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Why on earth does a three inch turtle need thirty gallons? That's humongous.

No, it's not really. Part of it is water quality. The bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain clean water. Also, as responsible owners, we try to replicate the best we can their natural habitat. Now, of course, indoors we can never achieve that, but we can get a little bit closer by giving them as much room as possible to swim and live their lives.

Compare it to cats or dogs. We don't keep them in a kennel all the time, they get a bigger space than that, be it most of the apartment or the back yard.

But really, it's recommended that you skip the 30 gallon all together, and go straight for a 100 gallon, since that will likely last your RES it's whole life, and you don't want to be buying a new tank for every inch your turtle grows.

Yeah, that's what I would like to do... except... a 100 gallon tank would be extremely difficult to move.

I live on the third floor of my apartment building and I'll be moving for my master's degree in a year.

He's got a crummy little tank that he lives in now, but I take him out almost daily for exercise and I keep the water really clean.

He's not going to die or anything because of the tank size, is he? If it's just a comfort issue, then he's probably just going to have to make due for another year or so before I can get somewhere permanent and invest in something a little larger.

No, he won't die from living in a small tank. What size of a tank is he in now? You can make an above tank basking area, to maximize swimming space. Many owners just have to make due with what they have for a year or two, because they're in a situation similar to yours.
However, there is always the option of using a rubbermaid container. They're easy to move around, cheap, and should last you a year, maybe even two. It gives lots of extra swimming room.

Just do what you can, and start saving now for a new setup for when you move.

He's in a 10 gal. (Don't kill me.) I have his tank full of 9 gallons of water with the basking area up really high and a wire grate on top so he doesn't escape. He seems decently happy and the lights and heaters are at a safe distance.

I'd go for something larger if I had the space and the money, but right now I don't. I do let him walk around my apartment almost daily though, so he won't get fat and bored.

And he has fishies to chase/eat.

I started out with a small 10 gallon tank. I also fed them outdoors and let them walk around. Now, she's in a 40 gallon filled to within an inch or so of water. I still feed her outside when the weather is warm (live in NE Florida). I have found that a larger tank is easier to clean with the proper size filtration system.

Maybe start with a RubberMaid container as what Bulldog said, its cheap and a very flexible option for your position.

What exactly is a Rubbermaid container?

its just a big plastic bin that is normally used for storage

Rubbermaid storage bin:


Of course, it doesn't need to be "rubbermaid" brand. There are many brands out there. Sterilite brand is also popular because the sides are translucent, and you can see your turtle through it.