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16-07-2008, 07:18 PM
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Turtle Basics...
Well time for the first few questions which are to determine whether or not I have everything needed to set up my first turtle tank. I have a spare 60L fish tank that I plan to upgrade as and when needed but for the time being, I hope the 60L will be sufficient for a baby turtle - probably a yellow bellied or red eared slider.
I didn't realize that it needs to be a fully open top tank and, as the fluorescent light is built into the hood, would it be ok to just have the lid propped open on a permanent basis? That way there would be plenty of aeration. Alternatively, there is a feeding lid which could be kept open but I'm not sure if this would allow for sufficient air circulation. Anyway, I have the tank, the filter (the filter sponge has been cycling in one of my fish tanks for the past month), the heater, the floating basking shelf and I'm planning to decorate the tank with large pebbles, slate, wood and plastic plants - or "faux foliage" as I like to call it.  The one aspect that I'm confused about is the UV basking lamp. What is the best type of UV basking light required for one baby turtle starting off? It'd be great if people could recommend actual brand names and correct wattage so that I can try to track down specific ones. Thanks a lot. 
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There is only one person who could ever make you happy - that person is you. Member Number 13218 
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16-07-2008, 08:09 PM
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That tank isn't going to last you long at all. You're going to have 40L of water in it max, and that's really only enough for a one inch hatchling. I also hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I take it your filter is internal? They simply arent capable of holding the bio media needed with turts. You''l need a UVB bulb rated atleast 5.0, and a separate heat source bulb (can be a normal household spot). Is there anything else you'd like to know? I can point you in the direction of a good slider caresheet if you'd like.
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16-07-2008, 10:17 PM
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Quote:
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There is only one person who could ever make you happy - that person is you. Member Number 13218
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17-07-2008, 02:34 PM
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Wah, I'm still all confused about the lighting issue. I had a look on here and there seems to be multiple options for the UVB 5.0 plus the Slider caresheet I read recommends UVB 8.0...
 Also, there's different types of bulbs - the long fluorescent ones that fit into a tank lid or the compact type that need to be screwed into a separate light fitting. So which combination is best? Is it better to have the long UVB bulb that provides a larger basking area plus a focused daylight bulb or vice-versa? 
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There is only one person who could ever make you happy - that person is you. Member Number 13218
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17-07-2008, 02:50 PM
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5.0, 8.0, 10.0 etc is basically the strength rating of the UVB bulb. Turtles love to bask in the hot American sun, which contains more UVB than any bulb. 5.0 is the minimum that should be used with turtles, 8.0 and 10.0 are better (but have to be situated further away). In a small tank (less than 36" in length) the best solution would be a compact UVB bulb rated atleast 5.0 situated over the dry basking area and a separate household spot, to heat the area up to circa 33C (available from ASDA, B & Q etc). In larger tanks MVB's (Mercury Vapour Bulbs) are the best form of lighting as they provide both a strong source of UVB and heat from a single bulb.
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17-07-2008, 07:27 PM
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Excellent. Thanks for clarifying that, James. Is there a recommended thermometer to measure the temperature of the basking area? I have a spare tank thermometer but that has to be submerged so wouldn't be much use in this case.
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There is only one person who could ever make you happy - that person is you. Member Number 13218
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17-07-2008, 10:46 PM
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My two turtles which i got only 8 months ago have been the easiest pets i have kept. Always happy, Eat anything, get along together in there tank and love playing about. It looks like a lot of hassle when you see how to set them up but once it is set up it is soooo easy and fun............
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2x Yellow Bellied Turtles Tropical fish (in seperate tank of course)
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17-07-2008, 11:23 PM
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I've got a digital one, but previous to that I used a standard glass (test tube kinda shape) aquarium thermometer. Pretty much any will do, I don't entirely trust the stick on strips or plastic dial ones though. Either way just lay it on the basking dock, directly in the beam of the heat bulb for atleast 15 minutes.
People who complain about how much work their turts are (or how much they smell!) are usually those with small tanks, and inadequate filtration. Now mine are older I feed them three times a week(with water cress, kale and aquatic plants available all the time), and only do the occasional partial water change, the large external eheim does the rest - which means I have more time to sit back and enjoy healthy happy pets.
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17-07-2008, 11:30 PM
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I know you weren't talking to me, but whilst I'm on....Keep it relatively simple, don't use gravel (can cause impaction), sand is OK but can habour harmful bacteria, I don't use any at all - makes keeping it clean alot easier. The best substrate if you want one are large river rocks (too big to be swallowed) or a single later of slate (available from garden centres, again too big to be swallowed). I've suckered a large plastic exo terra plant just below the surface, they hide, sleep and rest on this. Also make sure nothing can collapse on the turts, or trap them underwater.
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