Habitat - Indoor :: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 3:40 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

A lot of those kit's don't have a good turtle setup if a larger turtle. Being Prickles is so very small you should be ok for awhile. What they call turtle river pebbles ? I would go bare bottom will be easier to clean . Also if small size like regular aquarium gravel I would stay away from. Prickles may try to eat it then that's a problem , could cause a blockage.

Read boxes for the bulbs , must be placed at proper distance. Do you have a accurate thermometer for the temps ?

zoo med kit which one / size ? Was it the starter type or full kit ?
litefoot
 
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:33 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

I believe it was the Reptihabitat premium . I'd guess it's around 20-40 gallon, I hooked up my canister in addition to the submersible filter it came in. He hates the floating dock with a passion, only uses it as a Hide.
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:10 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Wish you would have asked first ! Is it the #26341 way over priced !!!
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26341-Re ... B00DDZ8TWA

Not much use in kit. You must watch how things are advertised. They talk about uvb /uva in corner BUT give you a 100 watt reptile basking SPOT light. Those are for Iguanas and dragons ! Spots can burn a turtle and or his eyes . A flood type is needed. To much wrong with this kit. You ever read on this forum every time someone gets a kit we say bring it back !

I only had a snapper for 12 years , you may need a snapper forum also to see I'm trying to help you. A snapper is a "water basker" NOT into dryland land basking ! NO dock needed maybe a rock so he can sit on and just sick his head out the water. Requirements are different than a RES ! This forum is mostly RES's so watch what you are reading it's not for a snapper ! You said only uses dock as a hide. Did you understand when I said you can build hides for him FREE !!! A water basker and ambusher from hides ! I am trying to help since I had one for 12 years.

All you truly needed was a tank (dollar gallon sale ) 40gal // $40 and or used tank. A low type profile works good for a snapper. Still enough room if he wants to swim a little. My snapper rather make new hides and stay on the bottom. Was a common snapper !
Single Dome clamp fixture $15-$20
CFL 5.0 UVB bulb $7 - $10
Maybe aquarium soil as substrate , they like to play in and use to dry off on not necessary to bask on. or as a hide. $15-$20.

Under $ 100 and use what you have filter... until he got to be a juvenile in size.
It cost enough to have a turtle happy and healthy ! Don't waste money especially when it's hard to come by.
Please check out a snapper forum and you will see what I'm telling you is true !
litefoot
 
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:35 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Ah, I see, sorry for the late reply, no issues have seem to come up since my last post here. I got some aquarium silicon and made some homemade decoration that he adores, much more than the zoo med dock. Though one issue has come up, I regret putting in the 'turtle river pebble substrate' and am now wishing I hadn't accidently subjected my ghost shrimp population to accidental shrimpicide when setting up this new tank. I took your advice and visited a few snapper forums, and have gotten the little guy to be quite comfortable with human interaction, the little guy hates getting his shell pet, yet loves it when his head is pet. Now addressing the current issue of gravel filth, would instill stick to ghost shrimp, or is there a more recommended scavenger I should look into?
ScorchedDragon
 
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:55 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

You may want to reread my post to this on Oct 2nd. Said go bare bottom to be easier to clean ! As a beginner what one thinks is nice looking or good is not always fact. In a few years you will understand , it does not come overnight , for now go bare bottom as a beginner !!! You have such a small water volume no filter alone will be a magical cleaner , regular maintenance on your part is a must! You will always have maintenance to do , in earlier post I recommended a few ways like the turkey baster that works for small volumes of water.
As other scavengers yes they eat things BUT they also poop it back into the tank so no help there ! Also when you get into larger water volumes down the road and be able to hold a "cycle" then that will break down things so your filter can clear it out.
Pet his head enjoy it for now when juvenile he will draw blood and as adult will take your finger or more !!!
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 8:51 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Ah, alright, thanks for the advice! Gonna do a cleaning tomorrow, and I bet he won't be happy with me going into his 'cave' under the plastic turtle dock, where he drags all his leftovers and piles them up for later.
ScorchedDragon
 
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2017 8:01 am   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

He's very small so put him in another container while you do maintenance , may be less stressful for him ?

You should not let uneaten food stay in tank , in that small volume of water could turn it into toxic water fast.

Just use turkey baster "slowly" to suck up trash on the bottom , it works. If hole in baster is to small you can make it a little bigger.
litefoot
 
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 8:50 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Been awhile, but I thought I'd post a picture of the tank I found myself stuck with, so far not many issues, the only one I'd think of would be that the light I got doesn't cover the whole tank, leaving one side somewhat darker and colder.

Image
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