I cant afford a tank for my Red eared slider turtle, are there any alternative ways of providing a tank?

Ive heard of putting him in a large storage bin or Rubbermaid equivalent, but im not too sure if its ok, any help?

I cant afford a tank for my Red eared slider turtle, are there any alternative ways of providing a tank?
Rubbermaid


Pro's:


1)Very light. When empty or with just a little water, they are very easy to move around. This also makes cleaning easier.


2)Cheap. They can be found everywhere for cheap. You can get a 50 gallon for 15$, versus the potential 100$ for a 50 gallon aquarium.


3)Easy to clean. They are light, therefor during cleaning, they can be turned, lifted, flipped, etc. using minimal effort.


4)More realistic for turtles, fish, etc. Whatever you have in the aquarium can't see out of the “sides” of its natural habitat. As far as I know, the “sides” of ponds and lakes are NOT see-through. In my opinion, turtles most likely feel more hidden and secure in a Rubbermaid.


5)Won't break easily. Unless you take a knife, scissors, or another sharp object, you, your turtles, AND everything else in your house will have a tough time breaking a Rubbermaid tub. They’re made of a tough plastic.


6)Pretty easy to store. If you have one, it’ll take up just about as much room as an aquarium. But if you have more than one, they are stackable, saving you lots of room.





Con's:


1)Not very aesthetically pleasing. It’s not exactly attractive seeing a big tub full of water sitting in the middle of a room. But if you can’t afford an aquarium or just don’t want one, this shouldn’t be a problem.


2)Can't view turtles through the sides. The clear Rubbermaid tubs only come in smaller sizes. I have yet to see a clear one larger than 13 gallons. Plus, even the “clear” don’t come near the transparency of glass.


3)Caves out a little bit. Since they are made of plastic, when filled with water, they can “bow” (cave out) a little, and if the water level is high enough, this can cause some to overflow. But this can be solved by doing the following (It’s explained the best I could…) :


Ø Get two wooden posts that are 2” longer than the width of the tub (Measure the tub when it is not caving out.)


Ø Cut two notches into the posts so that when you orient the posts correctly, the notches will fit right onto either side, holding the two sides together.


Ø Place the two posts on top of the tub about a foot apart, so that the notches rest on the side of the tub. They don’t have to be a foot apart, the distance between can be smaller or greater depending on the size of the tub. When you fill the tub with water, the posts should keep the sides from bowing. You can screw the posts onto the sides just in case.


4)Rubbermaid tubs don't come in sizes any bigger than about 50 gallons so this limits what kind of turtle or how long you can keep a turtle in it for. They are perfect for hatchling turtles up to 5” turtles. Any bigger than 5” would be pushing it. A full grown female RES, for example, would be way too big for a 50 gallon Rubbermaid, but a Map or Painted turtle 5” or smaller would fit just right.


5)Required accessories for turtles don’t always “work right” with Rubbermaid tubs. One problem I have had was that suction cups, such as the kind on some basking spots and thermometers, don’t stick to the plastic that Rubbermaid’s are made of. Also, aquariums can be bought in lengths such as 20”, 36”, 48”, etc., which are the sizes that fluorescent lights fixtures are sold in. So if you buy a 36” long aquarium and a 36” long light fixture, the fixture will fit perfectly on the top of the aquarium. On the other hand, even if a Rubbermaid is 36” long, the sides are typically slightly rounded, so a 36” fixture wouldn’t fit right. You’d need to experiment in order to solve this problem.





Hopefully now you can decide whether a Rubbermaid tub or an aquarium is best for you. In the case that you choose to settle with an aquarium, it is still a good idea to have a Rubbermaid or two on hand just in case. It won’t hurt





Austi's Turtle Page is one of the best with every thing you could probably need know if you go to all the articles.


These links go to basic set-up


http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Article...


http://happyturtle.ms11.net/setup.html
Reply:yea you can put them in storage bin or rubbermaid... that would be okay.. i have seen people do that.. no harm. good luck!
Reply:you can make one out of plexi glass
Reply:The Rubbermaid containers work very well and are a cheap way to give your turtle the room he needs
Reply:you might as well buy a terrarium for your Red eared slider turtle its much cheaper and easier....


http://aquadreamshop.tripod.com/miniaqur...


this site has terrariums you can see it for yourself
Reply:thats a prefect alternative,until one day you may want to display your turtle.
Reply:a large sterilite or rubbermaid container is fine just make sure that it has land or a large rock for basking as well as a water area
Reply:Yes, storage containers work great. Kids plastic wading pools work as well.





Don't buy a terrarium for a RES. They are cheaper than tanks because they are NOT watertight, and can use thinner glass, etc. They are great for land critters, but don't try to put water into them.



credot siosse

What is an application that enables you to change the slider image on the iPod touch?

what is a download that you can get images as the unlock and power off slider?

What is an application that enables you to change the slider image on the iPod touch?
The Customize app (found in the installer) allows you to change the sliders... make sure you download image packages that give you some sliders to choose from!



myspace quizzes

Hi,i have a 2005 gsxr 600,is there a site i can purchase colored no cut frame sliders for this?

http://www.powersportrider.com/CGI-BIN/H...


Go to - Street - Index - Frame Sliders


Black, white, blue, yellow, aluminum, chrome.

