Setting up indoor tank for African helmeted turtle

wendigo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
35
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
So it's looking more and more like Lazarus has eaten all the fish that went missing in the pond (two 8" shubunkins, two 6-8" dojo loaches) . We had barriers and cameras up, saw no raccoon activity, and our huge dojo loach was gone this morning :( So we're thinking instead of having Lazarus in the pond in the summer and inside it the winter, we'll just set up a nice tank for him indoors year round. What size would be good for him? I was thinking 75-125 gallons, and setting up a floating dock or maybe adding a divider for a land area. We can still do some plants and guppies, but no fish with names :) I'm not sure if he'd need a water heater or a heat lamp, but I know he;'ll need a UV light being inside. Any suggestions for a nice indoor setup? It's a trade off in that he's losing some space, but also I don't have to worry about temp extremes, storms, predators, etc.
Here's his adorable little murderface eating some shrimp this morning.
 

wendigo

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
35
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
We felt guilty about removing him from the outdoor pond which he seems to love, so we have another above ground outdoor pond coming just for him. We will take it apart every winter and move him inside until the spring. After watching his behaviors with the plants and the island and basking in the sun I couldn't stomach putting him back in an aquarium. Probably totally anthropomorphizing, but its what feels best for him. So much for a $45 turtle, hahaha. Any filter suggestions? Its 172 gal. My other pond is using a Laguna PF 1000 which seems to be doing a good job. I was hoping to find a canister with integrated heater but can't find one that's outdoor rated.
 
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