# Turtle tank information needed



## ezlife (Jan 25, 2003)

I want to take my 180 gallon cracked (but semi repaired) tank into a turtle tank.

I figure i can fill it up with 12" of water put a big rock in it with some feeder goldfish and kind of have a setup like that. but the quetsions are:

1) do i need a heater for the water?
2) do i need filtration for the water?

If so, how? you figure because the tank is 25" tall, a hang on the back filter wont work, so it would have to be a canister filter with long tubes and submercisble heater, but will the turtles try to snap at the wires, etc.?

If i dont do any filtration, i can just siphen the water and change it weekly. I dont know anything about turtle tanks so feel free to post anything that may help me make a descision.


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## CoolD (Apr 16, 2003)

Filtration is a must!!!!!
Turtles are very dirty. I used to have the under water filters made by fluval. They were small filters and basically only spongue filters but my turtle was very small and it was sufficient. I didnt use a water heater for my turtle, i had a basking light i put resting on top of the screen top of the tank, like the ones you see for reptiles. They do need basking light which creates heat for them at the same time. I am not sure, but i think if the do not have the basking light where they get the UV rays from then their shell will start going soft and they will die. It probably depends on what kind of turtles but i think most are comfortable when it is a little warmer than room temp. say about 75.
All this info is from personal experience and may not be 100 percent accurate.


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