All Turtles Message Board

Hewwo2u2 · Level 3 Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 105 Location: SC

Okay so I’ve done the research and talked to the experts and now I want to share what I have found with you. Everyone will have a different “favorite” when it comes to brands and such and that is what made it so difficult for me to decide things like which filter, what tank, what lights, what food, etc. I spent a couple weeks going to different pet stores and talking to the people that keep reptiles as pets as well as search online and talked to reptile veterinarians around my area. Finally I made up my mind from what I learned and this is what in MY opinion is the “best” things you can get for a happy turtle. If money is not an issue, and you wish to just get the best for your turtle, I would suggest get everything on this list. I will also let you know what things I believe can be substituted if you are on a budget. I will star the things that I believe are a must and should NOT be substituted. This is for ONE ADULT red-eared slider. If you plan on having MORE than one, you will need a larger tank as well as more filtration (depending on how much you are willing to clean). ONE turtle is enough for me. I believe you could also use this information if your turtle is another semi-aquatic species like a paint, map, etc.

All I can say is I found myself getting frustrated when all I wanted was for someone to just TELL me what I needed to get for my turtle. I was tired of reading about how you could feed this food, BUT it might cause problems, or that you could use this light BUT it might cause problems. I just wanted someone to tell me the best things (no ifs, ands or buts) and if I couldn’t find it, I would simply order it offline. So here it is—a list of what to get. Now you might run into someone that says, no, your turtle doesn’t need that kind, get this kind, or whatever but I’m saying after talking to several people and listening to those people that tried to steer me elsewhere, this is what to ME is the best. I even looked into the experiments that were performed on different lights to find out which ones actually emitted the needed amount of light and which ones were just big names making bogus claims. I just really hope the time I spent looking into this helps someone else as much as it has my turtle.

1.) A tank of at least 75 gal. Bigger is better but make sure it is AT LEAST 75gal for ONE turtle. – if you are on a budget, consider a large tub, or kiddy pool as long as it is an adequate size. Aquariums are more pleasing to the owner because you can see through the sides, but the turtle doesn’t mind. If you decide to get one out of the newspaper or something make sure it is free of any leaks. Also clean it THOROUGHLY with a 5% bleach solution. You don’t want any traces of any kinds of disease or filth from what was previously housed in it.
~If money is not an issue, get a new one with a stand. Most new ones have some sort of warranty incase there are any cracks or leaks.

*2.) A stand or piece of furniture made to hold the weight of a full aquarium. This is important because the filter I recommend needs to be BELOW the tank in order for it to work properly.

3.)a good quality canister filter. Many people are fine with power filters and other types, but when it comes to getting the job done, these types (canister) are the strongest. With these filters, you will need filter media. The brand I recommend already comes with most of the media. The filter you get needs to be capable of filtering a good bit MORE water than the size of your tank because turtles tend to get dirty quickly. For a 75 gal tank, get a Rena Filstar xP3 Canister filter made my aquarium pharmaceuticals. It claims that it can be used for up to 175 gal. This, however, is for FISH. If you have a larger aquarium or more than one turtle, I would get MORE than ONE canister filter. Put simple, the better the filtration, the healthier the turtle, and a healthy turtle means a happy turtle. Another good one is made by Eheim. It is more expensive, however, and I am very happy with my Filstar.

4.) Filter media – the media that does not come with the filter is called ceramic rings or stars. This is biological filtration and is good to have because it converts toxic wastes like ammonia (which turtles make a lot of). The Rena Filstar xP3 is made up of baskets stacked on each other. It will tell you in the directions which baskets to put this media in.
~another thing to go ahead and buy is a kit that tests for ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. You will find this at the pet store also. The kit will have a manual in it explaining what these are and why they are so dangerous. Testing for them will ensure you that your biological filtration is working.

