Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have run across a few problems in getting these RES set up. First of all, I got a Fluval 2 Plus for a filter...it suction cups to the side, and one of the silly little buggers is trying like the dickens to get in that tiny space between the filter and the side of the aquarium...I'm afraid he/she will get back there and get stuck. What can I put back there to keep him/her from going back there?

Also, is it ok if the heater slants some instead of being totally vertical like it says it needs to be? It is called a Proquatics Hydromatic Aquarium Heater. The reason I ask is because in order for the basking spot to be high enough out of the water, I can only fill the tank so high. And the heater requires that it be filled much more. I have it slanted some and just have the heater looking part totally submersed (about halfway up).

I would imagine that it's ok for the turtles to hang on this...meaning it's ok if they touch it? I would have to guess yes, but you never know.

Jeeze...these things require more cords, lights and such than my chameleons...whew!

Ok...last question...do you all really take the turtles out each time to feed? That doesn't bother them too much? How do you keep the feeding tub water warm enough...water left at room temp tends to get pretty cool in our house.

Thanks so much!
Kristen
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1.1 pygmy leaf
1.0 carpet
1.0 jackson
0.0.3 red eared sliders

I came across the same probs with my heater--it seems to be OK if I leave it slanted. As for the turtles going up against it, mine love to sleep right next to it. I have a insulated one though, not a glass one, so I'm assuming it would make a difference...you wouldn't want to burn the turtles or have it accidentally broken.
I don't take my turtles out to feed them since the tank is small enough to be easy to clean. Whether or not it bothers them really seems to depend on their disposition. My Oscar is a very sociable creature and doesn't mind being handled, but Luke tends to be very grumpy and bites if I hold him for too long.
Hope I helped a little

Lauri
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Happy owner of RES Luke and Oscar
Forever owner of Willie the lab and Sylvester the canary-rest in peace

heater should be fine as long as its totally submerged and not sitting on the bottom

some take turtles out to feed. i never do. i think it distuirbs them (though like other poster said it depends a lot on the personality of the turtle) but if you leave 'em in , it IS messier.

yes turtles do get stuck and yes they DO drown. yu MUST find a way to make sure he can't get in any tight spaces including between your filter and the glass.
p.s i don't know how big your tank is but a fluval two submersible is a pretty weak filter. i expect you have to clean it almost daily and may wish to eventually add another filter....maybe a hang on power filter.

Thanks to both of you for the replies. What little goofballs to get stuck...he tried like the dickens to get back there...maybe I can pile the rocks up back there.

Darn...I thought I saw Fluval mentioned on here as being a good one...I saw the name, and got the one appropriate for my size tank. It's such a pain to take everything out, clean and put everything back on...so maybe I'll get a better filter soon. How often do you have to totally clean when you have a filter? I can't figure out any easy way to do it...and water gets everywhere...then of course, I worry that I'm spreading salmonella everywhere.

Kristen
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1.1 pygmy leaf
1.0 carpet
1.0 jackson
0.0.3 red eared sliders

the best type of filter to get is a canister filter. it may cost a bit more money, but in the long run, it's worth it. Fluval makes them. mine is a Magnum 350 deluxe by Marineland.

you also want to get one that is rated much higher than your tank. overkill is not too much. 8-) turtles are MESSY! a powerful filter will keep it much cleaner. if you are concerned about output pressure, you can get quick disconnect valves which will allow you to adjust the output, as well as make it very easy to dismantle the filter for cleaning.

here is a link to my most recent picture of my tank. i have since ditched the hammock for a piece of cork bark wedged between the front and the back of the tank. and the plants have changed a bit too cuz Wabo likes to "play" with them..

if you look in the upper right you can see the tubes for the filter..i have since extended the output hose to put it under the water...i got tired of the "waterfall" in my house...8-)

hope this helps...
tank setup

There are two types of Fluval filters: internal and cannister. The Fluval plus series is the internal type; the Fluval 104/204/304/404 series is the canister type. Canister filters from I read usually do a better job of filtering water and are also a lot more expensive than internal ones. I used to own an internal filter and got frustrated with the frequent water changes. Then I switched to an Aquaclear filter, which is a hang-from-the-back, waterfall-type filter. I do a complete water change once a month and feed my turtles outside the tank.

I had the most trouble getting my girlfriend's turtle, Skye, tank set up. The water was getting murky after only a few days and we had to change the carbon at least weekly (we were using what sounds like the fluval plus). My first solution was to try an under gravel filter but that didn't help much. So, on top of that, I added a power filter. Still, the filter needed to be changed every 7 to 10 days. I talked to the pet shop we go to for our snakes and they told me the simple solution to keeping the water clean, feed them less (we were feeding Skye 2 times a day with 6 pellets each time) so we cut her down to 4 pellets once a day. After all that (and me changing the water almost completely), the water has pretty much stayed clear for 2 or 3 weeks now without needing to change the filter.

Anyway, long story short, we've found it perfectly okay to feed her in her own tank. The only thing to add is that they told us to take out any uneaten pellets after about 15 minutes (but she usually eats them all). If you're worried about your turtle not eating enough, give her some lettuce to munch on (romain works good for Skye).

As for a heater, I couldn't help you. Our landlords keep our apartments between 70 and 75 degrees (and they usually don't flucuate by more than a degree). In other words, the room temperture is good enough to keep our turtle happy.

I'm not very experienced at all with Turtle tank set up but I'm impressed with what I managed to do. I put something on one side of the tank to lay a ledge that I picked up at the pet store. I originally tried to lean a ramp against the ledge but my turtle ignored it and preferred to climb the "plant" life that I put near the ledge. Plus, I observed that Turtles seem to want to lean against the sides of the tank on top of "plant" life and rocks so I've make sure my turtle at least has the 4 corners in which to rest. (I'm upgrading to a larger tank in about 2 months so I'm going to put in more traditional basking areas) I also purchased a filter for a tank twice the size of the actual tank at the advice of the person at the petstore. Its a canaster type that hangs on the side and the water comes out like a waterfall (my turtle likes to hang out under the waterfall sometimes). There are gravel rocks in my tank (about the side of my turtles head so he can't eat them), plus a few larger garden rocks placed strategically around "plant" life so it doesn't float away. Another observation (I tend to watch my turtle alot because he's fascinating) is that he likes to dig at the rocks and "plant" life.

I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing, but I feed him in the tank usually about the same time each day, give or take an hour, a few pellets. I read somewhere that turtles are pigs in shells, so he only gets fed once a day. Plus I keep feeder fish (Rosy Reds) in his tank. I don't bother feeding the feeder fish because I noticed that they are scavengers and eat whatever the turtle doesn't eat. I figure, if he gets really hungry in between daily feedings, there are fish for him to catch.

The lighting I'm using is the ESU Reptile Slimline Light Strip which came with a UV lamp that claims to give off sufficient UVA & UVB rays. I'm trusting that the box is correct. Plus I have a desklamp over my basking area. It's pretty bright in there for my turtle because his tank is near a large window and he's getting natural light on top of the different lamps. All the lights go off a night though. I have too many cats to trust that they won't pounce the tank and knock something over.

I tend to get very excited when talking about my turtle, I think it's because it's so new for me to have a turtle. So I apologize if I tend to run on.