General Care Discussion :: N00bie has questions on RES.

[edgarmedina1010]

Hi, Im new to keeping RES turtles, I got a empty 50 gal. tank, (im not 100% sure it holds water) and ive been wanting to get a red-eared slider,I did some research but I still have some questions, 1. How many can I keep in the 50 gal.? 2. Im just making sure here. The water should be as deep as 2 twice the size of the turtle and as long as 6 times the turtle. And the water should be around 78-82 degrees *F (farenheit) 3. Which light strip is the one needed the http://tinyurl.com/qzmgr or http://tinyurl.com/2o256y . 4. Also I was thinking since the 50 gal. is 18 inches high. How high should the basking spot be? And this is just a plan ive thinking about, can I split the tank in half so that one half is just water and one half is the dry area? sorta like the second pic on this web site (but with water ) http://tinyurl.com/ytrqxl
5. Can I use this type of gravel? http://tinyurl.com/28v5ec
Well thats all I can think about asking, thanks in advance.

[CV Cream]

Where are you planning on buying the turtle(s)? If i were you, i would not go to China Town, or any place that sells these turtle illegally, for ex. Swap Market, China town,.. Turtles sold here are usually ill. Buy from breeders, or better yet from a turtle shelter where there are hundreds of unwanted turtle pets in need of a home. Basicly, its 10 gallons per inch of shell, so you can get as much as five 1 inch turtles, one 4 inch turtle, 2 two inch turtles, etc. It depends on how big the turtles are, as to how many turtle will fit into a 50 gallon. You do the math.

As to how high the basking spot should be, if you have a turtle that is not used to high water, you want to start slow, starting with a few gallons, and work your way up, adding a few gallons every 2 days, so the turtle can get comfortable. However if you buy from a breeder or from a pet shop/shelter that allready provide the proper enviornment, than you can fill the tank 75%, or as high as you feel isnt to much to allow for escape.
The basking spot would float to the level of the water, which one many here have is the Zoomed Basking Dock.
You can split the tank in half, but i think this idea was designed for water on both sides. Water on one side, and not the other would probubly cause too much pressure, and it would probubly break. How would your turt get to the other side, anyway?
About the gravel, thaats not gravel, thats sand. Its pretty hard to get sand to stay at the bottom of the tank, with out it mixing in the water and making a muddy mess. Its difficult, but some people on here proved, it can be done. No, it wont harm your turt, but watch out for gravel with the lttle rocks, those are dangerous.
ABout the lighting, i would use the second one, with more UVB. The more UVB, the better, although i havent tried any of those. I use ZooMed Uvb lamp light.


HOpe this helped, Cathy~

[edgarmedina1010]

I have a reptile store near by my house which sells red-eared sliders that are 4+ inches big, cause its ilegal to sell red eared sliders that are smaller that 4 inches. I would probably only add 2, cause red-eared sliders get 12+ inches. Ok, so the tank needs to be 75% full right? as for that plan on dividing the tank in half I doubt that i will use that, since the water level is gonna be pretty high. And as for the sand, I dont want too much hassle, so can I leave the botom bare? ok thanks for your help ....I will try to post pics when the tank is ready.

[steve]

For the tank, the shell length should be used to determine the size. A lot of people like to say 10 gallons per inch of shell length. So a 50 gallon tank is fine for a RES with a 5" long shell (SCL) or 2 2" turtles (though the will quickly outgrow this). The tank would preferably be long or wide (such as a breeder tank) and should be filled as high without the possibility of escape. Many people use a screen or hood to cover the tank. For UVB tubes, I believe the Reptisun 5.0 are very popular. It seems most new herpers are using the compact fluorescent UVB which will fit into a regular light socket.

A divided tank is just wasting valuable swimming space. Above tank basking areas are probably the most space efficient design. Sand is difficult to work with and gravel is a no.

[marisa]

Please make sure that tank holds water before you get a RES...

Don't waste space by dividing the tank. Either a basking area that provides space under it for swimming or an above the tank basking area is preferable.

Put some smooth river rocks larger than your turtles head on the bottom. Just some for him to push around and make it more interesting for him. Much better than gravel (could possibly cause an impaction if ingested) or sand (messy).

Reptisun tube flourescents are reputable--take any barrier (plexiglass or glass) out if there is one between the light and your turtle. Your turtle will still need a heat lamp to warm the basking area to 88-90F, this can be a regular lightbulb.

[edgarmedina1010]

Yep, I will make sure it holds water this saturday, I will take it outside and put some newspaper on the bottom, and will fill it all the way to the top then leave it there for 2-3 hours. In case the tank does hold water I will fill the tank to around 75% and just add one of those floating basking spots. Where can I get river rocks? do they sell those at pet stores? So I could put one 5 inch. turtle in there?..... Thanks for your help.

[steve]

Can you measure the thickness of the glass? For some reason, I didn't see that part. I would guess that the tank glass should be at least 3/8" thick.

River rocks can be bought cheaply in many places, I've seen them in supermarkets (in the floral dept) and at other garden/home improvement centers. 99¢ stores seem to carry them as well, just make sure it's thoroughly cleaned.

That tank could be suitable for a 5" RES, but the RES will grow - so you could get a smaller one and choose a male.

[edgarmedina1010]

Can you measure the thickness of the glass? For some reason, I didn't see that part. I would guess that the tank glass should be at least 3/8" thick.

River rocks can be bought cheaply in many places, I've seen them in supermarkets (in the floral dept) and at other garden/home improvement centers. 99¢ stores seem to carry them as well, just make sure it's thoroughly cleaned.

That tank could be suitable for a 5" RES, but the RES will grow - so you could get a smaller one and choose a male.

The thickness of the glass is a teeny bit smaller than a 1/4 inch. Yes, I saw them at a local store. As for the RES, I think the smallest one I could get is a 4'' one. I also had one more question, does the tank need to be 'cycled' before I can add a RES?...Thanks in Advance.

[marisa]

You can get bags of river rocks at places like Walmart, even dollar stores and craft stores (buy the ones that say they're aquarium safe). Larger amounts can be found at places like Home Depot, Lowes (but you don't need a lot of them). Rinse them well before putting them in the tank.

[edgarmedina1010]

ok, Thanks marisa. Also does the tank need to be 'cycled' before I can add a RES?...

[marisa]

No, you don't have to wait (I never did).

[edgarmedina1010]

No, you don't have to wait (I never did).

Would putting some cycled water from my fish tank help a bit?....oh and can I use this? (since I already have it for my fish tank) http://tinyurl.com/yqyax2 thanks again.

[marisa]

If you have treated water, it should be OK (it says it removes chlorine and chlormines on the front).

I know of keepers who have used some of the media from a filter in an established tank to jump-start the beneficial bacteria in a new tank. You might want to try that.

[edgarmedina1010]

If you have treated water, it should be OK (it says it removes chlorine and chlormines on the front).

I know of keepers who have used some of the media from a filter in an established tank to jump-start the beneficial bacteria in a new tank. You might want to try that.

Cool, thanks.

[edgarmedina1010]

ABout the lighting, i would use the second one, with more UVB. The more UVB, the better, although i havent tried any of those. I use ZooMed Uvb lamp light.


HOpe this helped, Cathy~

I also had another question, since you said the more UVB, the better. Would this be 'better'? http://tinyurl.com/3xkwnq than this one?
http://tinyurl.com/2o256y thanks