Tank Setup Help!

[xcourtney3]

I'm getting my baby RES Thursday. I already have my tank set up but now I'm reading conflicting information. Currently, it is half river rock (kind of like a hill coming out of the water) and half water. Now, I'm seeing people's tanks filled with water with no rock hill. Do I need to eliminate the land and have water straight across? I do have a basking platform as well. Please give me some kind of direction.

 

[ascott]

HI....they need water to swim/eat/cool off..they need a basking spot and either natural sun daily or an artificial source of uvrays....oh and food and love and and and...so what I am saying is, your set up will have to be tweaked to meet your eye after your turtles needs are met....

I use to have rocks and stuff in my RESs tank and now I have nothing but wide open swimming room for them (as they are not 2 inches any longer----I rescued them from by old boss who they were given to after a kid and her mother bought them in Los Angeles 2 for 5.00 deal) and the tank stays cleaner so the water condition is better...this is strictly my opinion based on what I have done...I do have a spot for them to climb out of the water and bask...plus I have started taking them out in the natural sun for a couple of hours (and have put the uvray light away for awhile as they are now getting the sun)

If you wait a bit, others will join and give your their set up info/suggestions

Congrats on the new RES

 

[terryo]

I always kept my babies in enough water so that they can swim and that they can turn over....about a good half a tank. Instead of a basking platform, I used a planter filled with stones and plants that they could climb on and dry off.Something like a little Island in the middle of the tank. http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/tour7.htm
If you're using any kind of basking UVB, I would always keep it 12 in. away from the baby, no matter what kind it is. Nothing's written in stone ....this is just what I did, when I had water turtles.

 

[ascott]

TerryO, that was a fun site to pop in on...thanks for sharing

 

[SnakeyeZ]

I have my tank topped only inches from the top plastic trim. Turtles like to swim so the more room (water) you give them to swim the better. I just use a floating turtle dock for him to bask on.

 

[xcourtney3]

I have a filter, heater, basking dock, heat lamp, and UVB lamp. What I'm not entirely sure about is if I need the rock hill coming out of the water, or should I take that away to give them more room to swim. I also didn't know if there was such thing as water that is TOO high for a baby.

 

[SnakeyeZ]

Here's a few ideas.

 

[ascott]

I don't know that you "need" to have the rock mountain...but if you like it and the rocks are large enough to not be eaten...then it is really going to be up to your preference (since you say you have a basking spot already) and "I" do not believe you can have too much water AS LONG as you have a way for the turtle to easily leave the water to dry and bask.... actually, more water is better, again, in my opinion....

 

[Saloli]

i use sand as substrate and the water quality is much better then that is the turtle tank at work which has about the same biomass in turtles as my 75 gallon with my ndbt's and it has a bigger filter though mine relies almost entirely on biological filtration. I used two bacteria cultures to start the bacterial part nite out II and special blend. nite out is nitrifying bacterial which oxidize ammonia/ammonium to nitrites/nitrates. special blend has digesting bacterial which help by breaking downs solid waste and with ammonification it also has denitrifying bacteria which reduses NO3 to N (denitrification) which then disapates. the digesting bacteria help to keep you filter and substrate clean and the nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria help to get rid of toxic nitrogen compounds. their tank also has march bamboo and now a marsh arum as the plant part of the biological system i do have carbon in the filter but only to help with the phenols (stuff that causes water yellowing).

 

[ascott]

Have to say, love the biological filtration.....very cool stuff

 

[River14]

I always kept my babies in enough water so that they can swim and that they can turn over....about a good half a tank. Instead of a basking platform, I used a planter filled with stones and plants that they could climb on and dry off.Something like a little Island in the middle of the tank. http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/tour7.htm
If you're using any kind of basking UVB, I would always keep it 12 in. away from the baby, no matter what kind it is. Nothing's written in stone ....this is just what I did, when I had water turtles.

Like a lot. A little beach would be good too no?

 

[Saloli]

yes there is one actually i'll have to take pictures again thre are pictures of their old set up somewhere on here it's on a thread called terry's tank i believe