Reptile & Amphibian Forums

HI,

I will be getting 2 babies in a few days and am starting to prepare a home for them. I have some questions:

Should I start them off in a small home while they are babies, or should I put them into a more permanent one now?

I have seen posts about using rubbermaid type containers as homes, but are these big enough? They seem quite deep, but not very wide or long. Is there a certain size that is more appropriate? Target has one on sale this week for $5. It is 66 qt.
Can you use a submersible heater to warm the water in these containers?

I am confused about lighting also. It seems they need UVA and UVB lighting and that they need a warm, dry place to bask...but in what combination should these lights be in? Also, do fluorescent lightbulbs have either of these rays needed?

I have read all the posts and info. I can find, but for some reason, I am still confused.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as these will be my first turtles. I have had tree frogs in terrariums for a while now though, so I have a little experience with filters/pumps...

Thanks ,
Rebecca

As far as tanks go, bigger is always better for the little tikes. Try to house them in somthing that will allow about 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle. (example: two 1" turtles would need a 20 gallon tank. 2 turtles X 1" = 20 gallons)
Keep in mind that adult females can grow to up to 12" each.

When it comes to lighting the most important thing you need is a basking spot. You need an area where your turtles can get completely out of the water, dry off and warm up under basking lamps or heat emmiters. Your basking area should be in the upper 80's to low 90's. You will also need UVB lighting which is a special bulb that you need to buy. Regular bulbs don't produce UVB. Also keep in mind that UVB bulbs are only good for 6 months even if the bulb still produces light. After 6 months UVB bulbs don't produce UVB. These bulbs cost around $25 each. One way around that price is to take your turtle outside every few days when its warm for a few hours and just soak up the free UVB from the sun. You will want to keep your basking lamps and other lights on around 14 to 16 hours a day.

yes, you can use a submersible heater

Are any sizes suitable to use until they are about 3 inches or so?

Rubbermaids work great if you can find one that you like.

I just bought one at Target for $9.00. It is 95 quarts/90 liters. Measures about 32 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 13 inches deep. this will last the babies a little while, I hope!

Does one 300 watt heater warm any size tank?

If I remember right, the ideal wattage to have would be 5 watts per gallon of water. So a 300 watt heater would heat a 150 gallon tank.