Habitat - Indoor :: 55 gallon

[Simba]

I know from reading this site that the reccomended is 10 gallons per inch... My gal is 6.5 inches now and still in a 55 gallon. There is no room in my house for a larger tank. I've done all the research for larger tanks and their measurments. There is really nowhere she can fit in a 100 gallon.

Do I have to give her up for adoption?

[YourOtherLeft]

I had a similar problem. I really didn't have room for a six foot tank. So I looked around and found a 150 gallon tall aquarium on craigslist. The footprint of the tank is 48x24. A 55 gallon is usually 48 X 12 1/2. Same length, just wider. You can get a 75 or 90 which are 48x18, or a 120 or 150 tall which is 48x24.

Hope that helps

[Rubicon]

You'll be fine. I rescued two 5" turtles in a 10gallon filled half way. They are as healthy as can be. Now I'm not condoning how they were kept in any way. But if that's the best you can do that's fine.

Do you have an above tank basking area? How much water is in the 55gallon?

[BullDog]

What length is your 55 gallon? Most of the 55 gals I've seen are 4', which is the same length as a 75 or 90 gallon. If you're really lucky, you could even find a 4'x2'x2' 120 gallon!

[imderanged]

Personally, I think a well informed, loving turtle owner who maybe can't hold to the 10 gallons and inch "rule" is better than putting yet another turtle into "the system"...too many turtles without homes already! I have a 75 gallon tank and it is the same length as a 55 gal, just wider, so that might be an option, and adding an above tank basking area will certainly give your turtle more swimming room and space to spread out in!!

[Lantic]

Just do the best you can for your turtle, You being its owner is probably the best thing for him and is a lot better then being at an adoption center.

[Simba]

Haha, do you ever get drunk, go on the internet and then the next day during "damage control" find things you don't even remember thinking about?

Thanks for all the advice, Everybody on here seems to have such fancy homes and I do wonder if Simba Jr thinks he lives in the ghetto (I just make sure he doesn't visit this site )

The tank is the 4 feet long one and it is right now about 3/4 full with the basking area above that

And thank you for all the information about sizes of the other ones!

[Raphulk]

as much as we ALL want to follow the 10 gallons per inch rule, we all can't.

some people can't afford it, some people don't have enough space, some people don't want to.


imderanged said it best. it's better than a good owner has a turtle with a 55 gallon tank (which is a great size, I have that too) than letting your turtle go for adoption to possible a poor owner or worse conditions.

so I think you're okay, a good owner makes a good turtle

[meltedspork]

I'm going to upgrade to a 120 gallon soon, which will fit in the exact same spot as my current 55g since they are the same width. If you can fit a 55g, you should be able to upgrade in the same space.