Habitat - Indoor :: New RES owner .. need advices

[youssef]

hello everyone

these days i am thinking to get one RES turtle ,, but since I have no experience with this kind of pets I have some Q'S for you and I need any useful advices ,, the one i am thinking to get is 1,5" size

- the tank i am planning to buy is 55 Gallons and about 48-50" long .. is that o.k ?

- should the tank be in a specific height ? since, I am planning to add fish or any creatures .. and what kinds of fish or creatures goes well with RES ?

- since I am living in the middle east (in summer it reaches 50c and winter 10c outdoor but am planning to keep it in my room where i use A/C the whole year except the winter season), my Q is using a heat light is necessary ? if yes, what is best brand ? and ho many watts ?

- is the UVB/UVA light safe to the humans ? cause I red once that it could cause skin cancer or wrinkles to humans! is that correct ? and if i buy one ho many watts do I need ?

- I am planning to buy EHEIM 2080 filter, what do you think ?what kind of media do I need ? and what's the best brand?

- which brand should I buy from these three specially when it comes to safety ?
aqueon pro heater OR Finnex HMO Titanium Heater OR Fluval E Electronic Heater

- where should I put the thermometer in basking area only or should I use 2 one in the basking area and the other in the rest of the tank ?

- I am planning to use "Python No Spill Clean and Fill Aquarium" is it a good brand ?

- my home water is fresh water, should I add to it water conditioner ?

- Am I missing any thing ? disregarding the amount of money, if you were "me" what are you going to buy regarding to brands to the size of my Gallon ?

sorry for asking you too many Question .. excuse my ignorance in this field but i would like to start in the right way

[steve]

Welcome to the forum!

A 55 gallon is fine, though a female should have one a little bigger. If the turtle you get is 1.5", then you will not know its gender.

Wider tanks are better. A 40 gallon "breeder" tank might be better than a 55 gallon.

Anything in the tank will likely be eaten by the turtle. Large snails and fish might do better but that is no guarantee. A nocturnal fish like an algae eater might do better provided they have some hiding spots.

For anything indoors, you need a basking light and a UVB light. A basking light can be anything that generates heat, so a normal incandescent bulb will suffice.

When used properly, UVB bulbs pose no risk to people. Make sure instructions are followed and you do not get too close to it. Anything between a 5.0-to 10.0 is fine.

Eheim is a good brand, and filter. Refer to it's usage here (it's a bit powerful for a 40-55 gallon tank): viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145#p288918

Aqueon and Eheim make good heaters, Finnex will be good too but it is expensive and you need to have a controller for it.

I would get 2 thermometers for the tank. I use a simple stick on thermometer and an infrared temp gun to measure the basking temp and double check the water temperature.

The Python is great, though you can make your own too.

No need to add water conditioner, but make sure you have carbon for your filter.

Most brands are fine, you might just look into the tank size and filter size you want.

[youssef]

Welcome to the forum!

A 55 gallon is fine, though a female should have one a little bigger. If the turtle you get is 1.5", then you will not know its gender.

Wider tanks are better. A 40 gallon "breeder" tank might be better than a 55 gallon.

Anything in the tank will likely be eaten by the turtle. Large snails and fish might do better but that is no guarantee. A nocturnal fish like an algae eater might do better provided they have some hiding spots.

For anything indoors, you need a basking light and a UVB light. A basking light can be anything that generates heat, so a normal incandescent bulb will suffice.

When used properly, UVB bulbs pose no risk to people. Make sure instructions are followed and you do not get too close to it. Anything between a 5.0-to 10.0 is fine.

Eheim is a good brand, and filter. Refer to it's usage here (it's a bit powerful for a 40-55 gallon tank): viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145#p288918

Aqueon and Eheim make good heaters, Finnex will be good too but it is expensive and you need to have a controller for it.

I would get 2 thermometers for the tank. I use a simple stick on thermometer and an infrared temp gun to measure the basking temp and double check the water temperature.

The Python is great, though you can make your own too.

No need to add water conditioner, but make sure you have carbon for your filter.

Most brands are fine, you might just look into the tank size and filter size you want.

Thank you so much for your response .. This forum helped me a lot actually

I will post some photos once I finish my tank setup

Keep up the good work

[steve]

You're very much welcome!