General Care Discussion :: Hello all! An update!

[dcsocal]

Hello everyone!
I was a lot more active around here a couple months ago, but I worked a whole lot the entire summer and I just started graduate school! I figured I would stop by and give everyone an update on Fred (whom I think is going to end up being "Freda" lol). Fred has actually grown a bit since I last posted pictures and it is amazing how social these turtles can be. Fred absolutely LOVES people coming up and watching him while he basks, and boy does he love to bask. I have his lamps set to 10am and like clockwork... at about 9:45am I hear Fred climbing up and down his dock waiting for the lamps to come on, it's hilarious. Has anyone else noticed this behavior? My family has grown to love Fred as well! My mom has said that she looks forward to coming home and feeding Fred, as he goes berzerk when she walks into the room (Mom = Food). Fred did have some janitorial staff in his tank (3 algae eaters named, Mac, D, and Charlie) but Fred decided to make cuts to the staff . If you can keep yourself from getting attached to these fish, I HIGHLY recommend them! They do a remarkable job of keeping algae at bay.

As far as equipment goes, the Rena XP3 I purchased a while back is doing a great job of keeping everything clean! Fred does have some algae growing on his shell but if I am correct this is a testament to the water quality?? Please correct me if I am wrong. I just purchased an 80gallon tank stand and it is so nice having dedicated aquarium furniture! Finding a stand that accommodates the footprint of a 40g breeder is very difficult so I opted for the 80g stand which left me some upside for a future tank. A little side note!! 5 gallon jugs are a godsend! They make refills and water changes a breeze! I highly suggest you pick one up! The eggcrate basking area is working out wonderfully, I had to "Fred Proof" it a little more as Fred is definitely a climber! If I think of anything else I will edit my post accordingly! Let me know if you guys have any questions! For the newcomers, this is a truely wonderful forum and hopefully I will be around more to answer any questions anyone may have! I've attached some pictures for you guys and gals to enjoy!

Front view of the tank


So much storage!




Basking area


Sideview


Fred Chillin


"what you looking at"


I see you!


This is Fred's reaction as soon as I bring out the food jar.

[ElectricTurtle]

LOL. Welcome back! I just joined a little while ago myself, so it's nice to meet other people. :> I have a little boy turtle named Tesla and he is just the best. The day after I got him, I noticed him getting on the basking area anxiously awaiting the light too! I think it's adorable every time I see it (his tank is in my bedroom). He's super social and lets me rub his chin every time I get him out.

Also, the "What you looking at" picture is adorable.

EDIT: Also, I like your basking area. Looks relatively easy to make. Did you ziptie the eggcrate or use something else? I am looking for cheap basking area ideas for Tesla since he's not in his permanent set-up yet. :>

[dcsocal]

Very nice to meet you! I have gone through a couple different basking area set ups but I definitely like the egg crate set up the best. To me, it seems much more sanitary as any water left on Fred drips right back into the tank. It is also very lightweight so when it comes to cleaning the tank everything is easily moved. Most of the basking area is ziptied together. The ramp and corners are heated and glued for extra stability. The left part of the tank (flat cover) is a separate part that is easily removed for feeding, water changes, etc. Sorry if that was a bit long winded, let me know if you have any other questions!

[sflemin2]

Lookin good! Too bad he ate the cast of Always Sunny though!

[steve]

Welcome back! What will you be studying in grad school? Fred looks good, keep up the good work

[dcsocal]

Lookin good! Too bad he ate the cast of Always Sunny though!

Lol, the way those fish interacted was hilarious! The names suited them perfectly. BTW I love ASIP!

Welcome back! What will you be studying in grad school? Fred looks good, keep up the good work

Thanks Steve! I will be getting my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology! Lots of work and reading ahead of me!

[Schimpf]

Oh I love the Egg crate idea, does it melt at all with the heat from the lamp?

[dcsocal]

Oh I love the Egg crate idea, does it melt at all with the heat from the lamp?

Not at all! In your local home depot or lowes it may actually be called "light diffuser" or something of the sort. It is also a very hard plastic, and I've never felt heat or smelled burning coming from it.

[Schimpf]

Awesome. I'll look into getting some. I want to move his basking area out of the tank. I was looking into plexiglass and making one but OMG its pricy.