5.) A proper substrate – don’t just go out and collect rocks from your creek as it will contain organisms you might not want. Get aquarium gravel/rocks that you buy in bags at the pet store. Get the large ones so your turtle will not ingest them. Get 3 or 4 large bags. Make sure you rinse them with water only before putting them into your tank.
~ you can also go ahead and purchase plastic aquarium plants and driftwood for your turtle to rest on or hide in. Just make sure any ornaments you use are okay to go into the water. That’s why I recommend getting them from the fish section rather than the reptile section, because the reptile ornaments are usually made to remain on land and stay dry.

*6.) a good basking area – This is a raised platform that your turtle can easily get onto that is out of the water. Many people chose to use rocks because that looks the most natural, but there are things you can buy at the pet stores that are fine also. Just make sure there are no rough edges on it that could scratch the turtles shell. If you decide to use rock (what I used) make sure you get a kind that won’t alter the pH of the water too much. A good type to use is regular slate rock. You can get this at pretty much any garden supply/ landscaping store. Pick out smooth ones that will fit into your tank. When you get home, rince them off well. Then soak them in a 5% bleach solution over night. Rince them off again, then soak them in plain water and a water conditioner for another day in order to get off any extra chlorine before putting them into your tank. Pile these rocks one on top of the other on one side of your tank until they are a little over halfway to the top of the tank. Make sure there is a way for the turtle to get on to the rock whether the rock is tilted some or you have some sort of ramp, or you build some sort of stairs. You can see my set up to see how I did it on these forums to get an idea. There, I explained it a little more about this.

*7.) You will want a good water conditioner – Reptisafe by Zoomed is a good one.
- another good thing to have around is something called Turtle Clean by Nutrafin. This is not a replacement for water conditioner (you will still need that) but helps keep the tank clean and also helps with your biological filtration. Follow the directions on the back of these to know how much to use depending on how much water you have in your tank.

8.) a screen cover that will fit over your tank. This is to keep your turtle in and also to keep your lights from falling in. You might have to order this if they don’t have the size you need at the pet store.

*9.) a light fixture that will hold your UvB bulb, (this fixture will be long and rectangular) and a light fixture to hold your basking bulb (this one will be round like a metal bowl). The one I use is a combination reptile hood made by zoomed and holds both types of lights and so I do not need the round fixture. It holds the UVB light AND has 4 extra sockets to hold the basking bulbs and extra heat bulbs if I want.

*9.) A good UVb light. This is honestly something that you get what you pay for. If you don’t pay some money for this light and get a cheap one that claims to have this light, chances are you’re being lied to. These are long florescent bulbs. Get the size that your fixture will hold. Some people only have them going over half the tank. I have mine going across the entire tank. I don’t recommend getting those bulbs that look like coiled bulbs that can be used as your uvB source as well as a heat source. They are too strong and direct for my taste may cause damage to your turtles eye. What you are aiming for is something that is as close to being like real sunlight as possible. With that said, I recommend getting one called REPTISUN 10.0 UVB by zoomed. Get the 10.0 because screen covers can filter out 50% of the rays! This is VERY important because your turtle needs these rays in order to maintain calcium and vitamin D3. Without it your turtle can develop metabolic bone disease! I’ve looked into this and REPTISUN 10.0 is the one to get. Not reptiGLO by Exo terra, or any other names for that matter. I had to look around for this light since PetsMart had a different brand but I found it. You can also order it online. You will pay around $30-40 for this. I believe this same light goes by other names also like Iguana light or something, but make sure it is the one my Zoomed with the 10% UVB rays (10.0). If anyone wants to know why this is the one to get, a good place to check out information and see tests that have been performed on these lights is www.anapsid.org.

*10.) a basking light. These provide UVA as well as heat for your turtle. If you are using a round fixture, get the bulb with the flat end that makes a direct ray of light. If you are using something that has sockets on the side get the round bulbs so the heat and light will still be emitting downward. This light as well as the UvB light needs to be positioned over the basking area. Keep these lights on 12-14 hours a day, turning them on when the sun is up and off when the sun is down.

