Habitat - Indoor :: Looking for ideas.

[Breger3]

Ok, we got our turtle at Christmas, and have it in a 20 gallon tank in the dining room. The turtle was 3 months when we got it. We also have a 55 gallon tank in the basement. Right now all that's in it is a goldfish. The 20 gallon has an algae issue now, cause it's getting too much sunlight. The plan from the begining was to move the turtle eventually to the big tank, but I want to do it sooner than later now. So, I know I have to pull all the gravel out of the big tank. I'm thinking about doing sand for the turtle. But other than that, I'm not quite sure where to start.

Basically I'm looking for any input on how to set it up, as I'd like to do this only once, with maybe a bit of work on it later. Thanks in advance!

[Linus]

Watch out with sand, it tends to be sucked up into the filter when unsettled. A jammed filter is not fun.

What type of filter do you have in the 55?

I recommend getting some drift wood for the tank, it looks great and the turtles love it.

[Breger3]

This is the filter I have, but on the other side of the intake tube is another filter. http://www.fish-tank-filter.com/images/wi25771-lg.jpg

Maybe I'll skip the sand, I was just thinking of getting it for looks.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

If your looking to cover the bottom just go out and get some large or medium sized pebbles. As long as its bigger then the turtles head your good to go. You get the nice natural look like this.

[theartbook35]

River rocks and large pebbles are fine.

Sand is okay too, if you get aragonite sand (petdiscounters.com has it cheap by the pound) it's safe to ingest, doesn't scratch the turtle's skin or shell, and if ingested uniquely provides calcium. I personally am not a fan of sand with a fresh water turtle since I associate sand with the ocean, but they'll be able to dig and be healthy and that's why I'm getting it.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17268 This sand FAQ is all about what sand does and doesn't do, and how to clean it. I think it's mad cool.

[Breger3]

Got another question about water depth, is there are rule of thumb on how deep the water should be based on turtle size? I'm worried about making it too deep for him.

[megcornell]

RES are aquatic turtles- you really can't make the water too deep for them .

What size tank is that filter rated for? You'll want a filter rated for a tank 2-3x the size of yours. The rena XP series works great and can be transferred to a larger tank when the time comes.

Other than that, the set up is the same for any size tank. Just make sure you have UVB and UVA and a proper basking area.

As for substrate. I'd just throw a few large river rocks in. I don't bother with the small bags of polished stones because sooner rather than later some will become bite size and you'll always be sifting through them to make sure they're not a choking hazard. By getting a few large river rocks, choking is never an issue and the turtles can still flutter and move the rocks to their delight.

If you value the goldfish, you'll move him. He'll quickly become turtle food if he's left in the 55g.

[Breger3]

No clue what size the filter is rated for, but I've used it in my 55 for a while and haven't had any problems yet! I have a smaller one in his current tank.

I did plan on switching the gold fish and the turtle, I figured that the turtle, even if he is smaller would go after the gold fish!

[Chrisbarnett]

Sand is a personal choice. If you want to have it and maintain it, go for it. If you don't, then don't get it.

[Breger3]

What maintance goes with sand? I read the intial set up thread, but didn't notice anything about maintance.

[moldygrape]

um i have sand there is no maintance really all i do is rub my hand in the sand in the tank when i see brown and green in it and use a syphone to suck it up or if im lazy i just let my filter take care of it and the whole thing about the filter and sand its not a prob for me bc my sand level is like 4 inches below the filter part were it sucks i think its good the whole sand thing bc i see my turt playing in it =) i like it! good luck and play sand at homedepot is great just takes alot of washes b4 it goes in!!!!

[Lantic]

I tried sand for a couple of months and it started to grow algea on it and tending it over and over got really bothering, so i just took the sand out.

[Raphulk]

Sand is a personal choice. If you want to have it and maintain it, go for it. If you don't, then don't get it.

Agreed.

I had sand for a while, but algae started to bloom and I didn't want to have to keep changing it. If you clean it like you're supposed to then it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Sand is a really nice substrate in my opinion.