Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi

I'm Kay. My daughter brought home an RES turtle about 2 1/2 to 3 inches long. I named it Checkers She apparently "adopted" it from a guy at a swap meet. Anyway ..... I have taken over custody of Checkers since my daughter (age 20) doesn't have the means to take care of it properly. She just left it here with me since Tues, it is Sunday. I have been feeding it reptomin pellets. I changed the water once. I built it a basking area with a flat rock. I put it outside during the day (on a counter off the kitchen, covered by a roof) for some natural light... he took to basking in the warmth right away.

Last night my husband and I went to Petco to get Checker's supplies. We got a 20 gal Long glass aquarium with a screened lid. The guy that works there has 50 turtles and 13 years of experience with them. He steered me towards a red basking light (incandescent) with a shield thing. (75 watts) He said the red light is invisible to the RES and will not interrupt his sleep/wake cycle & that I can leave it on 24 hrs a day and not bother with turning it on & off. We also bought the large polished natural stones for the bottom. A bottle of Turtle Clean to break down waste. A bottle of Reptisafe water conditioner (removes chemicals from tap water) We also got a strip thermometer. He recommended a Fluval 3 filter and told us where to buy one (not sold at that store)

This morning I was very excited to put the tank together. I went rock hunting outside in our apt complex. It is wierd because there are hardly any rocks at all but I found 3 awesome ones! A large one with a nice flat basking top and a natural lower shelf (step) leading up to the top. Also a smaller piece of natural slate. flat & smooth! then a regular rock (sort of rounded - but all smooth) I put a glass block (all i had on hand) to build up height and placed the basking rock on top - very sturdy. Filled the basking end up a little bit with river rocks and a thin layer of river rocks in the rest of the tank.

I broke the bad news to my husband ~ that we also needed a UVB light! We packed up our baby (our 9 mo old son, not Checkers) and went to the Fish store. It was touch & go for awhile. the salesperson at first did not seem to understand what we were asking for (as far as the UVB light) When he finally brought out the Reptisun5 sp? I was so happy. Then we needed the hood. I also bought a regular thermometer that goes under the water so I can REALLY check the water temp and also so I could check the temp of the basking rock under the lamp.

Everything seems good - I think. Except I have 2 questions/Concerns.

The filter is making quite a current. I tried turning the adjuster knob. (white with a C and a little arrow on it) and the current does not seem to change at all. I had to lay the filter sideways in the bottom of the tank. I directed the flow off to one side as far as it will go and it still makes a bubble on top of the water from the force. Checkers does get a little carried a bit from the current but can swim to the far side of the tank Isn't the tank supposed to be calm, like a pond? Hmmm ... It is the filter that I was told to buy. The guy said it keeps his 55 gal tank crystal clear for 9 months? that is what he said. Is it too strong?

Oh BTW the water level is about half full (maybe a little more), the basking rock higher than that.

Second question. The UVB light? Placement? There is not room in my set up for both lights to be directly over the spot he basks. So i put the round basking light there and just put the long Reptisun thing along one side of the tank where he swims.

Will this be okay?

Oh and one more question. Last One, I promise. I think my RES is at least one year. I showed the guy at Petco with my hands his shell size and that is what he said. The guy at the fish store said 9 mos.

As far as feeding - should Checkers be considered a Young turtle and be fed everyday (that is what i have been doing) or a mature turtle and feed him every 2 days?)

Thank you so much for any input & thanks for reading my Long message (if you made it this far you are very kind

Thanks,

Kay & Checkers

I can answer one of your questions for sure. To control the current problem, get a bigger tank.

As far as age based on size, I cant agree. Ive known people with 2 year old turtles that are the size of mine at 2 months. I cant see size being a determining factor in a turtles age.
-----

Once a turtle is over 2 inches you can feed every other day or less, with veggies or aquatic plants always available to him. The tank is too small, a 55 gallon would last a lot longer, and would fix the current filter problem. It sounds like you are doing a good job getting him set up, but a bright white basking bulb will encourage him to bask. They don't need the light on at night, so I wouldn't bother with the red bulb. The reptisun is good, but it only works up to 12 inches away from the bulb, so it needs to be positioned as close to the turtle as possible. If you are going to keep the 20 gallon tank, fill it as full as you can, the more water the better.
-----

Thanks for your reply.

His first night in the tank went well I think. He basks all day (in & out of the water under) He is a Big basker at least so far. I will have to get a bigger tank and it will be the 55 gal. That will be after we move

I think i will raise the water level .... and the rock

Kay