*11.) 2 thermometers – one for the water and one for the basking area. The water needs to be between 76 and 84 degrees F. The basking area should be 82 to 88 degrees F. If your water is close to this temperature get heat bulbs (infrared or ceramic) that don’t emit bright light so it wont interfere with your turtles sleeping patterns at night. 3 heat bulbs, a basking bulb, and the uvB bulb do the trick for me and keep my temperatures where I need them (I turn some off or on when necessary). If you don’t want to do this manually, you can put these on a thermostat that will turn them on and off for you to keep the right temperature. If your house is rather cool, these lights may not be enough so you will want to get a good quality fully submersible heater. Remember that your aquarium is not going to be completely full so the wattage you get should be enough to heat the amount of water you have. In other words, don’t get a 300 watt heater to heat a 75 gal tank that only has 30 gallons of water in it. If you find that you do need to use a heater make sure it is safe and durable (consider making a permeable barrier so the water can circulate but the turtle can’t get too close to the heater). Even though these heaters have a thermostat, you will still want to check the water just incase…a cold turtle is not good, but neither is a cooked one!

12.) once you have all the electrical appliances you need (heater, lights, filter) you may want to plug these into a device called a “ground fault interrupter” or “GFI device”. You simply plug this device into the wall and plug your things into it…kind of like a surge protector. This will cause EVERYTHING that is attached to it to shut off immediately if something were to happen like water getting into a light. This is a good thing to have and can save your turtles life. You can find this at your local hardware store (ie. Lowes, Home Depot, etc).

13.) Now we get to the food. Baby turtles eat more protein while adults eat more veggies. A good starter food for hatchlings is made my ZooMed for aquatic hatchling turtles. These are tiny little protein-filled floating pellets. You will also want to provide fresh veggies like Romaine lettuce (stay away from ice burg) shredded carrot, etc. you can find a lot of information on the web as well as these forums about what veggies your turtle can eat and what you shouldn’t give them. If you aren’t sure, ask someone. This will be even more important as your turtle gets older and starts needing more veggies and fruits.

14.) last but not least, you need a good reptile Vet in case anything goes wrong. Don’t automatically assume your vet is qualified enough to really diagnose your reptile. You can do an online search for reptile veterinarians in your area. It is always a good thing to bring your turtle for a checkup preferably once a year. It doesn’t cost too much to get looked at and if any problems are found early, it will save you a good bit in the long run as well as provide you with peace of mind that your turtle is indeed happy and healthy.

I hope this helped, and I will add anything I may have forgotten. I think this pretty much covers the necessities. Here is the list again without the explanation. I also added which things are going to be a little pricey as an FYI. Just print this out and you’ll be good to go. It’s pretty exciting (to me at least) once you get started!

- an all-glass aquarium (75gal+)… this is over 100 dollars
- an aquarium stand…more than likely over 50 dollars
- screen cover
- Rena Filstar xp3 canister filter …this is over 100 dollars
- biological filtration media (ceramic rings, stars, etc)
- large aquarium gravel stones
- large pieces of slate rock (only about 30-40 cents a pound)
- water testing kit …around $30
- good fully submersible heater (not the cheap kind) …around $30
- light fixture to hold UvB bulb, heat bulbs, and basking bulbs
- REPTISUN 10.0 UvB bulb by ZooMed …about $40 for a 48”
- basking bulb (or spotlamp) depending on the fixture with UVA rays
- ground-fault interrupter… about $20
- 2 thermometers
- ReptiSafe water conditioner by ZooMed
- TurtleClean by Nutrafin
- aquatic turtle hatchling food by ZooMed (or adult if your turtle is grown) as well as veggies and feeder fish (optional) for exercise when your turtle is big enough to catch fish
- a qualified veterinarian

GOOD LUCK and keep us posted!!!

