General Care Discussion :: 150 gallons for two adults - still too small?

[scriabin]

Okay, I do know the inch-to-gallon formula but we're crossing into the realm of absurdly large aquariums here so please be gentle with me -

Three weeks after adopting Terra and Althea from the movie set, I have managed to secure a 150 gallon aquarium. Things have moved very fast in this regard and I sort of can't believe I actually own something so gigantic.

Having gone this far this fast, I now don't want to give Althea up for adoption if I can help it (unless they start fighting, in which case it will be much easier, but even so I hope they don't).

By the formula, a 150 gallon is still too small for two adult females. It's possible in a couple years when they actually reach full size (it will be a couple of years, right?) my ship might come in and upgrading to a 200 gallon won't seem the impossible extravagance it seems now. Or it's possible that my ship won't come in and 150 gallons will be as high as I can go for the next decade or so.

Should I give Althea up for adoption because I can't guarantee them a 200 gallon tank?

Jonathan

[Chrisbarnett]

How big are the turtles?

a rule for 2 turtles in one tank is 10 gallons per inch of shell for the first turtle, then half of that per inch of shell for the second turtle.

[scriabin]

Right now they're four inches, but their females, so my question is more for the long term...

[TheComputerGremlin]

Like Chrisbarnett said, you can get by with 12 x 10 + 12 x 10 x 0.5 gallons with two turtles. So, 180 gallons. But remember, ultimately we can only provide what we can provide. A 150 gallon tank will probably be good for life. The only thing you may want to consider is an additional basking area so they can both bask in different areas if desired.

[scriabin]

Thanks - that's re-assuring. If I can ever swing a 200 gallon I'll definitely do so (Ideally I'd stock it with some large fish too), but I'm glad you think the 150 will do, because 200 is gigantic and well beyond my means for the foreseeable future. The 150 is huge! I can't believe I own it - I found an amazing deal online and pounced - two weeks worth of scouring craigslist really paid off...

[megcornell]

For now that 150 gallon is a dream come true to both of them.

It'd be one thing if you knew of an amazing home for Athena, but chances are high that someone who takes her can't offer her anything better than you can.

I'd definitely keep both for now. If issues arise you can divide the tank. Like computergremlin suggested, give them separate basking areas now, it cuts down on issues to fight over. You can also feed them at separate ends of the tank so they aren't biting to get at the same turtle pellets. Finally, add some fake plants. Turtles like privacy and even though this doesn't really afford them much, they like to have a spot where they can't see the other turtle.

[untsmurf]

Meg said everything I was going to say, so I'll just second that!

One addition though, I strongly believe that that tank should suit them for a very long time. It takes turtles years to reach full grown status, and not every female reaches 12''. And dividing a tank that size with still offer a good amount of room for both adults. It might be a little crowded, but it's much better than before. If you can eventually get the 200 gallon, or a separate 100 gallon or something later on, that's just a bonus.

Congratulations on your find! Make sure and post pics of the new tank.

[steve]

Do keep in mind that larger tanks retain their resale value better than small tanks, so always go big