# The ole turtles...



## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I have two male turtles that I have been trying to keep up on. They are a hell of a lot of work.

I was hoping on giving them some space in a basement or backyard pond but our plans of a house kinda has been put on hold...lol

Anywho... I try to make due with what we have kicking around. I had lighting issues with them in the past, I hope to upgrade soon to vapor bulbs.

Right now they both have PC Screw style UVB/A bulbs and some heat bulbs.

When my kiddo came the upkeep of the turtles got crazy. Also, they can climb out so easily... Esp the red ear slider. Which is not a good thing with a kiddo running around!

They are tubbed until I can devote some more space to them but it seems to work. They are aggressive to eachother so its not possible to just have one large pond. :S

First off... My Yellow slider needed a better basking spot. That turtle is much deeper in the shell and outweighs the red ear easily.

I had some PVC I bought months ago... So I thought I would get to work. The cork would not hold up the turtle nore does any market style basking spot.

Because space is precious I didn't want to use up the water space with rocks.



Simple frame to hold the fatty yellow slider, used up the old cork bark.


Top view, blue zips to secure the cork and wire to suspend it.


Installed!


The RES is a handful, he climbs out of anything! So I was going to do a screen top, but I wanted to be able to use a sun lamp at some point. I was worried about melting.

The bins are an odd shape...

I ended up using one of the old shelfs I didn't end up using as turtle keeper inner... LOL Its nice! Now I can rest the lights on top.

I used a turtle dock that sucks for large reptiles, drilled some holes in it since it got water logged. It is supposed to float... But at the same time the turtles got too heavy.

So I drilled it, added some zip ties so I could tie wire to it and hang it as well leaving lots of space underneath. YAY!

hard to see, sorry I forgot to snap pics, but I am sure you get the idea.


I am so proud of myself!  and happy my poor turtles finally get some nice upgrade of some sort. <3 They are good boys.


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

Great job! 
How big are the turtles? Any pics.?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I'lll have to take some updated pics.  I totally forgot.

They are both bigger than my hands, the yellow is twice as deep as the red. I lost a lot of colour in the red and have some issues with the shells getting wrinkled and dark. I screwed up when they were little, I had the wrong light and had diet issues too.

I had major white spot problems with the red years ago because I didn't have the proper light or dry space. I have been trying to get their shells back but lord it takes a while...

I'll snap some soon, turts are fast asleep lol


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

They are big - what size tank do you keep them in?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Right now they both have their own totes. I would say roughly 30 gallons of water at the moment. Its below the Min right now but I have to wait till we can move into a bigger space... 

It sucks I hate that I can't get much bigger.. :S

You can kind of see one of the turtles in the blue bin. Near the bottom right, you just can't see his head. You can get a sort of size reference.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

I love the cork and pvc island! Cool set up!


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

Ciddian said:


> Right now they both have their own totes. I would say roughly 30 gallons of water at the moment. Its below the Min right now but I have to wait till we can move into a bigger space...
> 
> It sucks I hate that I can't get much bigger.. :S
> 
> You can kind of see one of the turtles in the blue bin. Near the bottom right, you just can't see his head. You can get a sort of size reference.


What is the min. tank size for those turtles?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Per turtle? Full grown would be nice to have 50 gallons at least each. Even more if you have girls. It depends on who you ask I guess. 

I know its really demanding for them. I was hoping a pond that I could put in the corner of the room but the res is super aggressive towards the yellow so they would not be able to stay together.

Thanks sprinkles!


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## FlyingHellFish (Mar 7, 2011)

^ Finally, a responsible turtle owner! I hate how baby turtles are sold with the mindset that they will remain small.


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## Flexin5 (Nov 12, 2011)

nice work jess! 

I always wanted a turtle but I want them to stay tiny..lol


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Thanks guys! 

I have not caught the RES up on his basking spot. So I might need to secure it better than I have. 

I have it hanging from the top, but I think I will secure the 90 angle back against the bin. Or make some steps or something to grip onto.

I totally wished they stayed small too. The RES came from some guy who also had a huge female. He tried to drop it off at the store I worked at but we didn't accept turtles.. Esp a girl as wide as a bucket... Because that's all I saw when he brought her in. 

Then he had the little boy on top of her, he was only as big as a softball.. He said if I didn't take them he was going to make soup. 

I took the boy... but at the time I lived in an even smaller apt and there would be no way I could house the female... I hope that guy was just bluffing. :S


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

What kind of filter do you use in your turtle tank? 
My daughter has a turtle and she has the sponge submersible filter which is useless in my opinion.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

Hey liz! I have one of the submersible fluvals. One is way too small and one is way too big.. LOL but it works.

Its just a powerhead with a sponge.


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## liz (Jan 16, 2008)

Thanks for the info Ciddian!


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I tend to find too, I couldn't have anything not protected with my turtles. They will eat anything... Foam included. So having one of those sponge bubblers didn't work out.

I did want it to help keep somewhat of a cycle but they are too silly to leave the foam alone lol


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