ok, that sounds great and all, but let’s be realistic…..
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i know that you say they need a MUCH bigger tank, but i live in an apartment that isn’t going to house a 50 gallon tank. also, i’m a student and do not have the extra cash for a bigger tank, a $100 filter and so on. i think that for now the turtle is fine in the 10 gallon (she is only 2-3 inches in length) and don’t see the reason behind buying an overly expensive filter for such a small tank. i do plan to eventually buy a much bigger tank, but i am trying to get advice for now. you recommended the river rocks for bedding, but what about the basking area? what ar some tips for building one up in a ten gallon tank? right now the water os only a few inches tall and i am using smooth rock, but if i were to higher the water level, it will become very difficult to provide an easily accessible basking area! and i need a recommendation for a filter for a ten gallon tank (since i have been told it is absolutely necessary immediately). thanks for the help thus far!
You need to maximize the water area as much as possible. These are aquatic turtles. Therefore, in such as small tank, you probably shouldn’t build up the basking area from the bottom. For now, you could just get something that floats (like a piece of wood) and duct tape it to the side that has the basking area. The DBT should be able to climb up on it. Of course if it was irregularly shaped (like a log) and was rough rather than smooth, the turtle’d have an easier climb. You don’t want a smooth surface. You could glue (with silicone adhesive) a light, flat, rough stone to a piece of wood, so the wood is just underneath the water and the rock is just above and secure it with something. With this kind of arrangement, though, you’d have to constantly monitor water level, because when the water would evaporate and drops too low, the DBT wouldn’t be able to climb onto the rock. You want the tank about 3/4 of the way full of water, minimum. You don’t want it so deep though that the turtle can climb out of the tank. Again, a 10 gallon is MUCH too small. They grow pretty fast. Seek out financial help from family or something. Call it an early birthday or Christmas present. If you really are committed to being a caring turtle keeper, you need to spend the money at the beginning and do it right, or you’ll wind up with a sick, miserable turtle. I believe the standard they mostly use on the forums is 10 gallons per inch of turtle length. A 40 gallon breeder tank would be fine for quite a while. In fact, it would be better if you put it in a really big Rubbermaid container (just make sure the lights are secure and can’t fall in or melt the plastic) than a 10 gallon aquarium. The Rubbermaids are really cheap… You could use a submersible filter and a power sweep to circulate the water. Again, these are cheaper online than in a pet store and the turtle would be MUCH happier. That way, you could also build up the basking platform from the bottom. I used a wire basket, cutting off one long end to form a “cave”. On top of it I put some big, secure stones. On top of those, I glued together a couple of flat stones with silicone adhesive (in a caulk-like tube from Home Depot) and placed them as a basking platform. Turtles climb on the sloping rocks under the water and pull up on the upper stones to pull themselves out of the water. They can go almost vertical if they have to. You’d be amazed how hard they can work to get out. Those claws and strong legs…! I put flat stones around the basket to give them the cave to hide in. They like having a place to hide. Another note: they also need something to hook their claws onto while they sleep, so they don’t drift around the tank. Mine wedge themselves between the canister intake/output tubes and the side glass, or hook a claw onto a basking rock… It’s amazing to watch them! Let us know what you decide! 🙂 Walt G. —–Original Message—– From: nikkicoco11 [mailto:nikkicoco11@…] Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 4:10 PM To: diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com Subject: [diamondbackterrapins] ok, that sounds great and all, but let’s be realistic….. i know that you say they need a MUCH bigger tank, but i live in an apartment that isn’t going to house a 50 gallon tank. also, i’m a student and do not have the extra cash for a bigger tank, a $100 filter and so on. i think that for now the turtle is fine in the 10 gallon (she is only 2-3 inches in length) and don’t see the reason behind buying an overly expensive filter for such a small tank. i do plan to eventually buy a much bigger tank, but i am trying to get advice for now. you recommended the river rocks for bedding, but what about the basking area? what ar some tips for building one up in a ten gallon tank? right now the water os only a few inches tall and i am using smooth rock, but if i were to higher the water level, it will become very difficult to provide an easily accessible basking area! and i need a recommendation for a filter for a ten gallon tank (since i have been told it is absolutely necessary immediately). thanks for the help thus far! To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: diamondbackterrapins-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
The reason you’re going to want a filter very soon is because it means less work for you. If you have no problem doing a full water change 3 times *every* week, you can do without a filter for a little while. Just be sure you don’t get too busy that you miss your water changes or your turtle suffers. The reason you’re going to really want a filter is because you’ll very quickly get tired of doig a full water change 3x/week. I wouldn’t waste your money on a filter for a 10G tank, however. If you can’t get a $100 Fluval 404 or the Filstar Walt recommended, can you afford a $50 Fluval 204? You’ll have to do more cleaning and water changes than you would with the more expensive filter, but not as much as without a filter altogether. If that’s still too much, I know there’s at least one dbt breeder on this list who uses (non-canister) AquaClear 500 filters exclusively for their price and ease of cleaning. That’s getting down into the $35 range if you’re really tight for money. If you get a filter for a 10G tank, you’re going to have to upgrade it WAY sooner than you think, and you’ll constantly be cleaning your tank and filter and end up doing more work for your turtle than you get to enjoy your turtle. The reason everyone suggests you get a filter way bigger and more expensive than it seems like you need is because a lot of people have gone through this before, and they’ve upgraded and upgraded and upgraded and spent a lot more money in the long run because they didn’t plan ahead for when their little turtle turns into a bigger poop-producing machine…and as Walt mentioned, turtles produce a lot of poop! Nobody is trying to tell what you absolutely must do, but they’re giving you advice on what will be best for you and your turtle in the long run. I’ve tried those suction cup islands you mentioned. They were alright, but it doesn’t take too long before they’ll no longer stay stuck to the glass and pretty soon its floating all over the tank while your turtle keeps chasing it, trying desperately (but unsuccessfully) to get on it. Walt’s other suggestions seem good. Jeff — nikkicoco11
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