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REMEMBER. I knew nothing about RES or any other exotic pet when this little 1.5" guy was tossed into my lap.

Here is a pic of the first day I got him. He was a spur of the moment gift to me and my wife in a coffe cup. When we got home, he went into a bowl. I didnt know untill now, but to keep him from drowning, the water depth needs to be at least, 2 shells deep (long ways).



After reading all over this site, I realized I was going to have to make some BIG changes. The same night I go him, I dug out a storage tub that was free'd up because of x-mas. I washed and filled it a 1/3 up with tap water (thats all I had), and put a rock in the bottom that stuck out of the water. I then went out to the storage shop and found a drop light & wall outlet timer to use for heat & control. I used a 60 watt bulb, thats what I had. I made sure to keep the room temp at around 75 degrees that night because I didnt have a heater for the tank. Pokey was eating and basking, but I new the habitat was'nt correct.



The next day, I went all over the city rounding up supplies.
First stop was Walmart;
I first grabbed a 95 quart tub, checked for cracks or defects ($9.97).
Hit the fish section and tossed in the following;
Tetra heater rated for 30-60 gal. ($22.76)
Tetra Whisper flow bio-filter rated for 30-60 gal. ($34.97)
Ammonia clear tank buddy tabs ($2.64)
Another clamp light ($5.88)
Some stuff to dress the tub up, plants, rock & simmulated wood ($24.66)
And a python tank cleaner tube thing, I'll figure out how to use it as I go. lol. ($32.44)

With NO TIME TO WASTE, I hit our local pet store place. I didnt mess with Petco or Petsmart. I wanted to try the little mom & pop store first, maybe they knew more. I bought the following based on what I read here on this site;
2 pack of Turtle bones ($3.99)
7% UVB bulb, 60 watts I think ($27.99)
Large Zoo-Med turtle dock ($28.99)
Digital thermometer ($12.99)
6 guppies and some turt pellets ($4.99)

I went home, and set up Pokey's new place. I rinsed EVERYTHING in hot water and filled the tank with room temp water. Not sure if this was the correct thing to do or not, but I tossed in an ammonia tab while I was setting up the filter and acceceries.
Here is what it looked like when I was done.




Its been a few days since we got Pokey, but after all the re-search I had done on this site, I still need a WATER TEST KIT. Pokey is eating good and basking on a regular basis. He seems to love his new Casa.

HERE ARE A FEW PICS FROM TODAY, he measured out at 1.5".


He has some ammazing COLOR! Does he look healthy guys? He does to me, but what do I know? Unless its a Jeep, I'm LOST!

That's amazing, congrats on being a great turtle dad. A lot of these Christmas gifters have been posting madly and you've been able to do all that w/o a single post!

Alright, constructive criticism. I didn't see you mention it, but you'll want a couple digital thermometers. Make sure the water temperature is at 78 and the basking platform should be about 88-90 degrees. If the UVB lamp isn't giving off heat, then just use a regular household bulb for heat. Your turtle would love some more water, as long as your provide plants etc. for him or her to rest on.

Great job again!

You did good!!! This should be a how-to thread for people like you who are fortunate enough to receive the gift of a turtle with absolutely no equipment to go with him/her.

RESowner34 wrote:That's amazing, congrats on being a great turtle dad. A lot of these Christmas gifters have been posting madly and you've been able to do all that w/o a single post!

Alright, constructive criticism. I didn't see you mention it, but you'll want a couple digital thermometers. Make sure the water temperature is at 78 and the basking platform should be about 88-90 degrees. If the UVB lamp isn't giving off heat, then just use a regular household bulb for heat. Your turtle would love some more water, as long as your provide plants etc. for him or her to rest on.

Great job again!

Hold up a minute...

u forgot to read the rest of my first post. I had to cut it short and switch from my PC in the office, to my lap top in the living room

Pokey wrote:(MORE TO COME, GOT TO SWITCH COMPUTERS)

might want to brace that tank, bending outwards. But great job i bet your turtle is happy

OK, my little write up is complete. Please feel free to comment...

retard wrote:might want to brace that tank, bending outwards. But great job i bet your turtle is happy

I was kinda thinking the same thing. I was going to make a PVC brace just for the center, but I got stuck R&R'ing a water pump on one of the Jeeps today.

Any IDEAS on how to brace? How about just a pice of 1/2" PVC (the width of the tub) with an elbow on each end facing downward? What do you all think?

Cute baby! Great job on the set up too! Glad this site could help you...I know that it helped me a ton too when I first started reading 9 months ago & I am eternally grateful!

hahah i like how you said " unless its a JEEP, IM LOST!!"

these are my favorite stories. God bless you man!

Your baby is adorable. As to whether he "looks healthy", with hatchlings, it's hard to tell because they hide their symptoms very well. Just keep an eye on him.

First off,
I want to thank all of you for your support, "constructive criticism" and your kind words of encourgment. Without you all, I would be LOST!.

SO here is the deal, a few pointed out the Rubbermade tank support issue. I do agree, the sides bowing will result in pre-mature failure.

Here is what I did for a quick & cheap fix;

Its just common half inch PVC with 2 elbows. I added the "T"s just because I was thinking of adding on for more support or something.





Well, it works,


BEFORE


AFTER

Cool you can totally tell the difference in the before and after pictures nice thinking

turtledudee wrote:hahah i like how you said " unless its a JEEP, IM LOST!!"

The funny part about that comment is;
The last time Shauna & I were lost, I was driving her Jeep when we bumped into this Ol' Coot. He must have been an oldie, but still gittin around, geez, he was on top of a mountain eating prickly pear fruit.



Shauna got out to take the Photo opp. and I pulled up to asked for directions.



He directed me to the nearest watering hole, and we were on our way. As we were leaving, he did mention that I would come across great fortune. I'ts now that I realize that he meant Pokey

Looks great and thanks for the pics!

DaddySkittles wrote:Cool you can totally tell the difference in the before and after pictures nice thinking

You know, I did think of just drilling a small hole in each side and run a piece of wire across the span. But then I thought, if it breaks, at the hole is where it will happen.