Vicky1 · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:19 pm Post subject:

Hewwo2u2

Thanks for the information, I printed everything, very helpful. The turtle (I call him Timmy) is so very small......I think for now he'd be lost in such a big tank.......
_________________
Found a baby red-ear turtle - to small to let into the lake. Someone must of let it go, not the kind in the lake by me......Will keep till it gets bigger, any sugesstions, never had one, it's real small.
Thank you

Hewwo2u2 · Level 3 Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 105 Location: SC

you would be suprised Vicky

If you go ahead and get the larger tank now you will be saving alot of money in the long run. More space means more room to swim and explore. He would be in a LAKE in the wild so a 75 gal is not too small but is rather just right My turtle was only the size of a nickel! it's amazing how much they grow! Smile

good luck!

p.s. the little "lagoons" you see at the stores made for baby turtles are actually very cruel. it is like wputting your pet in prison. As long as your turtle can get out of the water when he wants,the more room, the happier the turtle. Like I said, if you don't want to buy a tank right now get a plastic tub. It's a cheap alternative and it works well. Smile

fishandcandy · Level 3 Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 200 Location: Indio, CA

Good looking list.
You don't need to double post, though.

Hewwo2u2 · Level 3 Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 105 Location: SC

yeah, I did that because I wasn't sure where the best place to put it would be...

fishandcandy · Level 3 Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 200 Location: Indio, CA

Here's a very helpful article from Austin's Turtle Page.
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/firstturtleenclosure.htm

Hewwo2u2 · Level 3 Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 105 Location: SC

some of my info I got from his page as well as other pages too. his page is actually one of my favorites along with this one and anapsid.org. Smile

Everyone says something a little different, which is why it took me so long to decide what I needed to get. I made this list for those that only want to have to buy once and not spend the money again. (like if they buy a 20 gal with that size hood and a small filter, that will last a couple years and then they will just have to buy what I listed anyway, so why not do it once and save money?). I dunno but that's just how I see things and I wish I had bought everything before because now i have a smaller tank and filters that I probably won't get any money back from.

slidermama · Guest Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 1

Hewwo2u2--I know you posted this close to two years ago, but hopefully you will see my reply here!!

I just wanted to thank you SO MUCH for the "shopping list"!!! Our RES is 2 1/2 and our little baby is growing up! Very Happy

She can hardly fit on the floating dock and I've been searching desperately for some new ideas (the docks have always driven me crazy anyway...she was always knocking the suction cups off and then it would be all over the place with her trying to get on it). ANYWAY, I saw your tank pictures in another forum and I LOVE the large rocks for the basking area, it's exactly the kind of thing that I had in mind but didn't know how I should go about it. So then I found this post and there it is, telling exactly how you did it! I'm going to get the rocks today and start working on it.

As I'm typing this, Franklin (our big girl--assumed she was a boy until I had to take her to the vet and found out she's a lady turtle!) has managed to get up on the dock (but it's upside down, she can't get on it the way it's supposed to be used) but she's floated over to the other side not under the lamp so I'm going to have to go push her back over to get back under it. Over and over and over again.

I've been using this site for about 1 1/2 years, and if I hadn't found it then our turtle would NEVER have survived--at the little mall kiosk they seem to forget to tell you that your tiny turtle is going to grow into a big huge one...oh, and that they need water to swim in and eat in, basking light, heater, filter, etc. Oh, and of course they don't mention that the cheap little tiny island they give you for the turtle to live in is so beyond dangerous that it's not even funny!! We were curious about whether the turtle was a boy or a girl and so out of curiousity I did a yahoo search...and as you can imagine, I was completely shocked at what I found! I had NO CLUE what all we needed to do for her, and she was actually pretty close to dying but I wouldn't have realized it at the time if she was. I honestly don't know how she even survived; all we would do was put some food pellets on the dry part of the island (next to that precious little palm tree) and change the water when it was nasty. Nothing else, and that was for three months until I figured this all out!! But now she's about 9 inches long and healthy as can be!

Sorry for rambling on and on. Thank you very much for sharing your information with us, and thanks to this entire board, because without you Frankin wouldn't be here!! If Franklin could thank you I know that she would!! Have a great day!

Take care,
Amanda