Perfect Turtle set up help anyone?

[LewisG]

Anyone very experienced in keeping turtles? I would like to have two yellow bellied turtles but i want to have the perfect set up to give them a good life, any help would be much appreciated, maybe a list of what i need and tank size would be great. Thank you for your help.

[AnythingWithAShell]

Are you planning on buying hatchlings from a shop, or are you rehoming some older ones?

If you are getting older ones, knowing their sexes/sizes will determine minimum enclosure sizes. But if you are getting babies, then you can't know what sex they will turn out to be, so you should be prepared for 2 females (since that's the 'worst' case scenario!)

Female YBS will grow to around 12" SCL. Have a read of Graham's sticky in the main shelled section on calculating tank volumes. This tells you how to work out minimum sizes needed. Be warned, you will need a huge enclosure to keep 2 together. Like a pond!

Aside from that, the other things you need are -

A basking light (household reflector spotbulb),
A UVB light (compact type, 10%),
Holders for them both (clamp on holders, you need a reflective one for the UVB),
A filter (external canister type, rated for at least 3x the volume of water you have - This is something you can't compromise on!)
Plants (watercress, duckweed, elodea, most aquatic plants are fine, but don't spend too much, they'll get eaten!)
Basking area (you can use turtle docks, but you'd be better sourcing a suitable sized piece of corkbark and wedging it in. Lasts longer than the turtle docks, which a YBS will soon outgrow!)

Have a read of a YBS caresheet as well and see what you think.

These are the most common types of turtle that get abandoned, due to their huge adult sizes. Also, if you are determined to get 2, you will also have to be prepared to house them separately, should the need arise. So that would mean having 2 of everything!

It can get very expensive. You really have to love them to keep them, liking them isn't enough!

[Stephen P]

Agree with the above - as I put on your other post be aware of just how big sliders/cooter can grow to.

Turtles in themselves are inexpensive, its the equipment that is needed for them, eg an external filter £70, basking dock/cork bark, lights - uvb bulb and basking light, plus of course a tank. Rough estimate (if new) would come in at about £150. Obviously you may be able to get a tank via eBay, car boot sales, Freecycle etc. Pets at Home do a Clearseal one, without a lid which is what turtles require, for about £60 4' x 18" x 18" (I think it was).

Don't want to put you off but they are a longterm "hobby" - life expectancy can be 30 years+.

[Geomyda]

Originally Posted by LewisG

Anyone very experienced in keeping turtles? I would like to have two yellow bellied turtles but i want to have the perfect set up to give them a good life, any help would be much appreciated, maybe a list of what i need and tank size would be great. Thank you for your help.

Hello summer - Shelled Warriors Forums
This is about as good as it gets here in the UK

[cheesekipper]

Like the other posters said I wouldn't really recommend you go with a yellow belly unless you can afford right upfront the cost of pond/massive enclosure. For one turtle your looking at at least ten gallons an inch and constantly purchasing aquariums gets expensive fast! Remember filtration will really set you back too as you'll need filtration rated to twice your aquarium size.

Being a painted owner i'd strongly recommend a southern painted but that's just because he's the most adorable young man possible and they do stay small, mines a year old and still only around 2"

[Stephen P]

Southern Painteds are not very easy to get over here in the UK, only a few people have them (I have been very lucky and have 2). I have not seen them for sale in any of the usual places. Occasionally, they are identified wrongly and somebody gets lucky. They do get fairly big though, eventually.

[cheesekipper]

Originally Posted by Stephen P

Southern Painteds are not very easy to get over here in the UK, only a few people have them (I have been very lucky and have 2). I have not seen them for sale in any of the usual places. Occasionally, they are identified wrongly and somebody gets lucky. They do get fairly big though, eventually.

Thats a real shame as you know they're a wonderfully friendly species, having said that we just about don't have any tortoises available here, we have the Russian totroise in excess and the North American box and that's about it.