Hi,i have a 2005 gsxr 600,is there a site i can purchase colored no cut frame sliders for this?
parts unlimited maybe, Cycle gear is a store that carries everyhting, they would have it. Go to cyclegear.com
Reply:Ebay or Dennis Kirk
Reply:go to www.oneidasuzuki.com they have everything suzuki


and more and good prices.




horses for loan

Where can i purchase an albino red ear slider and a jamaican red ear slider?

i live in NYC, any suggestions on locations i can go to?

Where can i purchase an albino red ear slider and a jamaican red ear slider?
try reptile auction, it always has different reptiles



visualarts

What is the best and cheapest way to make a pond for my aquatic turtles?

Ok, I have two adult red eared sliders. I was given them by a friend who couldnt keep them. I upgraded there tank to a 50 gallon, but they smell bad! I really like them and cant afford 15 bucks a week in filters. I thought it would be cool to build them a pond in the back yard. Does anyone know the cheapest and best way to make my little guys a nice outside home? Is using pond liner a good idea? What about a filter? Will they run away?

What is the best and cheapest way to make a pond for my aquatic turtles?
I have a water turtle that lives in my front water pond. the pond has liner and my turtle seems really happy in it. I have a filter that the water runs through before it is recycled.I recommend a small shelf for your guys to sit on if they are like normal turtles and like to lounger around. the filter helps to keep the water from becoming stagnic. if you make the sides of your pond at an slope the turtles will not be able to climb out. I have large stepping stones on the top side to keep everything in its spot. when you are done setting up the pond you can do some landscaping around the outer edges with plants or whatever you may want.
Reply:i,ve seen this done on t.v., dig a nice size hole, more wider than deep. then put a plastic tarp which can be purchased at any hardware store over the hole. then get some dirt and cover the plastic around the hole with dirt to make the pond blend into the ground around it. i would put some rocks for the turtles to climb on in to the middle of the pond. go to a store that has fish aquariums and get one of those pumps with a filter and put it


the water but onto the side so it won,t fall over. i,ve seen places that actually specialize in pond building that have everything needed for ponds, even the fish, rocks and trees around the out side. if you,re worried about them crawling out


put up a fence about 10 in. high or higher around the perimeter. have fun with your easy hobby !!
Reply:I made one for the kids turtle years ago using their wading pool. It was quite large,10 feet in diameter with about an 18 inch side wall. I divided it into three areas using stones gravel and sand. I built a swimming area, underwater cave (so he could hide from cats), a beach, another cave to get out of the sun and a big shovel full of cat tails to make him feel at home. As far as maintenance, all I did was siphon the water out and refill once a week in the summer. In the winter he lived smaller version in the basement. I would compare price to a pond liner, but my guess is they're cheaper. If I was to do it again I would dig it in and landscape and garden around it. We kept it two summers and one winter, then one morning it was gone. I told my grief stricken daughter it decided to go back home to the river but it was probably a coyote or raccoon. RScott



visual arts

When I have a large community like below, how do I stabilize waste?

I have a freshwater community 55 Gallon Tank. The community consists of the following: 3 severum, 1 spotted catfish, 5 tiger barbs, 3 black tip sharks, and 1 pleco. Also to add to that two baby red ear sliders.

When I have a large community like below, how do I stabilize waste?
Good filtering, plenty of gravel vacuming and water changes.





Let the nitrate levels be your guide to how much water to change. Change as often and as much as you need to keep the level down below about 30.





I would not add turtles to the mix, very difficult to keep a tank clean with them in.





You will probably need to go to a bigger tank in the future as well.





Ian
Reply:weekly water changes about a 1/3 and like he said clean the gravel.live plants will also help with water quality and adding stress zyme once a week to help with the good bacteria


http://www.fishandfins.co.uk/stress-zyme...


http://www.epinions.com/content_62341615...
Reply:Gravel Vac once a week .. simple



tanning

How do I hibernate my turtles for the winter?

I have 4 red-eared sliders.They are indoor pets. I read somewhere that I should hibernate them during the winter to help regulate their bodies.I need help with the temperature lowering and stuff like that.

How do I hibernate my turtles for the winter?
Don't hibernate! Turtle's only hibernate in nature because it gets cold and they would starve to death if they didn't. Many turtles die in hibernation because their immune system shuts down so if there was any hint of disease or infection it will kill the turtle. Dehydration and their guts not being empty (they should fast for 2 weeks prior so food doesn't rot in their gut) are also issues to deal with.





Also, if the temperature isn't just right, they will starve to death because their metabolism will not slow enough. Are you even sure they are fat enough to hibernate?





I own 8 turtles and I have had two different exotic animal vets tell me not to hibernate my turtles.
Reply:to hibernate them keep water at 86 f you also have to check them often for sores
Reply:most dig underground and hibernate
Reply:I have the same animal.You let them go to sleep on their own and you can't handle them alot.
Reply:When I had my two turtles (RES) I don't ever remember doing that for them. **read it wrong** lol but i'll leave these things in here.





Is your tank not half water and half land?
Reply:Dont hibernate them. If there indoor pets there is no reason to do it.
Reply:It IS NOT recommended that you hibernate Red-ears indoors and it is not necessary for their health or breeding- after all, they don't hibernate in the southern part of their range.





It is VITAL that you keep the temps and lighting up to summer-like standards if you don't hibernate them.
Reply:Mine just stays hiddin under its log alll winter
Reply:take'em somewhere warm



poems