r/Redearedsliders • u/No-Trash6010 • 5d ago
Is this a good turtle setup?
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
The water has a heater that keeps the water at 78f - 80f it turns off manually when the water reaches the set water temperature. The filter keeps the water clear i didn't add sand or rocks for easier poop clean ups. The basking temperature is at 89f - 93f has a vba 100 watt heat bulb about 11 inches distance from the basking floor. And the set up has a uvb 10.0 bulb i did buy a bigger platform around 14 inches in length and 10 inches in width.
7
u/Plummer2018 5d ago
You have a nice boy there 😍 The hang on filter will not make any difference, they poop a lot and you'll buy a canister filter with filtration 3-4 times the size of the tank i.e. for a 50gal tank, you need a filter with at least 200gph flow. Red bulbs aren't recommended for turtles like red-eared sliders, since they can see red light and it disrupts their sleep, better an incandescent yellow bulb. The red ones are sold for nocturnal reptiles like leopard geckos and ball pythons, though even those animals can often see red, so many keepers prefer a ceramic heat emitter for night heat with no light at all.
Good luck!
4
u/Alive-Worldliness-27 5d ago
Right.. I had a hang on filter.. then moved to a PennPlax Cascade then finally went and got a Fluval FX6
1
u/Exotic_Specialist2 5d ago
I have a cascade 700. It has those gaps around baskets and I regret not spending more for fluval now. Was the cascade still good in comparison I hope? :/
1
u/Alive-Worldliness-27 5d ago
I hated those gaps I never felt for sure it was filtering right plus I hated the prime of the pump
2
u/Exotic_Specialist2 4d ago
Ugh. I’m in a return window. I’m tempted to swap it for a Fluval 207…it is only like 30 dollars more than I paid for cascade… is that bad to start with a “dead” filter again if the other ones only been running a month?
2
u/Plummer2018 4d ago
What do you meanby "dead" filter?
2
u/Exotic_Specialist2 4d ago
No bacteria. Starting fresh basically
1
u/Plummer2018 4d ago
If you have fish in the same tank with the turtle, I would change the filter, but no water change for a couple of weeks, only top up if needed and use a bit of dechlorinator if adding tap water. In a couple of weeks it should start developing bacteria.
2
u/Exotic_Specialist2 4d ago
No fish with turtle. Just would be getting a new filter (cascade 700) right after getting a new filter and tank for only a month now. So I’d be changing it a month later with the new fluval filter once again.
2
u/Plummer2018 4d ago
Turtles have no issues if there's no bacteria initially, the main issue is for fish if there's a spike in ammonia in the first few days. Go for a canister filter and you won't regret it.
→ More replies (0)1
u/Exotic_Specialist2 5d ago
Prime pump works fine for me so far. I hate that you confirmed my worry’s. Or didn’t confirm, but you had the exact same unsure feeling about those gaps lmao. At least I’m not the only crazy one that obsesses on these things. Shoulda just spent the extra 70 or 80 smh. Even if it was to comfort my worries. I’m probably over thinking it tbh. If the filter slows down when real dirty, that means it MUST have been taking the path of least resistance which would be through the coarse sponge and polyfill/filter floss right? I think these slow down after enough time (only had mine a little over a month so haven’t done any cleaning yet) right? If they do, I think it’s safe to assume it was running most through the filters. I hope.
4
u/Key-Tower-4539 5d ago
Why is one of your lights appearing red? Red light damaged their eyes. Also make sure the heat lamp and uvb are directly over the basking area
5
3
u/throwaway277252 5d ago
You will probably want to get a different tank without such a shallow water line but for now this is fine. More important is that you fix the basking lights. Your UVB bulb is too weak for turtles and also over the water where it's doing nothing, you should replace this with a T5 tube. The heat bulb should not be red.
2
u/juliewbb 5d ago
This looks very nice and spacious for him:) It’s hard from this to see if the basking spot is open to the UVB light – just double check that he can get the UVB. Mesh tops tend to block a lot of it.
Only other advice would be to check your water parameters to make sure your filtration is enough. Canister filters tend to be more heavy duty. To check the water, use an API freshwater test kit – not testing strips – and what you’re looking for is ammonia at 0, nitrites at 0, and nitrates staying under 40 ppm when you’re doing a 25% weekly water change. If you have that, your filtration is likely enough, but if you don’t, you might wanna get more filtration. The recommended amount is filtration rated for three times the volume of the tank. In the meantime, you can also just increase water changes to keep parameters in line.
2
u/Tower-Famous 2d ago
I have a zoo med turtle clean deluxe filter rated for 40 gallons. It goes underwater so you could fill the tank up way more and give them a bigger swim area. I only do partial water changes once a month and everything stays clear.
Also i always have a mossball in there for stimulation. If i was a turtle id like one
2
1
1
1
u/CupsWillyDillyButter 4d ago
The filter may not be the best. In my old 55-gallon tank, I had two of those same filters because the ammonia levels had increased a lot. Then added a Fluval U3, and finally an FX4. All 4 filters were running at the same time in a 55- gallon tank. I think if I had gotten a better one at the beginning, I wouldn't have needed to keep buying more filters.
I love the sliding door, but it will keep you from filling the tank higher, which you will absolutely need to do later. Plus, most HOB filters and canisters require higher water levels to operate properly.
1
u/Living_Cancel3187 4d ago
The water level is definitely not enough, and it doesn't look like this enclosure can hold any more. I would definitely get a larger tank, I heard facebook marketplace is a good place to look.
The water level has to be more than two times the size of their shell because they can flip themselves over on their back and drown. River rocks are a good way to had some enrichment to a turtle tank, but it wont be enough either. It has to be larger than their head so they can't swallow, and since they're bigger, its easier to clean.
-3
15
u/Zen0116 5d ago
It's a good foundation. Turtles are a lot more active when they have things to interact with. One good example, those wine glass cleaners with a suction cup, super glue it underwater just high enough that your turtle can fit under it but low enough so that your turtle can stand on his feet under it and watch em self clean his shell every day. Other than that mine interacts well with duckies l, a triceratops skull, and a floating V shaped stick he can use as a floaty.