how to get my 60gal tank redy fore a water/land turtle?

Question

i have a 60 gal tank that i plan on having some land some water and i just aded the water in now.
i want to bye the turtle now... do i neade to do any thing to the water before i buy it or can i buy the filters and lamps and all the execories at the same time as the turtle pls help i nead all the info i can get

Answer 1

What kind of turtle? This makes a HUGE difference.

For most pond turtles, like Red-ear sliders, painted turtles, etc., you don't need much land- a couple of logs, rafts, docks, ramps, or something will work nicely.

For some turtles, like softshells or Diamondback terrapins, you need a rather specialized set-up.

For box turtles, you need dry land with a small pool, usually some form of sunken dish. I'm going to assume you mean a pond turtle and go from there.

To set-up a 60 gallon tank for a Red-ear slider or other pond turtle:

- Fill the tank a little over about 1/2 way, say about 40 gallons worth. That is enough for a 4" long turtle (the rule is about 10 gallons per inch.)

- Install a good filter. Good filters are costly, and yours should be rated to handle a 120-180 gallon tank. It will take the filter a week or two of operation to get ready to handle the job right, so get it early and let it run for a while. You can add a couple cheap feeder guppies, mollies, or goldfish to help it out. Here is a good link for filters: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/filtration.htm

- Install at least one in-tank heater and set it to keep the water between 75-80 degrees F at all times. Most of the time, you will also need some sort of guard to keep the turtles and heater from hurting each other.

- Set up at least 1 good dock, ramp, log, etc. for the turtle to get totally out of the water on.

- Place a basking lamp and fixture over the dock to warm it to about 90F. Most of us put our lamps on timers as well.

- The substrate (stuff at the bottom of the tank) can be almost anything you want to clean. Turtles do not need substrate, but they WILL eat the colorful gravel we use in aquariums- it looks too much like food to a turtle. Sand is nice, but needs to be very clean before use and shows dirt quickly. Natural river rock or pebbles are good but make lots of hiding places for dirt to collect in.

- Speaking of cleaning- get yourself a good siphon cleaner, like the Python. Even with a great filter, you'll want to vacuum the substrate and change at least some of the water every week to prevent smells and chemical build-up in the water.

- Some odds and ends that help include good thermometers, tank glass cleaner tool, and timers for the lamps.

- Speaking of lamps, one trick to having really healthy animals is to offer them lighting that includes UVB rays. Here is a good article on this: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/guidetolighting.htm

- Finally- other things in the tank. You can add a few other things for fun if you want. Big snails, Chinese algae eaters, armored catfish, and live plants (turtles eat many species- this can be a good thing for you!)

A good site for turtle care is http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Congratulations on doing your homework before you buy the turtle! Here is an article that might offer more ideas to consider: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Articles/firstturtle.htm

Answer 2

Well, you can get the turt now, as long as you get the filters, the basking spot, and the food. A UV light is a must, as is a basking light and a place they can get completely out of water. I reccomend the green turtle dock. I have mine, and it holds to the weight of my 3" painted well. I have a shoe string holding the furthest part from the suction cups up so it stays out of the water and so it doen't fall.

Make sure the water is at least 75*, to about 80*, but stay in the high seventies. Also, dechlorinate the water with a fish-safe product.

Remember, the 60gal isn't going to be big enough forever, so you may want to look in to getting a rather large horse trough to set up in your basement or somewhere. I do that for my turtles in winter as I do not let them over-winter in a pond outside.

Answer 3

ok, having a turtle set up is a very long and complicated process. but looks like you know what you're doing so im not going to go into it too much

as for the water, make sure you fill up the 60 gallon tank with about 75% of the water, and add some water conditioner in it. go to your local petstore (petsmart) and purchase some water conditioner, theres tons of brands and kinds, the one i use is wardley 3 and 1. read the directions and have filter filter the water for about 20 minutes then put the turtles in.

my setup i have the 40 gallon wide
emperor 400 filter (highly recommended, works up to 80 gallons)
Visitherm deluxe 200 watt heater
and few more accessories.

good luck with your turtle!

Answer 4

Get an anole. they're bought just about everywhere and fee approximately $7. All you like is a lamp some vines and a humidifier. you in addition to mght want a thermometer/hygrometer. The temperature could be approximately eighty 5 ranges and humidity of a minimum of 60% in any respect circumstances. you will additionally want substrate like beaked moss or terrarium liner. They consume crickets and mealworms. Mkae specific they're smaller than the area between the anoles eyess. eliminate any left over bugs or they're going to feed off of the anole. Gutload the crickets with food like fishflakes formerly feeding them on your anole. ultimately for some reason anoles consume applesauce so make that a on occasion take care of.