General Care Discussion :: Seperate tanks DILEMMA!

[firstimeturtlelover]

Ok so apparently I need to get separate tanks for my turtles until Leonardo has grown a little. I have another dilemma though once I get another tank for Michelangelo how do I keep the water cold enough to were he'll get out and bask.

[TheComputerGremlin]

You want the water temp to be around 75 degrees and the basking temp around 90. However, some turtles prefer a warmer or cooler basking temp, mine loves his 95.

What you are asking is how to keep his tank cool? The most effective way is to take soda pop bottles and wash them really well. Then fill them with water and freeze them. Add them whole to the tank to drop the temp. But it's a difficult process, if you have a large tank, it will take awhile to cool, if you have a small tank, you may cool it too much and stunt the turtle's metabolism for awhile.

What is your tank temp right now? Honestly, I've found that my turtle has only basked when the tank temp was around 80, which is not normal.

[SpotsMama]

Hi Firstime, I don't want to rain on your parade, but you will probably need to keep the turts separate permanently. There are occasions where turtles get along well enough to share a tank, but it has to be a big tank and sooner or later, even those that seem compatible at first get tired of each other and start the fighting. Just want to make sure you know what to expect.

Your goal is 78 degrees fahrenheit water temp and around 90 degrees fahrenheit basking temp. Some turtles require an even higher basking temp.

What are your current tank/basking temps?