Habitat - Indoor :: Upsizing tank.. need recommendations & opinions

[digislayer]

Hello all!
I'm sorry I seem to be coming to these forums only during times of need.. but believe me, I've always been silent reader of the topics here!
So, my last post was about shell trouble(now solved), here:
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=36437

Quick intro:
I have 2 healthy RES turtles, both about 2.5 inches now. Owned them for about 10 months till now, and they've grown about 1.5 inches each. I used to keep them in a small 15G tank along with some goldfish & plecos, but soon changed to a bigger 50G with Cichlids, Red Bellied Piranhas(slightly bigger than the turtles) & Tinfoil Barbs. The fishes and turtles grew up together, and they got accustomed to sharing the tank...till now.

Recently the turtles started following fishes slowly, and grabbing a bite when possible. The piranhas started becoming too wild, and started eating other fishes, so returned them back to the store. After loosing quite some fish due to multiple reasons(too much bio load, even with 2 or 3 filters; the cannibalism of wild fish, turtles grabbing some fish, etc), I've decided to upsize further. I've come to love both fish-keeping & turtle-keeping!

So here's what I'm thinking:
96x18x24: i.e, 8ft L,1.5ft W, 2ft H, divided into two partitions. I've accepted I cant keep turtles & fishes together for long, and hence there would be a partition in between separating the tank into equal halves, giving 90G per partition. I want to keep fishes in one partition, and my two RES turtles in the other. Each partition would have its own filter & lighting.

Thoughts in my head:

• I've read on this forum that it's advisable to have 10G per inch. But this tank will have 90G for TWO turtles. I would fill it to the brim with water, and have a basking area on the top, all secured well. What are my problems going to be here?
• I dont think I can afford a bigger tank due to space & monetary constraints, even in the future. If it really comes to that, is it worth considering to give away one turtle?(I'm worried somebody else in my locality would never be able to care for a turtle like me)
• If I have a compulsion of forcing to slightly decrease the tank size(to 7ft lor 6ft length), thus giving the turtles a partition of 36x18x24, how impactful will the effect be?

Please comment! I'm really confused & worried!

[steve]

Why have separate filtering? Shared space allows you to cut down on the amount needed, however if one or both of the those turtles turn out to be a male, then you are looking at separation again (maybe relocate the fish?).

Personally, I would not be able to give away any of my turtles. I have two, in separate setups but they're not going anywhere because I feel the same way you do.

Since the turtles are small, the size might be negligible, but things inevitably will change as they get older and your tastes change.

[steve]

Can we get some updated pics of the shell? Glad to know it's resolved!

[digislayer]

Why have separate filtering? Shared space allows you to cut down on the amount needed, however if one or both of the those turtles turn out to be a male, then you are looking at separation again (maybe relocate the fish?).

Personally, I would not be able to give away any of my turtles. I have two, in separate setups but they're not going anywhere because I feel the same way you do.

Since the turtles are small, the size might be negligible, but things inevitably will change as they get older and your tastes change.

Glad to see you again Steve!
I have learnt quite a few things during the last 10 months of keeping fishes & turtles together, one of those is the difficulty in administering any medication. For fishes I can use a variety of stuff like tetracycline, potassium permanganate, garlic oil, malachite green, etc. But everytime I had to use any of these, I was worried about the turtles' compatibility. There's negligible information about this online. I was scared the garlic oil might harm the turles' eyes, and had to resort to a lot of other alternatives. That's why I've decided to have separate filtering

I'd hate giving away any of my turtles too, that's the reason why I'm continuously upsizing. But I admit I probably wouldn't have gotten myself 2 turtles, if I knew how big a habitat they require.

This tank is going to be huge, in terms of size as well as investment for me. I'm investing in it, assuming I will be safe for the life span of the turtles(unless the tank breaks or something). There're reasons why I'm liking fish-keeping too. Fishes let me have a planted tank, let me experience their complete life cycle with ease(socialising, breeding, parenting). But, turtles have a different personality, and I love them too. Fishes can't beat the long lifespans of turtles. Hence, don't feel like giving up on either of the hobbies..but you're right, tastes might change. If there's some changes needed to the tank, I'd rather get it done right now, than invest in this tank and then make changes later on.

Can we get some updated pics of the shell? Glad to know it's resolved!

Absolutely! Would get the pics tomorrow. Some funny facts: We don't have Hibiclens at India, so I resorted to using a non-alcoholic neural flavored mouthwash which has chlorhexidine as the active ingredient! It definitely helped, thanks a lot for that tip about Hibiclens.

[steve]

Anything sick should be moved to hospital tank. I don't think it would be possible to truly divide a tank so it's completely isolated from the other half unless you re-silicone it. It defeats the purpose of a shared tank though. If I were to do a divided tank, you should be able to allow the water to pass through between sections. The same filter, thermometer and heaters serve the same tank.

It's probably cheaper to do 2 tanks. At least near me, 2x 100 gallon tanks will cheaper than 1x 200 gallon tank. If you're looking at something custom made, then that might be different.

[digislayer]

Anything sick should be moved to hospital tank. I don't think it would be possible to truly divide a tank so it's completely isolated from the other half unless you re-silicone it. It defeats the purpose of a shared tank though. If I were to do a divided tank, you should be able to allow the water to pass through between sections. The same filter, thermometer and heaters serve the same tank.

It's probably cheaper to do 2 tanks. At least near me, 2x 100 gallon tanks will cheaper than 1x 200 gallon tank. If you're looking at something custom made, then that might be different.

Apologies, guess I didn't make it clear earlier- The partition is going to be siliconed. The only reason I'm opting for a single tank in spite of this, is aesthetics. And of course, the family thinks single tank would look better than two separated ones

And yes, i do use a 15G hospital tank(My first tank). But there were times when there was an outbreak, and I had to treat the entire tank. Also, when I had to feed garlic oil laced pellets, for gut deworming & apetite stimulation, and I don't know if it's safe for turtles. Of course, all this is still at the level of debate and nothing has been finalised yet.

Yes, I'm getting a custom tank..all my earlier tanks have been custom built too. I've got a good LFS here
And, as promised.. here are the pics!
(albeit a little late, sorry for that! Was busy at work.. )

This is the turtle which had spots earlier. We now call it "Spotty"! :)

Spotless & Spotty! For some reason, Spotless is growing at a quicker pace than Spotty. Maybe Female vs Male?

Also, my girlfriend recorded a clip of the turtles acting like they were wrestling today. I initially thought they must be fighting, but discovered similar videos on Youtube of mating turtles! Cant upload the clip right now, but it looks something similar to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EFxI_K0MO4

[steve]

If you silicone a divider, remember that silicone does not stick well to acrylics, you will likely need a glass piece. New silicone also does not stick well to cured silicone, so there will be seepage along those seams.

If you have to use special foods or meds, just use a separate container if you can. Mating can be a problem because males will become aggressive (regardless). Plus, you might have to with a deal gravid turtle.

In the video, the turtles are fluttering. Both males and females do it, usually to "give a warning", though males will also do it as part of a mating ritual.