Habitat - Indoor :: Tiny RES's - Would appreciate input on set up!

[funbeam]

Long story short, I bought two Chinatown RES. I know I can provide them a better life than a shoddy future in a small, cheap plastic enclosure.

The first (less than 24 hours) they had to kick it in a temp 1 gallon tank with a rock, some water and the radiant heat from the pilot light of my stove.
After work I got them:
75 gallon tank w/stand
110 Aquaclear filter (60-110 gal)
100w infrared heat bulb-Zoo Med
100w uva/heat bulb-Zoo Med
Madagascar (?) wood for basking
Dried mysis shrimp, pellets and a pack of cuttlebone.


So right now the tank is about half full with a wooden basking spot.

List of stuff to get tomorrow:
-thermometers
-uvb bulb (I would really suggestions on what to get)
-water heater
-plants
-covers to the (rest) top???

I am thinking that the filtration will be upgraded in the future I got the Aquaclear because I didn't think that I'd be filling up the tank so high. Otherwise I would go for an external cartridge filter.

So if anyone can bestow any info on what I can do to improve these guys home, let me know ASAP!

Thank you!!!


P.S. : Do their shells look like they're pyramiding?

P.S.S. Feeding pellets, shrimp, homegrown lettuce (not iceberg) and some cuttlebone. They are basking, swimming around, one of them is eating. The temp probably isn't high enough right now. I read that lower temp = not very hungry RES's.

Thanks again in advance for your help! I look forward to participating in this forum and learning a lot more than I do now

[Azfar]

For the the UVB bulb, you may buy the Exo Terra ReptiGlo 5.0 26watt.

Anyway your turtles are lovely and I don't think so their shells are pyramiding because they still hatchlings and its normal looks like dat..

[theartbook35]

SUCH BABIES!!! *squee* Their shells are extremely healthy

They will LOVE the plants, I guarantee it. I use about three in my tank for my two girls, one vine and two bottom plants. Hurricane could live in an empty tank with nothing but water, filters, heaters, and a ramp, and she'd be all set, but Typhoon needs about four different hiding places all at once to feel totally secure and content. Hurricane doesn't need them, but she likes them anyways. That's one about turtles that I love; they all appreciate plants.

[funbeam]

Day three and they're still alive and kicking.

Thanks for advice Azfar! I'm trying to stay away from coil bulbs if I can help it. I see discussions going on online about how these bulbs might be hurting some animals. So I don't want to risk it with these hatchlings.

Artbook:

Thank you!!!! I adore these little guys. I'm stuck on names and am collecting suggestions X) I am glad to get two positive thumbs up about their health -woo!

Duckweed: Yes or No? The awesome pet shop I got my set up from is getting some in next week.

[Kemul]

Exo Terra Reptiglo 5.0 26W has been used by many people in this forum. It is
recommended as long as you follow the guidelines. For a new bulb, you might
want to set it farther than one foot from the basking area. After about a month,
you can move it to one foot. That's what I recall from discussions here. I don't
use UVB bulb, although I wanted to, because I can't find any where I live. So,
I'm using the good ol' sunshine instead

You're doing very well for a starter. Your turtles are going to have great times.

[Azfar]

Your turtle will be fine and happy with you~! Great.

I say yes for duckweed because my turtles don't like to eat lettuce since their babies (now they are begging for lettuces after several month) so I breed my own duckweed in the large vase outside my house. Duckweed easy to grow just need water only but watchout of the roots that somestimes can make the tank messy.. hihi..

[funbeam]

Kemul: Got it Thanks! I'm trying to give these guys a really good life.

Azfar: Mine won't eat lettuce either But I got some delicate, frilly aquatic plants and they seem happy to much on those. Definitely getting duck weed next week

The spoils of this afternoon:
-half doz. of feeder guppies
-sizable chunk of frilly aquatic plant (water milfoil?)
-vitamin and mineral cube
-Powersun UV 100w (uva/uvb)
-bigger Zoo-Med lamp to hold Powersun
-two of those thin paper thermometers (one on either side of tank)
-a floating thermometer
-Stealth shatter proof heater 100w (for a 30 gallon)

The basking area is a little hot (100) so I moved the Powersun closer to the corner, away from the basking area. Right now the water is at 75, but I just put the heater in.

Picture time:


On a different note:
I noticed something weird with one of the turt's shells. See picture below:

What's up with that? It's like the scales are going to come off? Is it mold?


Again, any advice is more than welcome!

Thank you so much!

[VanishingReality]

Vitamin cube? If you feed them a balanced diet they won't need a cube. If you want to add a mix (that includes veggies) you can buy San Fransisco Bay Turtle cubes. My boy has loved them since we got him and for the first month that is all he ate!

I wouldn't leave the floating thermometer in, it can become food.

It looks like it is shedding. Sometimes their first shed seems to take the longest, my guys took months. If you feed them food with vit E (there is a page on the main site) it will help them shed. If they don't like some of the veggies try different ones, Crush only likes potato on the list.

[Rubicon]

The shells look ok! You could always get them one of those turtle hammocks too. All 3 of my turtles love them! BTW great job with the setup. You definitely dropped some coin to turn the little guys lives around.

[Azfar]

Yeah the shells looks okay.. its sign your turtle going to shed some scutes. Nothing to worry. I never make a note or observed how long my turtles when to their shedding time, I will notice when their shedding time, there are always pieces of scutes stuck at my intake filter.. hihihi


BTW Rubicon, I would love to see your turtles hanging on their hammocks~! I'm thinking to make one.

[funbeam]

@ Vanishing
I got the vitamin cube for fun XD I will definitely look into those cubes and take out the thermometer later on. Thanks for the tips Thermometer as food only sound like it could end badly. Yikes!
I'm really nervous about the shell. The scutes give a little when I gently press on them. That turtle seems perfectly fine otherwise.

@ Rubicon
Those hammocks look a lot better than having to negotiate setting up an oddly shaped piece of wood! Thanks for the compliment My boyfriend and I eventually want to eventually get an aquaponics set up for growing veggies and raising fish (to eat), so it's all organically coming together. I hope that turtle poop is good fertilizer, haha. Sound like they will produce plenty of it regardless.

@Azfar
Thanks for the reassurance!

So, they are BOTH eating veggie matter, pellets and shrimp! We got some fish (hopefully very fast) last night to add flavor to the tank and to stimulate the environment for the turtles. The turtles seem to enjoy their company and follow them around in a cute/relatively harmless way that only 1 1/2 inch turtles could.

The water temp has been brought up to about 78ish and remains constant since after putting in the heater.


Thanks again for the advice, tips and encouragement guys! We all appreciate it!