Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been thinking of getting a texas map turtle. I have a question about the cage though. I want to get a jumbo lagoon from reptilesupply.com with a uvb fixture that goes on top, and a filter. Is this an okay tank for this turtle? It only gets around 3 inches. Someone said that this tank is not good for housing turtles but I don't fully understand why.

Thanks,
Darien

The jumbo lagoon would work only for a very short period of time. Male texas maps max out at around 3.5 inches but females can get as large as 7 and even so a full grown male should have atleast a 40 gallon tank to give him room to move around and not be cramped. In my opnion those lagoons are just death cages for turtles, you honestly need a tank for them to give them everything they need. A UVB light, a basking spot, a good filter and a water heater. After you get all that for the lagoon you have very little room for the turtle left. I would suggest getting a 20 gallon tank to start and that should be fine for atleast the first year. Hope this help you out.

Mitch

just google texas map care sheet and use common sence. most sheets will say 20 gallon minimum, but for a 7 in turtle a 30 is the min. IMO, with 40-75 gallons being better. they need uvb light, which means a reptisun 5.0 of a uva/uvb producing bulb. just to give you an estimate, for a permanent set up for a map:
40 breeder tank: 75.00
uvb/uva bulb: 65.00
light fixture: 15.00
water heater for 40 gallon tank: 45.00
water thermometer: 2.00
nonwater thermometer: 2.00
filter: 65.00
filter inserts: 10.00
turtle pellets: 5.00
crix, fish, shrimp, worms for other food: 10.00
food to feed crix and worms: 5.00
containter(s) for food: 10.00-15.00
vitiman and calcium supplements:20.00
thats about 335 right there, and thats excluding the turtle and any cage decor you might add. which for a 40 gallon is usually at LEAST 40.00. not trying to scare you or anything, but you don't really seem to know what you are talking about.

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Wow! I don't know where you get your supplies, but you are getting robbed. Some of the prices you mentioned are really overpriced. I live in NY and I thought things were expensive here, but......wow.

not really, if you get good stuff thats how much they are. sure, you can get a really crappy water heater for 20.00 that will last 6 months, but the more expensive stuff is worth it. same with filters, turtles are dirty and good filters make it so you don't have to change the water often. just curious, what did you think was overpriced?
-----
RES
WTF
FBT
Russian Tortoise
Hingeback tortoise
Leos
Lawsons Dragon
Aussi
Ocelot Gecko
0.0.3 Vietnamese Mossy Treefrogs
Oregon Newt
Japanese FBN
American Bullfrog
0.0.4 D. tinctorius
D. auratus
D. leucomelas
1.1D. imitator
0.0.2 imitator intermedius
1.1.1D. lamasi
Grandis Day Gecko
Mali Uro
0.0.4 Hourglass Treefrogs
Hedgehog, bunnies, dog, fish, crawfish...

By the way, your tank is beautiful, and so is your turt.
I bought a combo UVA,UVB 10.0 on the net for 35.oo...You spent $65
My light fixture was only 12.00...yours was 15
My water heater, with the guard for a 60 gal was 25.00...yours was 45.00
containers for food..10.00 I got mine at the 99 cent store.

Vitiman and calcium sub. 20.00....mine were only about 4 or 5 dollars each.
I live in NY where everything is expensive, so I mostly buy on the net. I agree with all that you said though. A person should look into the expense of raising any animal before getting one. As for the filter, mine was way more expensive as I only use a pond filter for my winter indoor pond. In the summer they go outside. I have a 990 gal outside, and a 60 gal inside. Of course I only use the heater inside, but when you have turtles, it has to be the best, otherwise like you said it woun't last. Where do you get your supplies?

thank you
the bulb i got is not a florescent, it 's a t-rex and it lasts more than a year, and is about 60-65, so it ends up being cheaper than florescents. it provides basking and uvb requirements. i can't seem to find any good reasonably priced water heaters. i've had the cheaper ones and they just break.
my supplements were 4-5 each too, but i use a lot of different ones b/c there is a lot of contraversy about the supplements actually containing what they say. there was an unpublished study that did tests on 20 of the most common herp supplements and only 2 of them contained what they said they did. so i try and use a variety. how did you get containers for 99 cents? i keep mine cricket cages and stuff, for the worms and the crix. the crix need those types of cages so they don't jump out, but the worms don't.
i get my supplies at local places, where some of the stuff is over priced, but i know the guys who own it so...i end up getting most of my supplies there.

-----
RES
WTF
FBT
Russian Tortoise
Hingeback tortoise
Leos
Lawsons Dragon
Aussi
Ocelot Gecko
0.0.3 Vietnamese Mossy Treefrogs
Oregon Newt
Japanese FBN
American Bullfrog
0.0.4 D. tinctorius
D. auratus
D. leucomelas
1.1D. imitator
0.0.2 imitator intermedius
1.1.1D. lamasi
Grandis Day Gecko
Mali Uro
0.0.4 Hourglass Treefrogs
Hedgehog, bunnies, dog, fish, crawfish...

OK...I saw the T Rex. It is at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/related_items.cfm?pcatid=7327&quantity=1 It was 49.99. I think I am going to order it. Thanks for this info. I like how your tank looks, with just one light.
Even when I had mine in a tank I always used a bio pond filter. They are just better for me at cleaning turtle poop and such.
I am going to get the T Rex. now. See...you learn something new all the time. Thanks.

yeah, thats the one. i shoud start ordering it from an online place, it's cheaper that way. i justh haven't gotton around to it. the t-rex one works great, i've tried with other lighting so i have something to compare it to. they create a perfect basking spot and are easier that floresents. good luck!
-----
RES
WTF
FBT
Russian Tortoise
Hingeback tortoise
Leos
Lawsons Dragon
Aussi
Ocelot Gecko
0.0.3 Vietnamese Mossy Treefrogs
Oregon Newt
Japanese FBN
American Bullfrog
0.0.4 D. tinctorius
D. auratus
D. leucomelas
1.1D. imitator
0.0.2 imitator intermedius
1.1.1D. lamasi
Grandis Day Gecko
Mali Uro
0.0.4 Hourglass Treefrogs
Hedgehog, bunnies, dog, fish, crawfish...