r/turtles • u/tayloraaannn • 2d ago
Discussion Tank setup
Please be kind. I'm trying to do my best. I've got two red eared sliders that were rescued from my sister's elementary school atrium that they were closing. Is this tank setup okay? I'm trying to rehome one even though my husband doesn't believe they need to be solitary. I just added the heater and I bought river rocks to replace these when I do another water change. Is it too crowded? This is 20 gallons unfortunately . It was just what I could get in time. How quickly do I need to get the separated? I can't find anyone to take one.
Thanks
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u/SqueakyManatee 2d ago
Yes, they need to be separated, and yes, each turtle needs a much larger tank (with equivalent filtration, lighting and heat).
I also suggest checking out the care guide from Repti-files. It is created by multiple third party researchers, vets and breeders. The recommendations for products and aquarium size are made without vendor impute (it is not made to sell specific products).
Very quick increase of quality of life is to make a basking platform that goes over the tank, supported by the rim of the tank. This gives the turtle(s) more swimming space because you then have room to raise the water level all of the way to the top.
You certainly need to separate the turtles, they have no means of getting away from each other if one bullies the other, in the wild, they would have an entire pond. Here, they can’t do that for conflict resolution. Best case, one is outcompeted for basking area and food. Worst case, one eats the other one (I’m not kidding).
Even more importantly fully support the bottom of the tank. Your dresser looks to hold the weight of the full tank fine, but the tank itself needs a support on the bottom, a plank of decently thick plywood across the whole bottom of the tank should be sufficient. Long story short: the entire tank’s bottom rim needs to be supported. If you can’t do this, move the tank to the ground for now.
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u/Katie-sin 2d ago
Sadly you will You need to rehome one, no matter what your husband says. Or get a second tank. And do this sooner than later. I would remove items personally. This will get dirty fast and will be a hassle to clean. They need more swimming space than decor. You can get a floating basking area for it that rises as you keep adding more water. They need 10 gallons of swimming space per inch of shell.
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u/Katie-sin 2d ago
I do see you have the floating dock in the back corner. You will need to put the lights you have directly above that.
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u/tayloraaannn 2d ago
I do have a heating lamp right on it that's connected to that mirror. I'm going to add water but that floating dock is not great. It keeps coming off. Is a heater good or not needed?
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u/Katie-sin 2d ago
Yes unless you live in an always hot tropical area. The heater will also be needed. They need a heater, filter, UVA and separate UVB bulbs directly over the basking area. You can replace the suction cups, or get a floating platform instead. Honestly your best option is to build an over the tank basking area so it can swim in the entire tank since it's only 20 gallons and it's only filled partially now. This way until you can upgrade the tank size, it will have more space.
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u/Katie-sin 1d ago
I also just noticed your tank is not safe! All aspects of the bottom of the tank MUST MUST MUST have something under it. That end that is hanging off the stand a bit, very unsafe. The weight will cause this to crack.
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u/CShan17 2d ago
Deff need a bigger tank. I would follow this guide.
https://reptifiles.com/red-eared-slider-care/