vivarium inclosure help.

[knives2886]

Hey everyone im in the process of making a enclosure for the winter for my eastern box turtle. I made it more so like a vivarium with a divider on one side for water and the other for land. The tank im using is a 40breeder. I have posted on afew other sites and i get no reply so i hope you people here can help me. What i want to do is add live plants to the tank and maybe a top dweling gecko. And some fish to keep the water half clean. Any ideas what kind of plants i can use in a 40breeder? Im thinking like short grases shorter broad leaf plants and afew taller ones. And maybe some aquatic plants like dwarf onions and water lillys. I have no clue where to set these plants either. So some helpful ideas would be apreciated.


Ps sry for bad spelling and stuff im using a phone and its hard as all get out to type

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi knives2886 and welcome to the Forum!

While I applaud your intention, I think you're going to find that its a lot of hard work to keep the water clean, and that your tank is going to be too small. That's a full grown box turtle. He will need much more space than what is offered in 3/4 of a 40 gallon tank. You will end up with a very pretty vivarium/habitat that will be messed up and dirty within a week. We had a member on here just this last week who was wondering what kind of filter to put in just such an endeavor as you're proposing.

Violas, hosta, spring mix, are all good vivarium plants. Do a search for some of Terryo's baby box turtles habitats. Hers are the prettiest I've ever seen. But, and that's a BIG BUT...her habitats are for baby box turtles.

 

[Utah Lynn]

Welcome, Knives.... I'm not familiar with Box Turtles, so I'm of no help. Some with knowledge will be here to advise you on your setup.

 

[knives2886]

Well as stated its a winter set up for the most part. I have a pond outside that i make a parimiter around for spring and summer. I mostly just want to used this for cold days/nights. Unless u think i should lett it hibernate outside??

 

[Yvonne G]

Where are you? Terryo lives on Staten Island (or one of those "islands") in New York, and she lets hers hibernate outside...under a couple feet of snow. I'm in California and mine hibernate outside too.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome

 

[knives2886]

Chicago illinois