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$150 later :p haha

anyways,
the plan: go to the store and buy bigger storage container. buy another clamp lamp and a uvb BULB. get another basking rock.

what actually happened: went to store. no storage bins but found aquarium setup kit. not big enough. go to petsmart. ask about their aquarium set up kit. too expensive, and the guy says not good enough for turtles anyway. uvb bulb is only available in tube. walk out with new tank, light fixture, basking rock, plant, background and turtle food (the one i had bought turned out to be adult turtle).

the result: managed to stay below budget and get a very nice setup that the turtles (at least aeryn) are loving.

photo of the new setup:



specs:
1. 20long tank currently filled up to 8 gallons.
2. clamp lamp with exo-terra sun glo 60 watt uva light
3. light fixture with exo-terra repti glo 5.0 uvb light
4. stick on thermometer to measure water temp (will probably move it to the other side) water temp's 78
5. (not pictured) gage thermometer to measure basking temp. cannot get it above 82 any advice?!?!
6. basking area complete with floating basking rock, basking rock/cave and two different kinds of aquarium plants (one plastic, one silk)
7. (not pictured) neptune 50 watt submersible water heater
8. whisper in tank filter. the husband turned it off because the waterfall was driving him crazy. i don't like that, what's a good filter i can use that he won't turn off?

and that's it.

once i put the background on aeryn came out to explore. a few pictures of that (and a couple close ups of the basking area).


i like this one a lot cuz it shows a good mirror reflection (incidently, i did buy them a small mirror, but it's under the floating basking rock)


and a couple closeups of the habitat




it's been great and like i said, they seem to enjoy it. if there's any advice please do share! thanx

That is such a bright and nice tank! I like the decorations! Don't be afraid to increase the water level, turtles love to swim and the more water the better!

my fear right now is that i'm not entirely sure yet what weight capacity the stand could hold. 10 gallons is the max i can put in to ensure that the heater and filter work at optimum, but if someone can recommend me a quieter (maybe further submersible, or out-of-tank) filter i'll foot the cash for a bigger heater as well.

I used to have a 20 long and let me assure you, with the filter you have you could up the water level. Especially since you have no substrate. Plz add more water for your turtle's well-being and happiness.

Just out of curiousity, what's the purpose of the mirror? Napoleon freaks out and launches himself at the glass when he sees a reflection. The tank looks great! I love these ones with the waterfall effect.

The Tetra whisper is a great filter! They have different rated ones, but you know you can always move it farther down, as long as the tip is out of the water. I have a ten gallon tank filled almost all the way ( the turtles cannot get out) and it is really quiet, even with a little waterfall, whic your turtles might like. My suggestion, simply move it down or fill the water up because, as I learned, it's OK!

I have two small turtles and I never had much water, but I bought a glass 10 gallon tank with a filter rated for more so when I can afford a bigger tank I won't have to upgrade it right away. They have about 8 inches of water height wise, but a lot has evaporated. Apparently, they love water and won't drown, which might sound dumb, but I was under the impression that they could. You can definetly add more water and that filter should be fine.

The basking dock will get hotter as you raise the water level. But if you don't want to raise the water, just get a bigger watt bulb.

i'm going to have to get a new water heater anyway. mine just crapped out on me lastnight. i don't know what the deal is with me and water heaters not working!

i did put two more gallons in. and will add at least another two or three more once the new water heater's in. we've determined that the stand can hold that much water weight, so that fears been taken care of.

I would recommend a stealth heater. I've never had any problems with mine and they are reasonably priced.

As for a filter. I love my xp3, and they make smaller models for smaller tanks. It is absolutely silent if you get the water level above the output point. If you are going to be using a rubbermaid container, I don't know if that much water will be possible without bowing. Even when the water is down a bit, it makes a different noise than your traditional waterfall style.

For what it's worth, I have a whisper filter like yours in my fish tank, and it will make a lot less noise if you can put more water in your tank. If my tank is filled to about an inch of output, I barely hear it.

water level is now at 12 gallons. got a new heater, this time a 100 watt to handle a larger capacity. i feel for my poor turtles, their habitats keep getting bigger but they have done a lot of moving around in a short time

i just about had a heart attack when i saw john stuck between the two basking docks. i got him unstuck and rearranged the basking docks with enough space between to ensure we don't have any repeats of that. the filter's quieter with more water in it, too.

Those whisper filters are extremely quiet. I replaced the waterfall filter that came in my tank with one and it was nearly soundless. I had the water level up to just an inch below the output.

Are those fake plants? If they are, your turtle might eat them and can chock on them. If those are fake plants take them out and by new plants, but before you do that ask..."can this plant clog the filter or dirty the water in less than a week?" Than by the plant of your choice. Water-wysteirea is a good plant, my 1 in a half year old turtle loves it, and it doesn't clog up the filter or dirty the water in less than a week.

Go to http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/p ... pcatid=1... look for a 318 Turtle Filter, submersible filter, $24.99. By the way nice tank set up.

Sparkydoodle wrote:Are those fake plants? If they are, your turtle might eat them and can chock on them. If those are fake plants take them out and by new plants, but before you do that ask..."can this plant clog the filter or dirty the water in less than a week?" Than by the plant of your choice. Water-wysteirea is a good plant, my 1 in a half year old turtle loves it, and it doesn't clog up the filter or dirty the water in less than a week.

yes, one is silk and the other is plastic. both very large. same as the plants that i've seen in most setups here. i honestly have never heard of that risk.

Sparkydoodle wrote:Go to http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/p ... pcatid=1... look for a 318 Turtle Filter, submersible filter, $24.99. By the way nice tank set up.

i'm glad i just read that. the filter i have my eye on is $50 and will last me through to my 72galloner which i'm getting with my tax return. but if that's usable for the bigger tank i'll go for it