General Care Discussion :: General Info

[CactusJohn5]

I wanted to pass on what i have been doing with my 2 RES females and see what you guys think, and what info can you pass on to me to care for them better.

2 females about 7'' shell, Age unknown, rescue from a girl in NC who had them for about 5 years in a 5 gallon bucket. I've had them almost 2 years so i estimate 7 years old.
They have about doubled in size since i have had them.

Current Set-up, 75 gallon, filled to about 65 gallons, water temp at 70 (winter here in NH, USA), summer temp was about 75-80.
Basking Uvb and 100w drop lamps. Temp around 95, also sun from about 1-3pm on basking spot.

Feeding, Sun, Wed, Fri, Every other day is Carrots(about 5-10 baby sized), then alternating days are repto-min sticks (about 1/4 cup). (feed individually in a separate bucket)

Filter is Fluval 305, Filter cleaned (rinsed out and insides fully cleaned) beginning of each month, with carbon, and sponges replaced every 6 months.
10 gallons taken out each month and replaced with new water, no full water changes.

looking for constructive ideas/advice. No need for ... OH you need 140 gallon of water, cause 2x7'' = 14x10 gallons! i know the rule. they are in what i can currently afford.

[steve]

I think you are feeding too much pellets/protein. Growing 2x the size in 2 years might be a little too fast. I would probably replace more water frequently. Are you using any bio media, like ceramic rings?

[CactusJohn5]

i originally was using bio media, but after a good amount of research online, i determined it is better for turtles to have higher carbon and sponge media, than to use bio media. My tanks water is always clean: only murky, at the beginning of each month when i clean my filter. Also the ratio of protein to veggies is 50/50 . I would attribute the "rapid" growth to the fact that 2 turtles were in a 5 gallon bucket getting just repto-min, to being moved to a 75 gallon, getting proper lighting and mixed diet. I have seen a couple sites that says its not uncommon for turtles to grow when they are moved to a bigger home.

What is the thought on cuddlebone/calcium blocks in the tank? anyone use them and whats your success? my girls won't touch a cuddlebone.

[steve]

Bio media pretty much can last forever, you just buy it once. 50/50 protein/veggies is still too much IMO. Turtle growth and size do not reflect habitat size.

Cuttlebone is fine (remove backing and clips) but calcium block/dr. turtle stuff is ineffective and possibly harmful.

[vear]

Do you clean your entire filter media all at once? Do you clean it in tank water or with tap water? Without any bio media, if you're cleaning everything in tap water you'll kill your cycle everytime you do this. You also say your tank is always clean, what are your nitrates, nitrites and ammonia readings? IMO as both a turtle keeper and fish keeper, your biomedia is the most important one, and the carbon is not very useful if you're leaving it in there for 6 months. I only use carbon when I want to get rid of smells and/or medication, but I don't leave it in there any longer than 2 months or so.

Oh, also, I agree with Steve, your water changes should be more frequent than once a month.

[VeipaCray]

Your bio media is critical for maintaining a proper turtle environment. Without testing for ammonia / nitrites & nitrates as mentioned above, you have no idea how "clean" your water is. Just because it looks clear doesn't mean it's good. You want to maintain 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite.

As for setting up your fluval 305 (which is way undersized for your tank)... see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

The reason for doing a water change is to keep the nitrate levels in check. Without measuring, you have no idea how often you need to be doing water changes.
You'll want to use carbon and replace it monthly if you're using unfiltered tap water. Carbon will remove chloramine from tap water without the use of any harmful water conditioner chemicals. You don't need much carbon.