Habitat - Indoor :: Tank Advice Needed

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:35 pm   Tank Advice Needed

Hi there! I was fairly recently employed to take care of the animals at my school. I've been slowly but surely working on improving the setups of all the animals, including this red eared slider. From what I understand, she used to be in a big bin enclosure, but they had a lot of trouble cleaning it--I learned a few days ago that there hadn't been a filter in it. So when I came in, she was in a twenty gallon tank that she wasn't able to swim in. I was pretty hesitant making demands since it's the school that is paying for all the supplies, but they were very happy to allow me to upgrade the tank. I just don't want to push it too much.

The tank itself was already at the school, so size unfortunately can't be upgraded. It's a 40 gallon, which is far better than what it had been. I just got a canister filter--amazing, btw--and a floating dock. I also have some water weed in there for her if she ever wants a nibble. As for feeding, she mainly eats Fluker's Buffet Blend for aquatic turtles? I have a beardie at home, so I always have extra crickets and dandelion greens that I bring in for her. But any food recommendations would be awesome!

The tank also just looks very...boring. She's been having a blast swimming around. I'd just like to see her have more items in the tank to interact with.

*I really prefer no substrate, honestly. She gets around just fine, there were just issues with her eating rocks in her original setup. When I took them out, I realized how much cleaner the tank looks and stays*

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Also please ignore the thermometer! It's inaccurate, the water is definitely not almost 90 degrees!*
https://imgur.com/WEdeR0j Hopefully this link works!
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:24 am   Re: Tank Advice Needed

Hi, welcome to the forum! You will need a few more basics, but you're off to a good start. I would find some sort of cover for the tank, egg crate is a cheap/easy way to do it. I'm not sure what kind of light you have, but they need two types -- a heat bulb and a uva/uvb bulb. I don't use Fluker, but Omega One is usually the most recommended. You can also use some greens like red leaf lettuce, carrots... check the feeding section for a lot more options.

If you don't want to add substrate (pool filter sand is cheap, easy to clean and looks good), you can add a handful of larger river rock. A small resin platform might be interesting as a decoration too. I would also look into a better thermometer, the one pictured is not very accurate.
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 9:07 am   Re: Tank Advice Needed

FYI if you ever feel confident enough to ask to put her in a bigger tank, you can sometimes get them cheap on craigslist. Just make sure they are in good shape. Glad you're advocating for the little lady :)

I tried sand for a bit and I didn't like it cause it got in my canister filter. But my turtle has a piece of wood and some fake plants. He loves to sleep in the fake plants.

Does she have lights over the basking area?
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 12:39 pm   Re: Tank Advice Needed

Yeah, she has a cover and lights, both UVA and UVB as well as a little halogen light. There's not much I can do about lights (changing them) because the school has a pretty big stock of extra bulbs.
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 12:49 pm   Re: Tank Advice Needed

Turtles indoors need two type of lights. A heat bulb and a UVB bulb for health. If the school's supply has any incandescent type that can be used for the heat source. The UVB is a specialty bulb !
Turtle that size in photo needs a bigger tank not just for exercise but will also help you control the water parameters much better with the bio load. Stock tanks are 1/10th the cost of glass tanks at tractor store's or farm stores (big box stores charge too much and much thinner) and use price trackers for even better prices. I use them and placed a few in school's on the floor over the years. Works great especially for young kids.
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:03 pm   Re: Tank Advice Needed

I'd really like to get her a MUCH bigger tank, it's unfortunately out of my hands at the moment. Big asks from me are going to be met with hesitance from the school. Even this size tank got my supervisor worried because she thought the water would be too deep. So I'm doing small changes and working my way up, as well as doing my best to educate the people I work with about proper setups and care. *That's not even taking into account my school is on the verge of shutdown because of the virus, which basically means any new upgrades are taking a backseat unfortunately. I was lucky to get this done in time. Crazy times, crazy times...*
A snake I also take care of used to have a basking light on him, so there is an available fixture. Is there a recommended bulb wattage and distance it should be from the basking spot?
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:46 pm   Re: Tank Advice Needed

I went through same thing at the schools in my neighborhood decades ago.

