Photo Gallery :: Cortez and Her New Home!

[industrial_girl_2000]

How do you know if they are aquarium safe?

I personally have never used the glass rocks, only because I'd be afraid that Sheba would eat them (of course, she is a lot bigger than Cortez!). Rocks I have used in the past with a lot of success: granite (hard & colors vary from pink/tan with little dark gray specks) & quartz (also very hard), and any other kinds of river stones which have been tumbled & are very round, preferably the ones without layers because sometimes the layers can sometimes come apart in the water.

I have also used in the past with great success: broken pieces of brick to prop up a basking area when I had smaller turtles or broken piece of cinder block (sometimes you get a nice big flat piece to put on top of the brick). The nice thing about cinder block is that it has a rougher texture which makes it easy for the turtle to grab & pull herself up.

Don't worry about rough edges on the rocks.....turtles deal with rough edges in the wild too & have no problem navigating around them. The only one who has to worry about rough edges is you, when you reach into the water or clean after them!

I never had to pay for any of the above rocks. They were all free, thanks to some guys at various construction sites who were more than willing to give away their broken materials.

[cam722]

One thing you need to keep in mind with using bricks and cinder blocks is the fact that they may leach other elements in your water. Just something to keep in mind

[JELslider]

Thanks! I decided to get that stand because it could hold a 75 gallon tank... whenever I needed to upgrade I wouldn't have to worry about getting a new stand!

[industrial_girl_2000]

One thing you need to keep in mind with using bricks and cinder blocks is the fact that they may leach other elements in your water. Just something to keep in mind

Good reason to do regular water changes! Thanks for the added info.

[MrRedmanbhs]

What type of Filter is that that you have?

[JELslider]

The filter is "RENA" Filstar Canister Filter.... I got the medium size one. It is really good so far, it really sucks up the food waste, dead skin, and what ever else is floating around. Plus the multiple water jets make it look like a waterfall. Cortez loves that part~

[industrial_girl_2000]

JELslider, I just had to tell you again how beautiful Cortez looks in her tank. I really enjoy your pictures!

[JELslider]

AW Thank you! I saw what you wrote on the other guy's pictures, when I asked him about getting another turtle. That was nice too!

I do like to keep her happy... I love it when I come home how excited she is to see me... in reality she is excited because its feeding time.

She moved that rock over again... she is really strong. She burried her way underneath the rock and then swam over about 5 inches carrying that huge rock on her back! After she moved it exactly where she wanted it... she squirmed her way out from under it she stuck her head out of the water as if to catch her breath! She is too much!

Sheba seems really smart too! I saw your video where she walks to you when you call her. She must be really attached to you if she does that. Cortez will walk away and try to hide from me...especially if I had a camera!