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I recently bought a 55 gallon tank for 25 dollars from a friend(i thought it was a gd price), because my turtles need a LARGE home, and well im unemployed atm, and i figured this is better than nothing. Right?

Anyways. My turtles(I have 2) grew, sorta uhhh fast? I didnt think they were suppose to grow that fast, There like 1 yr and 3 months old, and from head to tail about 7 inches each. I'm thinking I did something horribly wrong. Will they still be okay?

Now about the tank, I was curious as to what filter should i look for, I have been looking at the xp3, and I've found some on amazon.com for like 80-90.00, which i dont think is bad, but i know absolutly nothing about them. Ive been reading posts and they say something about media and stuff? could you clue me in:)

Also, Im curious where i should put the basking, I was thinking in the middle, and have to ramps (one on each side) so they both can enjoy the warmth:) The female seems to be a little moody, and wont let the male on the basking area now, well until she is done. lol.

If i am doing everything wrong. Please be honest. I love animals, and I want to give them a good home:)

Thanks!
Megg

personally for my 55g tank, i have two undergravel filters which work amazing, and i have a canister filter. the water is crystal clear.

Hi, so you're sure you have one male and one female? Remember that in the near future, they may start reproducing, and you need to be ready for eggs and/or babies. Congrats on the 55 gallon for 25$, that's definitely a good price.

A Rena XP3 will suit that tank fine, although if you need a second tank or a larger tank, you might need a second one. As for media, the filter technically comes with everything needed, although it will only fill 1.5 of the 3 containers. BioStars or ceramic disks don't cost too much, maybe an additional 10-15$. You may want to consider two basking areas so that both may bask without interfering with the other.

that sounds like a good idea with the 2 baskings, like one on each end of the tank? So my best filter would be a xp3 until i upgrade again?

Yes, I would say an XP3 is a good choice. It will do a 75 gallon tank as well, if you do another upgrade.