So, we've been looking into the possibility of getting the turtle a new home, mostly because of the costs to get her set up properly. See, the tank she's in is too small, mostly on the "happy" side, although some more room to move and exercise would be good for her as well.
She needs at least a fifty five gallon tank, really, but those are expensive. I found one used at the local fish shop for about sixty five dollars but by the time you add in substrate and a new filter because the one she's got (that I swear would filter a fresh bucket of quick crete and spit out pure water,) is made for the half-side style tank she's in now, and won't work on a full tank, and the other bits and bobs, you're approaching about two hundred dollars even with the cheap tank.
But, nobody we know has a burning desire for a red eared slider.
So, in the time honored FarmFam tradition it looks like I've got a permanent new pet.
Now, I know my readers are awesome, they've come through for me in the past. I feel bad asking anything more of ya'll... and I wouldn't, if it were for me. It's not... it's for the turtle. If you want to throw a couple bucks at the tip jar for a new turtle home, feel free. If you don't have it to spare, don't sweat it.
If we reach the goal and get the turtle's new house I'll post pictures.
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13 comments:
Never done turtle stuff, do you have links to the type of filter required and the one you have?
Check your local craigslist for tanks and stuff too (assuming you haven't already). All sorts of odds and ends there.
I'll throw something at the turtle... :-) As long as it doesn't end up as a post turtle we'll be alright!
Hogdogs, the thing with the basking platform is that she has to be able to get onto it, and watching her move, without a ramp, she's not gonna get onto it. Plus, I'M using all of my coffee cups.
The problem with gravel is that she'll eat it and hurt herself, if it remotely looks like food.
Ruth, so far the 65 dollar tank from the LFS is the cheapest the big tanks on craigslist within a hundred miles of me are still over a hundred bucks and gone as soon as they're there.
When I was starting keeping fish, several of the stores sold "leakers" pretty cheap (though I don't recall any 55s). We'd buy them and a tube of silicone and wind up with a tank for half retail.
Watch out for the gravel off the road idea. I brought some nice flat black pebbles back from a stream in the Smokies once for a freshwater tank. The pH went crazy. I wound up having to add some crushed coral to the substrate to balance it out. That may not be a problem with turtles, but my South American stuff didn't like it at all.
Good luck with it. I would really pursue the Craig's list idea. I see a lot of fish setups go cheap around here. I don't have any spare tanks, but I could send you an old Fluval if that would help.
George, I hear fluvals are awesome for fish but I'm not sure they could keep up with the turtle. I'm not really kidding about the filter we have now... I half suspect you could stick it in a bucket of quick crete and get fresh water out. The pump unit says aqueon but I don't know what model at all... only discovered the marking while I had it taken off after it got clogged... bang on sink, run hot water through, bang on sink.... it just doesn't quit.
The problem is that it's an overflow and not a submersible and in order to have enough room for the turtle to get out of the water I'd have at least six inches of extension on the intake and a longer fall for the fresh water and that's just a mess.
You need to get religion - then you can take up a collection.
What? You've never heard of a hard-shell Baptist?
;-)
A piece of flat rock under the waterfall would keep it from screwing things up to much, though it would splatter then...aqueon's a fairly decent brand of filter.
Well, mine is an old Fluval 303 cannister. I had two of them working with a Eheim wet/dry on my 125 before I switched to reef. You'd probably have to buy some output wands & such, so it's just as well.
George, the offers of filters are really appreciated, believe me. The cost of the filter is a good chunk of what this cost is gonna be.
I just sort of figure if I'm gonna have to buy accessories and extensions for a filter I might as well do it for the apparently indestructible one I've got, and those accessories aftermarket appear to be at least virtually nonexistant.
If you know where I can find the extra accessories, I'll gladly tell you where you can ship the filter, if you'd like to donate that to the cause... I just don't want to say "hey I don't need the filter" and then wind up not being able to use it, ya know?
I've never talked to Aqueon, but several manufacturers still have old parts and accessories lying around that aren't listed anywhere as for sale. You might try giving them a call and seeing what they have available.
I've never done a turtle setup, so I'm not certain about the best ways to do it. I do think you should be able to make some cost-saving measures along the way. I'm surprised that craigslist has been less than helpful. I've seen some fantastic deals go by I only passed on for practical reasons.
Scribbler- the larger the city the more useful Craigslist is. The town I'm in now doesn't have it's own Craigslist, and the nearest town that does seems to have more couches and ovens than anything else. It is also not that big.
I'm doing as much cost saving as I can figure at this point in that two hundred dollars. That will get her a tank empty of anything but the bare essentials, at prices I can predict. I don't want to quote a price to people who may choose to help (and I've gotten a couple of donations so far, I've thanked those people personally already) and then end up having to say "oh, sorry, I couldn't get the one I made that plan on because it was gone before the money was raised".
I would far rather plan on retail for most of it and if I can get awesome deals between now and then, I can consult with those who have donated and let them get refunds or decide on accessories for fun, or live food, if they like.
donation made to the United Turtle Fund. good luck!
Thanks, Heath! With your donation we're halfway to new turtle home!
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