Photo Gallery :: Squirt and his home

[squirtsmom]

Sold on the side of the road and this is what he came in.


His much improved home


On his favorite ride


basking bridge with steps so he can rest in water


Congratulations it's a Squirt!

[SpotsMama]

You have done a very nice job! Squirt will be a happy little guy (or girl).

Is there a water heater in there? I don't see it but maybe it's just hidden.

I guess one of those lamps is for heat and one is for UVB. Can you position them so they both shine down on the basking area? What kind of lamp is that crook necked lamp - is it attached to the wall or clamped to the tank? I don't recall seeing one just like it before - it looks nice.

You've already mentioned about the gravel in your other post, and with the size of the gravel and the size of your turtle it probably won't be a big issue for awhile - but it will be eventually so you're doing the right thing to take it out.

Only one other comment - it looks like the tank is hanging over the edge of the stand which puts a strain on the tank. Any way to position it so the entire bottom of the tank is supported?

Again, nice job!

[squirtsmom]

Thanks, I'll buy a brick to fill that space between the table and the tank cause I don't want my tank to be compromised.

The lamp is a clamp on, I can't remember what it's called. I don't have a water heater, the vet said I shouldn't have a problem keeping the water warm in AZ. It's 78 degrees low in the water and 88 degrees on the basking area. (I'm keeping him warmer because of pneumonia.) I have three thermometers in that little tank cause I'm paranoid! The vet also told me the bulbs I bought probably aren't UVA/UVB and I needed to buy Reptisun fluorescent bulbs so I'll be picking up those two things tomorrow.

[DavidY]

Wow, nice job, Squirtsmom! You are a model new turtle owner! You learned everything you needed to from the very beginning to get the little guy set up with a comfortable home, plus you took him to the vet at the first signs of a problem.

I agree w/ Jen about the lamps and the heater. The lamp on the left looks like a compact flourescent bulb (the screw in kind with tubes instead of a regular round bulb). Did you get it at a pet store? The UVA/B bulbs come in that form, but if you aren't positive then you should go ahead and get a bulb that is specifically labelled as such. The Reptisun is a very good bulb (high UV output and longer life) but make sure to get the 5.0 bulb. Also take a look at this thread...http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9236. It explains how to position the bulb properly and the extra steps that need to be taken during the bulb's "burn-in" period. There is a very real danger of causing eye irritation and worse if the bulb is too close to the turtle. Just make sure to keep a close watch on Squirt's eyes after adding the new UV light.

The water heater is a good idea especially with very small turtles since it helps to maintain a consistent water temperature. You probably won't need one until the fall weather comes, but it might not hurt to get one now so you can bump up the water temp to 80 degrees since he is sick. But it's probably not an urgent issue as long as he's getting better.

Nice job with everything! Hope to see you around here more.

Edit: Oh yea, one other thing, the tank doesn't look like it's overhanging by too much (maybe an inch?). It is always a good idea to have a tank fully supported underneath to prevent stress on the glass and seams. Not doing so will eventually cause the seams to leak sooner than it normally would (the life expectancy of a glass aquarium is really only 10 to 20 years although many well built tanks last longer). Since yours is only half full and it's only overhanging by about an inch, it may not be as big a deal. You will also most likely be upgrading to a much bigger tank/tub within a year.

[marisa]

Big improvement, your turtle's very lucky.

Don't know if he needs two basking areas, especially one that moves around, though. That log doesn't look like it's meant be be submerged in water. Corkbark would be better if you want to use that sort of thing. Or, you could put in a plastic floating plant for him to ride around on.

Getting that Reptisun would be good. Have it next to the heat light over the basking area. The tank does look good.

[Turtle_Turtle]

Sold on the side of the road and this is what he came in.

This is how i got my turtles too

[camee1991]

OMG! That baby is sooo precious, and lucky to have a new mommy like you!!
Much much much improvement on the living quarters! Good job!!!

[urbancleopatra]

smart of u to think to the future and get a bigger tank so he can grow into it!

[N4784N R4613]

Don't know if he needs two basking areas, especially one that moves around, though. That log doesn't look like it's meant be be submerged in water. Corkbark would be better if you want to use that sort of thing. Or, you could put in a plastic floating plant for him to ride around on.

I use this...
http://www.petco.com/product/15052/Zoo- ... e-Log.aspx

My RES's love it!!! They ride all around the tank, it is soo funny.

[squirtsmom]

I bought the Reptisun, thought it was expensive until they told me it'd last 10-12 months. I bought a brick to put under that last inch of aquarium hanging over. I also got some anacharis and a plecostomus fish...if my turtle kills the fish I get a new one free as long as there's a body. Do any of you have plecos in the tank? I'm hoping if they grow up together then Squirt won't eat him...I guess we'll see.

I really want one of those floating logs but it's just too big for my current tank so I'll probably get one when I upgrade. I'll keep my eye out for a floating plant that can hold his five grams of weight...I don't know I was looking at a plastic lily pad but I wasn't sure it would hold him...got any recommendations.

[iac637]

We have 2 , one in each of our RES tanks ans our have done very well. We put our Plecos in before our turtles after a water change. Our RES haven't touched them but that doesn't meant that squirt won't.

[scripta_elegans]

AWWW! Squirt is a cute baby.

[squirtsmom]

scripta_elegans is that lily pad from Petco? Looks like it floats well with the baby on it.