Question for turtle people

[lyquidphyre]

I will hopefully have my own classroom in a few months (if anyone will give me a teaching job!) and I would LOVE to have a tank in there with turtles.

I have an empty 29gal and I would like a turtle (or two) that could comfortably live in a 29gal. I need something with fairly easy maintenance and a setup that won't kill my teacher's salary.

I was thinking about a musk/stinkpot turtle but I'm having a hard time finding information that is consistant. Also, I would like something lively that won't stay hidden or buried all day.

Thanks for any help!

P.S. I won't set this up until after school starts and I get a feel for the students. If I feel I can't keep the turtles healthy and safe I will just have turtles to watch at home =o)

 

[Devilishturtles]

Awesome!

Turtles are great pets to have if you can devote a lot of time to them. I have 2 Red Ear Sliders now.

The musk turtles...the reason why you probably can't find corrent info on them is because there are so many varieties of them, and I think they are probably all misidentified. Only a few of them stay small enough to keep in a 29 gallon, IMO.

Have you considered the Reeves turtle? They will max our at around 5-6 inches. One can definitley be kept in a 29 gallon...2 might be pushing it as they become older. They NEED clean water and proper broad spectrum UV (both UVA and UVB) and are susceptible to shell rot if not provided with it and a completely dry place to bask and dry out.

I have no experience with the Reeves, so if any of this info is wrong, someone feel free to correct me.

RES are more hardy...but will outgrow a 29 gallon in about 2 years, get about a foot wide, and live for about 30 years.

 

[lyquidphyre]

Thanks for that information!
I looked into Reeves turtles and that looks like a possibility. It said that two could be kept in a 29gal long or 40gal... my 29gal isn't a long so that might be pushing it. I would most likely set up a filter of sorts so would I still need to change out the bulk of the water every week? I figured with most turtles I would need to provide proper UV lighting- can I use a strip light.. or a heat lamp? I really like the fact that these guys are pretty aquatic (aside from the special area for basking)

 

[Devilishturtles]

If you could get a small canister, that would be great! Turtles are VERY messy...messier than any fish you could ever imagine. A lot of people reccomend feeding them outside of their tank for that matter, but in a classroom setting that might be hard to do.

Over my tank, I have a UVB flourescent bulb

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Zoo-Med-Reptisun-Five-5-0-Fluorescent-Bulbs?sc=2&category=19

And a UVA halogen as a basking lamp

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Zoo-Med-HALOGEN-Lamps?sc=2&category=18

I would definitley go with a strong spot/basking lamp, especially if you go with the Reeves.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I can't afford a canister (I have one sitting around not in use but it is notorious for leaking and making noise which wouldn't be good in a classroom). I have an idea for tank set up and I was thinking an internal filter would work well.
Do you think this would work:
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp19167/si1378635/cl0/fluval4plusunderwaterfilter

it says its for a 55gal and mine is a 29gal and its relatively inexpensive

 

[severum mama]

I'd have to say no. I tried to use this filter with 2 yellow bellied slider turtles in a 55 gallon (too small, I know, but the turtles and tank were donated to my work and it was the best I could do). I really wasn't impressed. It was still really hard to keep the water clean even with weekly 75% water changes. The filter simply isn't powerful enough for turtles, although maybe you could get away with it for small turtles for a while. The one I used clogged all the time too. I really don't feel like this filter is worth 50 bucks.

 

[lyquidphyre]

Thanks for the warning! Do you think it might work better in a smaller tank (works for a 55 but would be put in a 29) and only one turtle? Or was the filter just bad in general?

Can you think of another filter for around that price that would would not only be turtle friendly but also classroom friendly?

 

[Devilishturtles]

That is the filter on have on my 55 gallon (~40 gallons of water) tank and its doable... but like severum said, it clogs VERY fast which is annoying. I make do with it beacuse I don't have room or money for a canister, but it has to be cleaned twice a week, and the pads replaced frequently.

I generally like the functionality of the filter. It's a little big, but it does push a lot of water. I think if you can keep up on maintaining it frequently you should be okay.

 

[BillD]

I used a fluval 3 internal filter for two 8' RES, in a 30 long (48"), but I never fed them in the tank. I put them in a wash basin, and left them there until they had a chance to defecate. This is crucial, as far as I'm concerned, and I changed all the water whenever I did a change. There is no reason to leave any behind.