Habitat - Indoor :: Future Tank

[Turtle_Turtle]

so i am thinking of saving some money up for a new tank for my 2 (right now i have a 30 gal)

so my question is how many gallons should it be(i want to get the last tank i will have to get)?
and what are good dimensions(LxWxH)?

tks for your input

[megcornell]

Well, ideally, you would buy the largest tank you could afford. Turtles should have about 10 gallons/inch of shell, and this is especially important with multiple turtles because if they're cramped, there's a better chance that they'll become aggressive towards each other due to the stress.
Personally, I wouldn't go much smaller than 75 or 90 gallons, so that way you won't have to upgrade as quickly, and IF the turtles don't get along, you can most likely get away with their tank being the lifetime home for one of them, forcing you to only buy a second large tank for the other. If you go smaller and buy like a 30 or 50 gallon tank, it won't last nearly as long, and will definitely have to be upgraded soon-- turtles grow to roughly 4inches the first year, so it'd be cramped in a matter of months.

[Turtle_Turtle]

but how big should i get the tank for the 2 so i wont have to get a new one

[xsavingsaturdayx]

'IF' they get along. 240 gallons.

[urbancleopatra]

go ahead and just purchase a small lake. jk. 240 sounds like a fair amount. just remember that upgrading the tank comes along with upgrading the filter.

[megcornell]

I think the size really depends on the sexes. What size tank do you have now and would it be possible to leave them in that tank until they get closer to 4" and you can determine the sexes? Personally, I think if you end up with a male/female combo the pestering of the male towards the larger female would most certainly lead to aggression in which case you'd be wiser to just buy two set ups instead of paying an arm and a leg for some massive 200gal setup and finding that to be inadequate due to the turtles fighting.
That's just my personal opinion on dealing with multiple turtles, it can be tricky, so I think its best to really think it out before buying a costly new set up.

[urbancleopatra]

Touche megcornell! That is a very good point.

[Turtle_Turtle]

What size tank do you have now and would it be possible to leave them in that tank until they get closer to 4" and you can determine the sexes?

i have a 30 gallon tank right now but both of my turtles are about 2in

[scripta_elegans]

I would recommend a 120. That size will be big enough for 2 for awhile assuming they get along. If you need to seperate them in the future, you will already have a tank big enough for a female just in case, and you can then get a second tank for the other turtle, which may be another 120 gallon if it's a girl too. I have my 2 in a 120 right no, but I have a 75 gallon waiting for sparky if they get tired of each other, or when they out grow the tank.

[DavidY]

That's actually a good recommendation, Scripta. Not only just in case they don't get along, but also it's cheaper to buy two separate 120gal tanks than it is to buy one 240gal tank. The bigger the tanks get, the thicker the glass needs to be and the stronger the silicone seams need to be (also the weight and shipping costs). If the turtles do get along into adulthood, you could put the two tanks together and make an above tank basking platform that connects both tanks. You'll only need one set of lights and the turtles can go back and forth as they please. You'll still need two heaters and two filters but you would still need a bigger filter and bigger heater if it were just one 240gal tank anyway. You'd probably still spend about the same amount of money either way.

[Turtle_Turtle]

sounds like a good plan

[industrial_girl_2000]

A very large tank setup with all the fixin's (gigantic tank, heavy duty filter, tank stand, basking dock) will run you about $1000 (I would budget for that, and if you go under, great!). That's for a 90 gallon or larger (depending on what kind of deal you can find & how fancy you want to get).

If you can find a good salt-water fish aquarium store in your area, check it out. They are used to dealing with the extra large tanks (100 gallon & up) & can usually provide a good delivery & set up for your new tank (if you buy from them). And you will be able to check out how big the tanks are right in the store (and take measurements). Many of them have the 75+ gallon tanks in-stock so you can buy right away & not have to order in advance. AND they should have the filter items you will need in stock as well for an extra-large tank.

[Turtle_Turtle]

i am kind of wondering if it would be cheaper to build a tank myself and i found a website that shows how build one

http://www.garf.org/news22p2.html

[DavidY]

Those instructions are for plexiglass tanks. I wouldn't recommend those for a turtle tank since they will get scratched up by the turtle's claws.

[Turtle_Turtle]

yeah but its not that different