What do you need for a turtle tank?

astross89

Member
We have 2 red ear sliders in a 20 gal long and they have been in there a little over a year. We have a pump, two basking areas and a heat lamp. They seem to be pretty happy. They even eat out of our hands.
 

maeistero

Active Member
:thinking: i believe it's just chance.
i've had turtles, water land, for all my life. stupid things never killed me, i just caught them and enjoyed their company.
like i posted before i do have 5 turtle species and one lizard right now. i do keep careful track on the drys, but the water ones never change on testing. i guess it's a lot harder to do the drys unless you're capable of blood tests.
 

johnbob

Member
Yeah I should have clarified what I meant by "little sister". She is 16 but i referred to her as my little sister just because she is younger than me. The turtle arrived and was pretty healthy, it ate some guppies the day it came and is now eating turtle food. Also petjunkie she got it from turtlesale. After doing a google search which I should have done in the first place I found out they aren't very reputable. Hopefully the turtle is fine. Also about the salmonella discussion, even if the risk of getting it is low I would rather be safe then sorry and if all it takes is 30 secs to wash my hands why wouldn't you want to do it.
 

30-xtra high

Active Member
Originally Posted by shogun323
Salmonella is a real potential threat especially to kids via turtles. Just because you never got it from playing with turtles doesnt mean it isnt a big deal. That's like saying I never got anyone pregnent so birth control isnt a big deal or I never got lung cancer from smoking so don't worry about it.
The point of my previous post was that Salmonella can be prevented by proper hygene (ie hand washing) in the case of handling turtles but I guess that went over your head. :notsure: I must say that it is funny how you attempted a couple posts back to agree to disagree and want to stop hijacking the thread. So I take the high road and don't say a word. Now you come back clearly for the sole prupose to rehash things?!!? Come on kid! Seriously.
I think this thread has run it's course.
actually, the second post was an accident... what happened was i was writing the first post, and clicked submit, right when my phone rang, and my internet shut down and the site closed, so i answered the phone, talked awile, logged back on, and then wrote the repeat post, sorry bout that.
and Johnbob, glad to hear the turtle is doin good, what do you have for it? (tank, filter ect..ect..?)
 

johnbob

Member
Its in a 20 gallon long tank that has about a inch of gravel on the bottom, a aquaclear heater, a fluval 2 canister filter, a big rock that sits under the basking light, a basking light, and a UV light that emits UVA rays and 7% UVB rays, and then 2 thermometers(one for the basking area and the other for the water.
 

reefkprz

Active Member
Originally Posted by 30-xtra high
i wouldn't make that big of a deal out of it... apparently all reptiles have salmanella... but i eat with my snakes... i eat while they are around my neck, so i obviously touch them, and then touch my food, and honestly i think it would be harder to get salmanella than to not get... i think you would literally have to lick them and eat their crap.,
used to have a turtle, a little quarter sized one that got about 5 inches before i had to get rid of it because that whole under 3 inches thing. i just dropped it at my lfs, and the manager kept him.
i'd say water turtles are funner, set up a freshwater tank and put a snake necked turtle in it... they're really cool and eat goldfish


all reptiles do not carry salmonella thats pure bunk, bearded dragons do not carry it for one. its most important to maintain clean habits with turtles because of the wet environment allows for rampant growth of salmonella.
you wouldnt have to lick them or eat their feces all you would have to do is toutch them and forget to wash your hands then eat something and toutch your food while doing so.
downgrading healthy practices when handling reptiles is not only ignorant (I am not calling you ignorant) but it is harmfull to the entire hobby of herpetelogical husbandry.
 

reefkprz

Active Member
Originally Posted by Johnbob
Its in a 20 gallon long tank that has about a inch of gravel on the bottom, a aquaclear heater, a fluval 2 canister filter, a big rock that sits under the basking light, a basking light, and a UV light that emits UVA rays and 7% UVB rays, and then 2 thermometers(one for the basking area and the other for the water.
that sounds like a nice set up for now, keep in mind as it grows she will have to upgrade tanks to a minimum of a 40breeder and thats on the small side it should really have at least 60gallons when grown fullsized. make sure she cleans the filters at least once a week to remove feces so the filter isnt just polluting the water. Remember the turtle has to drink the water its defecating in. oh yeah make sure she siphons the gravel when she does her waterchanges.
 
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