A UVB bulb is made with quartz glass with a coating on it to produce UVB rays. Being a school they will never pay for a good one. Price is high but one like Mega Ray last 18 months . Other coil / tube types only produce usable UVB rays for 4-6 months , they not cheap either. Several of them to lifetime of a Mega Ray ends up costing more. For good understanding this site has lot’s articles and videos that can help. http://www.reptileuv.com/

Some are sold by wattage and others by percentages. The cheapest type CFL at least a 10.0 at about 8-9” may help but on usable UVB rays would be on the minimum side. Myself rather have something in the range of 50-100 micro watts (uW/cm²) . My Piggley get's 100 uW/cm². To me lower than 50 is not adequate for some turtles. Also some sold as reptile UVB bulbs are not adequate for turtles at all. Here's a video that explains it better than I can : https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=UV ... ORM=VRDGAR

Too many type and sizes to go into. A reputable company will have size/ wattage or uW/cm² and distance on the box to help. Now a days I only use Mega Rays.

Note all the light you see from a UVB is not all UVB rays. Even when the usable UVB rays stop it will still produce light. So a meter can save one lots of money to test when to buy another.
Also some think put tank by window it's sunlight. Yes uv light but UVB rays do not penetrate glass , so a big "no" and all you end up with is a lot of algae problems .
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 5:43 pm   Re: Tank Advice Needed

I have an old fixture for UVB with a T8...5.0 bulb, I think?? It was for my personal anoles before I upgraded them. I know that it's not the best, but do you think it would be more effective combined with a basking light (incandescent) rather than the tiny, tiny coil UVB and halogen bulb she has now (this would be temporary until I get permission to buy a better one or I put it on my own card)? My supervisor told me that she'd just gone to Petco and bought whatever turtle kit the employee told her to. '_' I'm sorry, UVB has always escaped me for some reason. I just really want the best for this turtle. At least the college is open to some sort of change though!
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Post Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 6:02 pm   Re: Tank Advice Needed

Use what you found and hope it still puts out some usable UVB rays. Since this is not a grade school but a college ask someone in the lab if they have a UVB meter , test it. Or some kind of meter that you can convert the numbers to micro watts. Cfl’s and tubes go by percentages ! The cheap one I suggested is 10.0 % better than you 5.0% but tubes do cover a little more area in tube form so use it. Even at 5.0 better than nothing.

Those so called turtle kits are a waste of money ! Maybe for a 1" baby for a few months only , not a turtle your size. Not much of anything truly adequate for a turtle and much cheaper to buy just what you need. Tell supervisor to bring it back. What you may want to do is build an above tank basking area (ATBA) for that small tank . Can be done for a few dollars , fill that tank all the way and buy some time before an upgrade will be a must. DIY does not have to be fancy just make it safe. Google for ideas !

PS : 3-13-20
It’s great your supervisor is willing to offer a better home for the turtle. So money is not wasted on inadequate items on a turtle your size homework and good research comes first. To many sales people are told what to push because those items have a higher profit margin. Petco kits yes may for a short time work for a baby turtle. The glass kit setup is too small , smaller than what you have now. The online price at petco for the glass kit is $172.99 // over priced for what you get ! The plastic rock filter is ….well would never work. Plastic plants are small but would be nice but you can buy better cheaper on your own. The bulbs are a joke. Then some earlier kits had no gravel but did let you select a bag of regular aquarium gravel free. Some kits come with gravel but wrong kind for a turtle. Aquarium gravel is a no , turtle’s are known to eat it causing blockages and death. A larger rock as in river rock is safer , can not fit into the turtles mouth. The Plastic tub they have is $295.19 online , not worth it and wrong for your turtles size ! Make sure what you read fits the requirements of a turtle ‘s size. Pass on the good research you are doing to your supervisor make this a simple and easy setup and keep the cost down . Return the kit and use that money for a better UVB bulb and "a water heater if you have none".

Google and click on images for “ATBA” and make the existing tank usable longer. Four pieces of plexiglass to make four walls high enough so turtle can’t escape fitted in the top grove of tank glue , all done. Fill tank all the way and raise basking dock all the way it can go or if still too short for the more water use block to help raise it. Or get some real cork cut to wedge in between glass sides , part above water for basking area and part under water to be used as a ramp. Being creative when it comes to larger turtle most of the time is better because most items are sold only meet requirement's for a baby turtle. Stores want you to have to upgrade makes them money. That's why even for a new baby I setup an adult tank , never needing any upgrades , saving lots of money in the long run. Being an retired old man saving money is a good thing. Think needs and be creative along with safety and all will be good for this turtle.
Look in our photo gallery for some ideas too. Look also at basking sticky ( a little above your thread) under this habitat-indoor link too.

Hopefully with schools and college's shutting down , coronavirus, you or someone can have access to the animals for their feeding's and care !
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