours longer until I saw her getting sleepy. Today, I left it off. I'll be gone for 13 hours and that makes me nervous; leaving the lamp on. Thoughts??

[Impulse Shopper]

I probably would have gone a different route with some of the other stuff.

Like what?

What kind of heater did you get? There are some for fishes that can't be fully submerged or has a thermostat.

Jebo Aqua Heater 2010.



It's fully submerged in a horizontal position. Set to the 82 mark. (The notch below is 78, which seemed a bit chilly.)

How high is the water level?

Actually it's at 1/3, not 1/2 as I previously said. She's getting a change today, and I'm going for 1/2 full since she has a very tall rock structure as well as a floating basking tray.

How far from the light is the basking tray supposed to be? In inches? She's had it since Sunday and she crawls on it, but does not bask.

I also need to find out what kind of bulbs I have. There are two different ones I need, right? Can I just put one in one socket and a different bulb type in the other? She has a fully covered lid/light set up at the moment.

Thanks to anyone who reads my million questions!

ZIlla makes a nice simple basking platform that is good with smaller tanks.

She has this one:

[steve]

Mainly the filter. The heater should be fine, though I have not used those before. I usually don't use them with their suction cups... they just kind of dangle with the cord usually out of water. Do you have a thermometer? I like recommend having 2 different kinds on hand to check and double check.

[Impulse Shopper]

Mainly the filter.

I am side eyeing the filter, too. What faults do you perceive in it. What do you suggest as an alternate?

I also have the one I used when she was in a smaller tank. It has a little jet stream and I noticed her playing in that once or twice.

[steve]

Well, it's an internal filter (similar to a Tetra Whisper) and you have to use their cartridge which are expensive, too small and need frequent replacement. They also don't move a lot of water, and have no room for any bio media. For a 50 gallon, you can look into a hang on filter or a small canister. The term hang-on are for filters like the Aquaclear.

[VeipaCray]

What size tank? Be sure sure to do some fill testing, even with new tanks. There have been some quality complaints about the Aqueon brand. Also make sure there is some warranty... I think Aqueon tanks 65G and larger carry a lifetime warranty.

Aqueon warranty info: http://www.aqueonproducts.com/assets/012/23821.pdf

Technically the warranty is only valid if the tank is on an Aqueon stand.

[Kansasslider]

Look for a canister filter. Even a sunsun is ok vs a hob filter. Glad you got the bigger tank. Your turtle must be so happy

[Impulse Shopper]

Well, it's an internal filter (similar to a Tetra Whisper) and you have to use their cartridge which are expensive, too small and need frequent replacement. They also don't move a lot of water, and have no room for any bio media.

That's the main part I don't like: it's not moving any water. And the filter, after two weeks, is gross! The folks at the aquarium said replace each month, but I don't think so. It's time now!

Also, what's bio media?

For a 50 gallon, you can look into a hang on filter or a small canister. The term hang-on are for filters like the Aquaclear.

Thank you!

[Impulse Shopper]

Look for a canister filter. Even a sunsun is ok vs a hob filter. Glad you got the bigger tank. Your turtle must be so happy

Yay! Thank you for the tips! Grateful for the advice!

Yes, George seems very happy and I am very relieved. She swims around, she basks (shyly), and she's warm. I also need to get the lighting right. Just using whatever bulbs came with the lid right now.

[ljapa]

I vote canister filter. Biomedia is a very porous substance, often ceramic but can be glass or rock, that's designed to allow beneficial bacteria to colonize it.

Your turtle produces lots of waste. You want lots of biomedia to help convert that waste to nitrates that you remove via water changes.

The challenge with the Tetra Whisper and other internal filters is that they don't have room for lots of biomedia or carbon or sponges. They struggle to keep up and eventually aren't sufficient. Plus they take p space in the tank you can devote to your turtle.

[Impulse Shopper]

I'm switching back to the Jebo Internal filter AP112F. The other one needs a filter replacement, and I am dissatisfied by its lack of ability to move water (George likes to play in the fountain).



Will it be powerful enough for her tank? It's all temporary as I now see the upgrade process is ongoing. She's already beginning to outgrow her basking spot.