Habitat - Indoor :: What can i do to make the tank better?

[emma]

I would like some great ideas on how to make their tank a little bit better.
So far i have these items in their tank-
1. fake plants (tried real, HUGE MESS)
2. some big rocks
3. fake turtle
4. basking dock


So could you like give me some good suggestions on what else to add or how to redo the tank to make it really cool?

And I would also like some ideas on what to do with the basking area.
I know they are getting bigger and will be needing a bigger area soon. So what kind of basking area should i get? Make one, buy a new one, or what??


Thanks

Here is a picture of my tank right now-

[turboturtle8]

Try getting a acrylic basking area they are really nice and come in I think 3 different sizes
I ordered mine off of doctor's foster and smith website
my turtles really like it
I really like the background you have it is very colorful

[Chrisbarnett]

First, go for sand as your substrate. I have it in my tank, love it! heres a pic of it in my tank.

Then, I just want to say, your canister will work better if the intake and outflow are at the opposite ends of the tank. They work a lot better when the waste is getting pushed by the outflow into the intake, because the suction from the intake alone is quite weak.

Thirdly, Cut a hole in your screen so that you can put the tubing through the screen and then you can put the screen all the way down. Just cut the holes as close to the thicker black rim as possible, and make them the size for your tubing. You can use wire cutters or a dremel with a cutting disk to do this.

[Raphulk]

yea, if youre looking for a substrate to cover the entire bottom of the tank, sand is probably healthier.

i had really nice river rocks covering the entire bottom, but it trapped everything. poop, cuttlebone, extra stuff.

and it actually heated the tank up 5 degrees because of the trapped debri at the bottom. and i also had to take all the rocks out and put them back in after water changes.

[Daniel3507]

i got sand and im pretty happy with it. you could put a light hanging above the tank. just to make it a little brighter.

[mat012]

I think it is lovely. My only concern is the support for the basking bulb. Is it paper? Just wondering if that is a fire risk? If not ignore the suggestion! Also since you are up north and the tank is near a window you may want a heater for the other end of the tank (depending on the size of the heater). Maybe a blanket or some other insulation on the window in the winter will help keep the temps consistent.

Go with cork bark for the basking area. Its easy, pretty and really not that expensive considering the time savings.

[Chrisbarnett]

Oh and is the water line below the auto shut off on your stealth heater? It looks like it is too me.

[danny123]

RIVER ROCKS!
i have them and they look realllllly nice

and i have a quick question: what kind of bulb do you use for your lamp??

[Raphulk]

have you ever thought of making an above basking area? i know that you pretty much maximized the swimming space, and you dont really need to make one, but if you have spare time, spare money, and some turtle love ;], its a perfect time to become closer to your turtle. haha in my opinion at least.

putting time and effort into something healthy for my turtle is very gratifying.

[emma]

RIVER ROCKS!
i have them and they look realllllly nice

and i have a quick question: what kind of bulb do you use for your lamp??

I am using a 5.0 26 watt UVB bulb and then just a regular heating lamp.

And for the sand, I cant do that because of the filter. The filter would jjust suck up most of it.
And i really just dont have the time for it.

The above area basking, I have thought about doing that but since the tank is on my second floor, I am to afraid that there would be too much weight. So that isnt a posibility.

[Coli123]

How about a log or something? That would look pretty cool.

[hoojib88]

Try to think of a theme that will go along with your turtle. I used a pirate theme. Here's a pic of my tank.



You should put some air stones or something that will create bubbles. My turtles LOVE the bubbling treasure chest! The chest adds some humor and something interesting to the tank. Also, maybe some sort of decoration that adds to the "coolness" and provides a hiding place for either your turtle or any other animals you may want to add to your tank. For instance, I added a pleco and crayfish. The crayfish needs a hiding place so I bought a pirate skull he can hide in. Something else you could do to add some originality to your tank is create your own background, to go along with your theme.

[danny123]

I am using a 5.0 26 watt UVB bulb and then just a regular heating lamp.

i just got this the other day and since ive had it, my turtle would not open his eyes that often. he would bask with his head all the way in and his eyes closed and then he would jump in the water and swim around with his eyes closed. i have the lamp 10-12 inches away from the basking area. have you experienced this?

[Chrisbarnett]

The filter would not suck up the sand. You just have to put the intake about 4" above the sand, so that if your turtle kicks up any, it settles before reaching your intake. Sand particles are heavier than you think.

if your really worried, put a prefilter on the intake.

[emma]

Doesnt sand trap a lot of poop and other things though?
How would i clean everythingg?