Photo Gallery :: setup, on a budget (a work in progress)

[lizard]

the tank (60 gallon?) and the filter (via aqua 750) and the heater (via aqua titanium tube) were purchased by my (now ex) boyfriend, who did a pretty good job picking a good tank & filter, but neglected a proper basking arrangement. after doing some research around here i decided that i had to do something about it. money is sorely tight right now, but i made do. it is my dream to put together one of those gorgeous, amazing setups like some of the folks here have, and i will do this! but for now, i just needed to be a better turtle mom.

i went to three stores before i even found a turtle dock, and it was $22 for a medium, when clearly i needed at least a large. ! i wasn't going to spend $22 on something that would be inadequate the minute i bought it -- this is where i improvised.

i went to target, not knowing what i wanted exactly but figuring it would be in the rubbermaid department. and there it was -- a nice sturdy stepstool, which would make a combination hidey-hole and basking platform. the cost: $8.99.


it actually works perfectly, it tends to float a little but i swooshed the air bubbles out from under it, and used suction cups to secure the legs.


the guys like it because it gives them shelter, they haven't explored the top yet. on the top of the footstool, it has a soft rubbery surface which i think will give them plenty of traction to pull themselves up, and one side of it is just barely under the water, should be pretty easy to get up on it.


whenever i start with the cameraphone, my son grabs his to take some pictures too


now i know i need to decorate, and get plants, and maybe some nice big rocks for substrate, but for now, the guys seem positively delighted with the improvements.

[megcornell]

That's a great basking idea! And your guys do look pretty delighted in their new tank. I love how red the one guys ears are! I would just make sure they cannot climb out of the side of the tank, maybe you could put up some plexiglass or something to block them from tumbling out. My turtle hasn't gotten large enough to be a flight risk yet, but I'm not looking forward to it when he does .

[SpotsMama]

Very clever!

[lizard]

thanks

sadly, i used to have glass that would cover the whole top of the aquarium, but today during the cleaning when i took one piece and just set it down on the shower floor, it broke! i still have one other piece of tank cover, which along with the light fixture ought to cover enough so they could not get out.

there is a good bit of space between the top of the stool, and the edge, though, and it seems pretty physically impossible for them to get from the stool to the edge of the tank -- unless turtles can stand on their hind legs, or jump. which, i wouldn't put past them. one thing i was really surprised by, was how *fast* these guys are! there's some commercial that's been running recently, that uses the phrase 'turtle-slow' -- obviously those people never had a RES!

oh, they're just such happy turtles tonight. they're very active, exploring, having guppy snacks, and generally just looking so content.

[SpotsMama]

I'm happy that they're happy!

[Azaria]

Congratulations!!!!
You reached each owner's goal... happy turtles...
How old are they?
Very very cute :d

[FanOfTurts]

Wow....the things u can buy at Target for turtles. I was in Target a xouple of weeks ago at the rubbermaid section and I saw some 55 gallon tubs there and they are priced reasonably. I still yet have to go to a couple of other places and brouse. I have a 30 gallon tank set-up now.

[lizard]

Azaria, i don't know how old they are, i got them about 4-5 months ago, and at that time they were about 5" -- they have grown (i'm not making this up) at least an inch or two since then, but they weren't adequately fed or housed before they came to live with us, so that may explain the growth spurt (and all the shedding! they shed at least twice in that time!). if anyone could give me a guesstimate on their ages based on that, and the pictures, i'd love to know how old my guys are.

and yes, FanOfTurts, the rubbermaid section is indeed a cool place for all things turtle. we had a filter disaster a few weeks ago (the carbon mysteriously & suddenly disintegrated, turning the water almost black overnight!) and i bought a 110 litre clear plastic temporary home for the guys, got it at Big Lots, for under $10.

[cam722]

Unfortunately there is no way to guesstimate the age of a turtle based on size..

this quote is from the main website regarding size/age:

Size cannot reliably indicate age; however, captive turtles usually grow at a much faster rate. This is usually a result of overfeeding and a lack of hibernation periods.

If they were improperly cared for prior to your getting them.. they could have stunted growth. Also, genetics plays a part in their size. If you end up with a female and she becomes gravid, that may give an estimated age but still nothing for certain.

[CountryGirl68]

unless turtles can stand on their hind legs, or jump. which, i wouldn't put past them.

Houdini tends to be a popular name for RES. Actually, I believe there's a picture in the gallery of a little turtle literally climbing the tank walls (don't remember where it is). The owner said something about it doing a Spiderman pose!! They are experts at escape.

You can use wire mesh or chicken wire to cover the top of the tank - just make sure the holes are 1/2 inch wide.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

lizard,thats a pretty clever basking area lol.