General Care Discussion :: turtle tank help

[nai13]

is it possible to have to big of a tank for a turtle??

[EmperorTunaFish]

So long as the turtle has stuff to rest on, I don't think size would be a problem. When I stuck my dude (3" at the time) in a 65g, he had a great time finding every nook and item.

[BullDog]

I agree. As long as they have a few resting spaces (tall plants, platforms, etc.), then there's no such thing as too big of a tank

[theartbook35]

It is actually possible to give a turtle a tank too big. Always obey the 10 gallon per inch of turtle rule, don't get something which has more gallons than your turtle's shell length. Like all reptiles extra space makes a turtle feel like they are out in the open.

One of the things I like to do, and this is my personal preference... I multiply my turtle's shell length by five if they are under four inches, and if above four inches I multiply the shell length by eight. It's a weird thing to remember, but, I've used that system and kept a couple of two inch turtles in a gallon for a whole year without any problems. I wanted a 20 gallon but I didn't have the money, so I settled for a 10.

Yes, the more hiding places, the better. Turtles love to hide under small rocks if you have sand they can dig in, (fine grain sand is best), plants are great for hiding, large rocks (do not sit large rocks on top of sand, turtles will burrow under the rock and get stuck or crushed) are fun to hide behind, and so on. Getting those tank posters also help to give a turtle privacy.

[mikee]

In regards to the amount of water: your tank should not be any larger than Lake Okeechobee. That lake is located in Florida. Lots of water.

[papoopeepoo]

Just out of curiosity, how large are you planning on making your tank?

[akaghettoraver]

Go ahead and get the largest tank you possible can. I have a 200gal for a 6" female and will upgrade to a 500 or 600gal. My tank is 3 times as wide as my turt's length, 5 times the length of my turt, and I like the water to be atleast twice as deep as my turt's length. Red Ear Sliders come from ponds and static waterways of all sizes. The bigger the better, I believe going with a tank that gives as much swimming space you can possible afford or fit n a room. They love to swim. Another thing I think people forget about is there basking spots, that must be as big as possible as well. Likes others here have said, give objects for your turtle to explore around and rest on with just the head sticky out of water. Plants and large rocks work very well as well as drift wood. Fake plant might be better due to the fact your turt will eat real ones, its a way of saving a dim or two. Real plants are good source for food tho.

[seanwb]

is it possible to have to big of a tank for a turtle??

No. They happily live in massive lakes and rivers. The more we can match their live environment the better.

Comparing the behaviour of a 8" slider in a 60 gallon tank with it's behaviour after a move to a 300 gallon tank just backs this up.

The 10 gallon per inch of turtle rule is a minimum not maximun

[SpenceMasta]

turtles live in lakes and rivers, theres no maximum to how big of a tank they can live in, only a maximum of how much space YOU can handle

i recommend buying the largest tank you can to avoid having to make multiple upgrades, the only concern to making such a big buy are the chances your turtle gets that big, younger turtles have a higher mortality rate, so such a large tank might go unused if it doesn't make it to its maximum growth

in 10 years ive gone from a 20 gallon, to a 45, to a 100 gallon, and wished i skipped the 45, filling them to the top and having an above tank basking area always helps utilize all available space

[myboyblue]

in 10 years ive gone from a 20 gallon, to a 45, to a 100 gallon, and wished i skipped the 45, filling them to the top and having an above tank basking area always helps utilize all available space[/quote


Couldnt agree more. I just upgraded to a 75 gallon for my res. About 4 3/4 in. And even though its a lot more water and room laterally, its still not very wide front to back. I think I wasted my money, it wont be long before I corner off a section of a room and build something. I want multiple basking areas and different water levels and basically an indoor like 6x8 pond.