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I have been trying to find a topic about this, but haven't. Sorry if this is a repeat.

I recently received a 30 gallon tank for free for my turtle who has been in a 10 gallon tank. I am anxious to move him to the new tank, but am unsure what I need to buy to upgrade him properly. He is only two inches, and I am hoping that what I buy can be used in a future upgrade (50 or 75 gal) as well. I will list what I am planning on getting and I would love advice on wattage and if I am making the right choices because I am lost trying to figure out what would be best.

Mercury Vapor UVB light

New water heater (no idea how strong i need or which ones are best)

New filter (prefer hanging ones because the tank will be on the floor)

Also, we have went from using river rocks to having a bare bottom because of how much junk gets trapped under them. I am thinking about sand. Is this a good idea or should I stick with nothing? How much sand would I need? Can I use colored sand?

TIA Everyone!

a MVB is too strong for a 30 gallon tank, they usually need a 55 gal minimum to allow heat dispersion.

I think a 100 watt heater would do a good job. I like the Marineland visi therm stealth.

I would invest in a canister filter now if you can, because it will help in future upgrades, not to have to buy another filter.

Check out the Sand FAQ thread up a few posts in this forum, it'll help you out. and yes you can use colored sand.

Thanks! I didn't know that about the MVB. Glad I asked now.

I was under the assumption that I couldn't use a canister filter because they need gravity to work. Considering the tank will be on the floor, I thought canisters were ruled out when it comes to choices. Am I wrong???

Well canisters work better when there is gravity assisting them, and they are a little harder to prime when gravity isn't on their side, but they will still work fine.

FYI, RENA (Filstar XP series of canister filters) recommend that the filter is at least 24 inches below the water line in the tank in order to ensure proper operation. This may differ for other manufacturers.

So, having the filter on the floor beside the tank may preclude it from working properly.

If the tank will stay on the floor, then I think your preference to go with a 'hanging' filter is likely the best choice. I personally have always had Aquaclears for all my fish tanks, but I hear that RENA's Smartfilters are also very good. Be prepared to clean the coarse filter (sponge with bigger holes) frequently, about once a month in Spike's current tank, but otherwise the chemical & biological filtration work just as well in a 'hanging' filter.

I recently acquired an XP3 for Spike's new tank (as a result of a great price-match) but have not even opened the box yet.

I have a Fluval canister and the bottom of my tank is about 4 inches off the floor and it works just fine and I never have a problem priming it.

For a while I used an XP3 on the floor next to a stock tank. Compared to how it was originally used (under the tank), it was much more difficult to prime and quite a bit noisier. The motor is forced to work harder when it's not under the tank, which could eventually affect it's longevity.

Sand would be very good! I recently switched from river rocks to sand because of all the stuff that was getting trapped underneath. My tank is MUCH cleaner now, and the turtles seem to enjoy the sand more than the rocks. Like Chris said, check out the sand thread to find out all you need to know. I would definitely recommend using it!