Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 9:27 pm Re: First time Turtle Mom - Need Help
My 150 gallon Show style tank, stand, hood lights and glass tank covers cost $850.00 in 2003 or '04. That is not counting the uvb light, clamp lamp for basking and other accessories we have bought or made over the years. My girls have a slate basking rock that weighs at least 50 lbs on a pvc, slate tile and plexi glass home made frame. My UVB bulb is an 18 inch Repti Sun 10.0 in an 10 gallon aquarium light fixture. It sits in front of the clamp lamp holding my ceramic heat emitter over the basking rock. I don't keep a heater in my tank. On that note, Don't buy a glass heater. When I used tank heaters, I have had several glass ones break when the girls were babies in a smaller tank (their 55 gallon). Not fun... A tank as large mine and my daughter's 250 gallon with the glass tops on two thirds of the tank makes it's own environment and believe it or not the water stays right around 75 or so. Filters, on my 55 gallon I started with Whisper whisper 3 filter (I had to do some MacGyvering to get it to prime up properly i.e. waterproof tape on joints and a water shield to make it quiet) When I went to my 150 gallon Show tank, I added a Magnum canister filter with bio wheels. Once the girls got over 6 inches each in Carapace length I had to switch. I am now using 2 Pondmaster 1500 filters. One has a rebuilt pump and it is pushing out 550 GPH. I believe the other is at 350GPH. My girls have long outgrown this tank, But they get along well most of the time. Before I went to the heat emitter, I used Infrared bulbs. I would of went the stock tank route, but I also have dogs.
Scooter (10") & B.C.(11") both female.
150 gal with 2 Pondmaster 1500s