Habitat - Indoor :: My Build Thread

[Lrigyttiw]

My space is very limited, so this is what I can do at this time. I upgraded from a 10 gallon tank to a 40 gallon tank. I will be able to get a Fluval 406 filter in April. Until then, I have to work with what I have (the Tetra ReptoFilter from my old tank - I know it's not adequate enough but, it's what I have). I put the old floating dock in the upper left corner so they could have something to rest on under the water. I have the Turtle Topper, sitting on top of a piece of egg crate. The egg crate top is cut in two pieces, so I can feed them.

My DIY tank stand is 9 2x6x3.33 foot planks, 8 12x8x16 cement blocks, glitter spray paint on the cement blocks, glitter on the front of the wood. Total cost = $41.00.
It seems sturdy enough. I'm happy with it.

[steve]

That stand looks great, you did a good job with the setup. Is there anything holding down the reptile carpet?

[Lrigyttiw]

I have it attached with Marineland Aquarium Sealant. I forgot about the Turtle Topper's "Underwater Resting Platform", so I removed the carpet, put the platform on, put the carpet back on, and cut holes in my egg crate so the platform legs could fit through. Now they both can have something to sleep on at night. It's right next to the floating dock (which I'm using as a turtle bed). Now begins the task of adding pool filter sand.

[steve]

Sounds like you follow a lot of the advice on this site

[Lrigyttiw]

I've been reading this forum every night since I found it in January. It's so helpful. I also read so that I don't ask the same questions that others have asked. The best answer so far has been whether to get the Python system. It was a life changer and I wish I heard about it before now; it's my favorite tool in my turtle arsenal.

It's so neat to see them swimming so much. They haven't ventured up into the new basking spot, but I'm sure they will. They love the new underwater platform.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your turtle knowledge. It sure helps the newbies out.

[steve]

Repeat questions are sometimes OK, it helps me get a scope of what's going on and of the poster's skill level. Glad everything is going well!

[Lrigyttiw]

Sand cleaning is done. I rinsed in the bottle 4 times before I added it to the tank. I'm sure the cloudiness will settle down.
I added some golf balls for toys. Next up is the Fluval 406 and its media.

(I don't know why my pics are sideways... )

[steve]

Looks very nice! I think some people add some polishing filter media to help pick up any of the fine dust.

I think someone said the sideway pics are due to a smartphones being held that way. They don't capture the actual image sideways, it's been flagged in the metadata (along with other details about the picture). So, when it's uploaded, the metadata is not sent along with the picture.

Anyway, I noticed you have a probe thermometer. Those can be very unreliable, I would pick up a second thermometer of a different type (floating, LCD, infrared, etc) to double check the temperatures.

[Lrigyttiw]

I saw some floating thermometers at the Petco/Petsmart, but wondered if Elton would bite them. I'll add one to the Amazon list.

[steve]

If anything, get those sticky LCD ones. They are pretty consistent and stay out of the tank.

[Lrigyttiw]

The sticky LCD ones? The thermometer strip? Added it to the list, along with a temperature gun.

[steve]

Yes, one of those. If you look for a temp gun, those pop up on sale occasionally for around $10-12.

[Lrigyttiw]

I'm reposting this for myself, so I can have a place for all my collected information I've culled from this site.

How to cycle a tank; Posted by Kansasslider:

"Post Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 8:11 am Re: Fluval 305 and water stinks

Your not letting your tank cycle and your not letting your filter establish bacteria. This is what you need to do.If your tank has water in it and I assume your filter has been cleaned do NOTHING for 1 week. Then start doing partial water changes 20-40% once a week. Do not add any drops to the water. If you are adding drops because of chlorine just fill 2 5 gallon buckets with tap water and let them sit for 24 hrs the chlorine will evaporate . Do the partial water changes for one month before cleaning your filter. Clean your foam pads and ceramic rings in a bucket of tank water and replace carbon. Now if you just follow this routine your tank should be cycled in 4-8 weeks.You should only do partial water changes once a week. I do 20-40% or so.And clean your filter once a month. Now for your other problem your turtles are too big for that tank. Can you get a bigger tank? You also need a siphon so you can clean the waste off the bottom of the tank. Siphon when you do your water changes. Dont use a shop vac it removes water to fast and you will have an empty tank before the bottom is clean. There are many ways to cycle a tank this is just what works for me. Its important to stick to a routine until the tank is established.Hope this helps.

Last edited by Kansasslider on Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:48 am, edited 1 time in total.