Originally Posted by e3NiNe
turtles are coooool.
All you need is:
a 10 gallon fish tank ($10)
a 20 gallon filter ($10)
a clip on spot light from home depot ($3)
a 60W bulb ($1 for 2)
a tank heater ($6)
something to line the tank's floor (not gravel, large marbles maybe?) ($2 a bag)
and a floating reptile rock ($10, petco)
Chinatown should sell turtles. Get 2 of them, turtles are social animals.
10 galls will last you a couple of months
after that you will need to upgrade until they are full grown and in the end you will need at least 50 galls for 1 red ear slider
and then you will need a more powerful filter, preferably canister since you dont have to hang the intake and exhaust tubes on top and splash everywhere
and you will need a more powerful heater
you will also need a UVB lamp. thats how turtles generate their vitamin D into calcium or something
in my experience floor lining makes the water more dirty
lastly, i've read that turtles can be very territorial
1 turtle should be perfectly happy
altho i have 6 and i have seen 1 of my turtles attack the others but that stopped
water turtles require much more maintenance than you think
i do water changes on my 40 gall tank (~20gall water) every week
my advice is to get a land turtle or a bearded dragon
or a white parakeet
