General Care Discussion :: Decisions! Decisions!

[jy13131]

I have 2 red ear sliders that I received as hatchlings from someone who had gotten them for someone as a gift and they couldn't keep them (Typical story)! They were little, maybe 2 inches, and while I knew they were going to grow quickly, I will admit I was not prepared for them to outgrow their 20 gallon turtle starter tank after a mere 4 months. We live in Southern California and I am trying to decide if I want to keep them outside or inside. I only want to move them one time. I am researching all the different options. My first big question is.....is it possible to make an outdoor enclosure where they will NOT hibernate is Southern California? And is it a matter of water temperature? I have never had an outdoor water enclosure. We have a concrete patio so everything would have to be free standing. I like the idea of an indoor aquarium because I like to see their WHOLE BODIES!! I mean that is the cutest part.......But I do not like that an aquarium is harding to "scape" in a natural way. Then there is the option of having a rubbermaid INSIDE my house. Luckily my husband is handy. So first decision, inside or outside. Oh! And I have two cats. I don't think they would hurt the turtles but they do like to play in the water. I am looking forward to hearing any opinions anyone wants to share. Thank you!

[estefany]

Ive had my turtles both inside and out. Let me tell you some things i liked and disliked. (Personal experience)
Outdoor:
Pros;
-seems like the most natural environment you can provide for them
-natural UV
-an outdoor pond will make your house look great!
Cons;
-my turtles were constantly finding their way out (even tho i made sure to fence the pond) and getting lost....i was constantly having to count them and stick my arms in the pond to make sure they were there...eventually 2 ran away and i never saw them again.
-RES are an invasive species already, if they run away and find their way to a local pond/stream its bad for the environment.
-green water. You will not have clear water...ever. A filter with a UV sterilizer will help but they are expensive and cost to run.
- you will have to hibernate your turtles in the winter. And its risky for turtles in captivity to hibernate.
-you get less bonding time with your turtles and they will be less and less tame, they will only see you as a food supplier.
-predators. Street cats...raccoons...etc.

Indoors:
Pros;
-your turtle sees you constantly and you get more bonding time.
-crystal clear water
-no runaways
- easy to provide heated water for the colder months
-no predators
-you can get really creative with their habitats and it can make the inside of your house look great
-easier to monitor their eating habits and easier to spot a sick turtle

Cons;
-takes space away
-Need to provide UV
-Not so natural
Cant think of more

Basically, in my experience, i had a indoor set up, and thought it would be better for them to have a outdoor habitat...boy was i wrong. i lost 2 turtles, i didn't like it, made me feel distant from them and ended up building an indoor pond for them. Its in my living room and guests love it. I have some chairs next to my pond where i sit and read or browse the web with my ipad. And the sound of water from the filter outtake splashing the water in the pond is SO RELAXING. My babies (turtles lol) always swim up to me and let me pet them, they lay in my lap and rest, and they look so happy. I highly recommend a indoor pond. The rubbermaid tub is a great idea, but may i suggest just buying pond liner and cinder blocks? It looks much better than a rubbermaid tub and is cheaper too depending on where you buy the stuff. Wrap the blocks with wood afterwards or hide them with decorative stone. Its inexpensive but will look like a million bucks lol...OH and don't forget to DIY your filter (;
Sorry if my reply is too long lol...its night time where i am and my insomnia is keeping me up. So i tend to take my time writing stuff out and i write really long posts haha

[jy13131]

I appreciate you sharing your experience. During my insomnia I had already come to the conclusion.....indoors! I'm intrigued by the indoor pond. Do you have pics of yours? My issue is that we have a 1300 square foot home and squeezing a pond in has to be done very creatively. Luckily! Both my husband and I are Pisces!

[steve]

There are a handful of users who have made elaborate indoor ponds… like this http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthrea ... o-finish-!! or viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28773&hilit=+indoor+stock+tank

[jy13131]

My husband and I are going to look at a used 125 gallon tank tomorrow. It's used but very gently and has equipment included. It has only been used for freshwater. It has a canopy. My husband just said " we use the same lights?" Like as in our little 20 gallon starter tank. And I realized I'm not sure! I have only had fish aquariums in the past. So how do we do the lighting? Any other suggestions or recommendations are welcome!

[jy13131]

Oh! And that indoor pond was simply stunning!

[steve]

What lights/fixtures do you have? In most cases you can... for the filter, make sure it's powerful enough. If it is, I would buy some new media for it as well.

[jy13131]

So we picked up the tank. It was a custom tank and custom cabinet. I'll post a picture of it but because it is basically one piece of furniture with the tank set in the back, and several access points for maintenance, I have to have it rigged before we finish it off and put the water in. The good news is that the glass is SUPER thick. Unfortunately that also means it is super heavy. There are four seperate glass pieces that cover the top. I am thinking of getting two light strips to attach at the top. That's what they had but they need to be replaced. Then on one end I won't use the glass and make the basking area with a clamp on lamp. I will need to do more research on lighting. It came with a fluval 403 filter and one other fluval. I will put new media in both and incorporate the biological Ickies from my already established tank. My biggest concern is how I do my land area. For that I need some suggestions. I will be looking at lots of tanks on the internet for ideas.

[jy13131]

And currently I have two lights that came with my turtle starter tank. A basking dome light and a daylight dome light. It's easy to light up a 20 gallon!!

[steve]

How old is the tank? Make sure you carefully check the seals as this would be the time to reseal it if necessary. One of my tank uses PVC and tile… it will last forever. There are also basking areas that are made of Plexiglass that use suction cups. It should work pretty well for smaller turtles.

[jy13131]

We filled the tank yesterday and it's solid. The glass is extraordinarily thick. All the seals are good. I will probably do a basking platform on top of PVC. I have to worry about a sand box as these turtles are not rules out as females yet.

[jy13131]

Oh! And our cabinet is only a stand now due to a major mishap. So the top is open and I can do anything we want!

[steve]

Sounds good! Do you have a picture of the new tank?