Habitat - Outdoor :: Questions

[jwinters]

I want to get a stock tank (around 60-100 gallons) and I live in a desert. Temperatures here get past the 100s. It's pretty much always sunny. We never really have much of a winter. Temperatures are already in the 90s here.

1. Will I need a heater?
2. The sun is enough, so I don't need lamps right?
3. How can I keep predatory animals away from my turtle? I have a small dog, but I doubt she'll even be able to get near my turtle. My biggest fear is cats and birds.
4. What kind of filter will be best?
5. Will the weather here be too much for my RES?
6. Whats the best place to get a stock tank? There is a Home Depot, Lowes, and a few Grain and Feed stores since it's an agricultural area.
7. How do I create a basking area in the tank? My boyfriend is rather handy, so he could probably fulfill any suggestions.

Thank you for your help. I would really rather keep Turtley in my room, but he's 8" and needs a bigger area. So my only other option is keep him outside or donate him. Thanks to people's support and suggestions here I want to try the stock tank outside much rather then donate him.

[rsour24]

this is just my input so dont think what i say is 100% right, its my opinion

1. no, but u should still have a thermometer to monitor the temperature
2. no lamp is needed, sun is the best lamp u can get
3. perhaps chicken wire? not the most attractive tho
4. depends where is kept and etc.. u could get a canister filter but id say go for a pond filter since it will be outside
5. idk if it will be too much but there will need to be a shady spot at all times. and u may need to freeze water bottles and put them in the tank to brign down the temperature
6. a farm supply company. like tractorsupplyco or something
7. id say get like a 100 so its more round and u can stack rocks up in the middle or soemthing

[marisa]

Go bigger than 100 gallons---with that heat the water is going to become very warm, and it will do so faster in a smaller tank.

[marisa]

3. 1/2 inch hardware cloth---build a cover.

4. pond filter

5. perhaps. Make sure part of the tank is in the shade. You may have to do partial water changes to bring down the temp if it gets really hot.

6. either, but I think you'd have better luck finding a larger tank at the feed and grain stores.

7. Corkbark is good, or make one; putting it on top of a stand would be good. Put the basking area in the middle of the stock tank. Your turtle won't be able to escape and it will help deter some predators.

[Sir Max]

This is one of the reasons i am sceptic about outdoor setups

dont get me wrong they are beautifull 85% of the time

but you just here so many storys about your turtle wandering off for days even months at a time

and worried about birds and what not i just wouldnt feel comfortable about it

[jwinters]

This is one of the reasons i am sceptic about outdoor setups

dont get me wrong they are beautifull 85% of the time

but you just here so many storys about your turtle wandering off for days even months at a time

and worried about birds and what not i just wouldnt feel comfortable about it

Well, I'm mostly worried about the heat now. I can't be monitoring it constantly as I'm actually not home most of the day due to school. I know my boyfriend can build me a shield of sorts with chicken wire if need be. He already offered as he doesn't want to see me hurt over losing my turtle.

[jay2487]

how cold does it get at night? I've been in deserts that get downright cold after the sun has been down for a while, also you might have to look into a chiller for the day time. Having an outdoor setup in that climate actually sounds like a nightmare. If the water temp is going to stay above 90 most of the time you would definitely need a chiller, but something as simple as building a lean to over it and having it in the shade most of the day may lower the temp quite a bit. Wherever you put it, have some small livestock fencing around it as well. I have seen them with 6ft chainlink and I have seen them with 2ft tall rabbitwire. If your worried about birds of prey then you would have to build a full chicken coop type enclosure. Or sit in a rocking chair with your shotgun year round lol...

[jwinters]

how cold does it get at night? I've been in deserts that get downright cold after the sun has been down for a while, also you might have to look into a chiller for the day time. Having an outdoor setup in that climate actually sounds like a nightmare. If the water temp is going to stay above 90 most of the time you would definitely need a chiller, but something as simple as building a lean to over it and having it in the shade most of the day may lower the temp quite a bit. Wherever you put it, have some small livestock fencing around it as well. I have seen them with 6ft chainlink and I have seen them with 2ft tall rabbitwire. If your worried about birds of prey then you would have to build a full chicken coop type enclosure. Or sit in a rocking chair with your shotgun year round lol...

I'm assuming a chiller cools the water based on the name. Does it go in the water though? How does it work? And where can I get one? Are they expensive? Ah, so many questions.

I think the chick coop type enclosure is what my boyfriend had in mind. I don't own a shotgun, so that wouldn't be an option. XD

[jay2487]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 602_263622

http://www.marinedepot.com/chillers__index-ap.html

There is a couple links to them, some go in the water some sit outside and pump water through them. THe first link is to one for 170gals of water. You can see by the price that it wouldn't be cheap to keep all that water cool. But in the desert and outside, you'll have to do something. Good news is, you'll probably save a fortune on lighting. Having the habitat outside allows ewveything to get the best quality light there is. It'll be cool to sit outside and watch your turtles basking in real sunlight in your custom made enclosure

[jwinters]

Wow, with those kind of prices I definitely can't afford a chiller. This really is a horrible area to try to keep a turtle outside. It doesn't help that I now remember that a neighbor kept some type of turtle he caught in a nearby canal in a stock tank in his backyard and it was boiled to death and then eaten by his dog. Looks like I just need to figure out a why to keep Turtley inside. I don't know where I would fit something so large though.

[jay2487]

Perhaps an "L" tank? If you have a corner you can empty out.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... s%3Disch:1

I have seen these used before, of course you wouldn't buy one of these but make your own for an 1/8th of the price. Just a little silicone and patience. That way you can get a 6ft 24in worth of swimming area and use the short part of the l for basking and nesting if needed. It would be a lot more fun to watch too. You could still watch them swim through the glass which is something you lose with the stock tanks or baby pools

[jwinters]

That's a great idea! I'll look into it. I actually have a free corner too. Well, I will anyway once I move my bedroom furniture around.

[jwinters]

Problem solved. One of my friends used to work in a glass shop and said he can build me an aquarium that will suit my turtle's needs and will actually fit in my room.