Equipment Review and Discussion

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 11:45 pm **Lots of Equipment Questions for a Newbie**

How's it going everyone? My name is Anthony and I'm planning on purchasing a Red Ear Slider. I'm in the process of researching/pricing out the equipment I need and just wanted to ask the opinion of people that know what they're talking about before I move forward. I apologize in advance if this isn't the correct sub forum for this, feel free to move.

Tank: Looking at either a 40 Gallon Breeder Tank or (ideally) a 55 Gallon long if I can find one at the right price. Going back and forth between sand and large river rocks for the bottom.

Filter: Currently looking at Zoo Med Turtle Clean External Canister Filter 75-Gallon (I have a feeling I'll need bigger though).

Heater: Looking at ViaAqua 200-Watt Heater.

Lighting: Zoo Med Tropical UVB and Heat Lighting Kit. This is a dual bulb housing, is it ok to have both over the basking area or am i better off buying 2 fixtures and spacing them out a little?

Floating Dock: Undecided, want to see what size tank I end up getting first and take it from there.

Plants: I was thinking about getting a couple live plants. I'm sure they won't last long and the turtle will eat them but I figured I'd give it a shot first and if anything go to artificial plants.

Misc: Timer for the light, Digital thermometer/hygrometer, Moss balls for extra filtration.

I guess my major questions are:

1) Should I go with sand or large river rocks (or bare bottom)?
2) Will that filter be ok or should I go with something bigger/different brand?
3) What else am I missing?
4) If I wanted to get 2 turtles I'm assuming I'd need 100+ gallon tank?
5) Anyone in the Westchester NY area selling anything I could use? (if you don't ask the answer is always no

)

I look forward to the responses, thanks in advance!

I can answer some of your questions. Sand makes a great substrate. For filters I like fluval. And you will want one thats bigger than the one your looking at.The light kit your looking at will work but I like seperate fixtures so I have more adjustability. Not sure about the heater your looking at but eheim jager and aqueon make good heaters. Aqueon has a lifetime warranty. Thats important because all heaters can fail. You might also consider an above tank basking area. (ATBA) Hope that helps. :-)

ok thanks. I looked into Fluval but was hoping to find something a little bit cheaper (although now that i look at it the 406 is only $50 more than what i was going to be spending which isn't bad). I was looking at CaribSea Eco Complete Black Planted Aquarium Substrate just wondering if anyone has any experience with it in turtle tanks. it seems to be more for plants (which i plan on getting) just wondering if anyone has used it and whether or not it's ok/fine for turtles.

I also found a 60 gallon tank on craigslist but the back is painted (was used as a reef tank). Is that ok? It doesn't matter to me, just want to make sure there's no ill effect for the turtle.

Hi Anthony, welcome to the site! You might want to consider adopting RES, they are not hard to find and should cost nothing. You might even snag a complete (though inadequate) setup to get you started.

40 or 55s go on sale often at the $1 per 1 gallon rate. You might want to keep an eye on used tanks -- 75, 90, 100 gallons also go cheaply used, sometimes with stands included.

Skip most equipment with the word "Turtle" in it. Fluval, Eheim are good brands. Spend a little extra on one the heaters Kansasslider mentions.

You want lighting to be over the basking area, so a combo will do. Separate fixtures are good too and worth considering, but that depends on the layout around the tank.

I'm not a fan of floating docks. Acrylic, resin, pvc/tile, cork or ATBA are good ways to go.

I don't keep plants, you you might want setup a small planted tank to use for your RES.

Most timers will work for the lights, even cheap ones. Just get a 24 hr one. Forget Digital thermometers... get a LCD stick on and an infrared temp gun. Moss balls won't do much for you.

1) Should I go with sand or large river rocks (or bare bottom)?

If I had a choice, I'd do sand and a couple of large and smooth rocks for color.

2) Will that filter be ok or should I go with something bigger/different brand?

Go larger.

3) What else am I missing?

Stand... don't forget supplies to help you with water changes. Get some bulk carbon for your filter.

4) If I wanted to get 2 turtles I'm assuming I'd need 100+ gallon tank?

Sure, but you might need to 2 tanks if they don't get a long.

5) Anyone in the Westchester NY area selling anything I could use? (if you don't ask the answer is always no

)

Craigslist is your friend... also check out reptile expo on

Sunday, November 29
10am to 4pm

Westchester County Center
198 Central Ave
White Plains, NY 10606

Good luck! If you want to adopt nearby, check out turtle rescues LI.

I would highly recommend using sand it not only makes the tank look better but you can scoop up any type of waste. I'm using pool filter sand that you can get at any hardware store, its not expensive either I bought a 50lb bag for $12. If you are looking for a cheap canister filter I would recommend you look into the Penn Plax Cascade filters. I'm currently using the Cascade 1000 filter that is rated for 100 gallons and cost around $80, its been doing a good job at keeping my tank clean. The timer for the lights are really convenient but I would waste your money on the fake moss balls that are advertised for turtles.

If you like the look of black substrate then go with black sand. The back of my small tank is painted black so no problems there! As long as the paint is on the outside.Your going to get all kinds of advice. I'm not a Cascade filter fan but some people are. Use what works for you and go from there. If it were me I would just save up for a large tank and fx6 but like I said that's just my advice. It would save you a lot of money in the long run not having to upgrade later. Trust me I have a tank filters etc I can't get rid of!

I second the sand. I started with river rocks. It becomes impossible to completely clean all the gunk from between river rocks and you'll eventually hate it.

I have a 55 gallon and did fine with a Fluval 406. I've moved up to the FX6 because I plan to upgrade to a final tank sometime in the near future.

Once your turtle gets big, a floating dock is unusable. I'd look at ATBA or cork, like Steve suggested.

As you've surmised, the plants likely won't last. Make sure you have turtle safe plants--and congrats on all the forethought and planning. Most of us didn't go into this with our eyes open.

Thanks for all the help and feedback! Steve, I'll def check out the expo, I work 5 min from the County Center. I decided to go with a 40 gallon breeder tank (just hoping petco gets the stand in tomorrow) fluval fx4, aqueon heater, separate light fixtures and 2 bags of the black sand i posted the link to. as much as i wanted to go with a bigger tank/filter etc and be done with i just don't really have the space for it at the moment so the 40 will do (for now). I was talking with the employee at petco and he prefers the breeder tanks because they're wider and he feels it gives the turtle more room. i bought a mesh cover for the tank so i went with a floating dock instead of the ATBA for now (thats an easy change down the road if/when it's needed). FYI Petco is running the $1 per gallon sale from now until 11/7 if anyone is looking for tanks. Now for round 2 of questions.

1) is it ok to keep the light on the metal mesh cover or should i get hangers to hang them above the tank?

2) does it matter what water conditioner i get or are they all basically the same?

Yeah, breeder tanks are pretty good. Too bad they don't make them larger.

1) This is OK, make sure the mesh is not a tight weave (it blocks UVB) or that the bulb touches the wire. I think hangers are good and Kansasslider also previously used a metal wire shelf and that looked nice.

2) Go with carbon and you won't need a water conditioner (which might be harmful).

Sounds good, thanks. Below is what comes in the filter kit i'm ordering, am i missing anything? again, sorry for being a pain, just want to make sure i order the right stuff first time around.

Pro kit includes 406 filter, 2lbs of premium filter carbon, 2lbs of ceramic bio rings, 80pcs bio balls and 4pcs foam block
Suitable for aquariums up to 100 gallons
Equipped with a clog-proof intake strainer and a dual layer foam screen
Sound dampening impeller design for a quieter operation
Authorized Fluvial dealer means full 3 year manufacturer warranty

How much is it? Kits are usually not worth it.

kit is $200 on amazon

Steve, From looking at the 406 on ebay I think they all come with all that media and the 199 price tag seems to be the norm.

Yonkas, sounds like your off to a great start! Sounds almost like my first setup. For young turtles you can use a floating dock like the ones zoo med makes.

thanks. just thinking about it, what size lamps should i get for a 40 gallon breeder? do i need 2 10" lamps or can i get a 10" for the main light and a 5" for the basking area?

I used 10 inch clamp lights. The lights I use now are hanging on chains and are 8 inch. I really don't think it matters much. But I would say that the lights with ceramic sockets are better than plastic. Your basking bulb does not put out any heat so you will want both bulbs pointed at the basking area.

Equipment Review and Discussion :: Lots of Equipment Questions for a Newbie

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