The most Ideal indoor setup of a Turtle Tank under $500 US Dollars - Update !!!

[McIntoshJeff]

Im building a fish tank in my garage right now and I came across your video. Totally changed my mind on my current build. Thanks

[obleck2018]

How does the underground filter work.

[turtlemad1]

turtle pro 120 is too small

[Existential0]

Hey, love your tank. I really want a refugium for my 120 now, so I can keep some plants and fish without my RES destroying them. Are you still planning on building that 400 gallon tank? That would be awesome to see.

[awesomeSoccergirl457]

ok PLZ HELP ME ON THIS QUESTION!!! :) WERE DID U GET THOSE BRICKS OR ROCK STUF FOR THE TURTLES TO GO ON??

[HerperJake]

Dude you have to show me how to set this up!

[papbear27ca]

can you send me a rough sschematic of you filtration and pump system harris_597@hotmail.com



[AScientificMethod]

Awesome! We are building similar for our daughter...

[dobieoroz]

Love your setup. I have wanted to replicate your tank since the 1st time I saw it. I'm in the process of setting it up a 75 gal for my RES. I found a wet/dry for a 120 gal on CL for $100 & bought the poly fiber from Grainger (thank you). I had a question about substrate. Did you just put the pvc on the trim of the tank or did you stick some in the middle as well? I wanted to make a pvc frame around the trim of the tank, but was afraid that the crate would crack w/o any support in the middle.

[CraziieFish]

how old are your turtles?

[parthd22]

Ur tank setup is awesome...i will like to know how do u manage the ammonia n nitrates in water!!hows many times do u water change?

[ConstipationFinger]

Ok but still looks like a fish tank. You should get a 'turtle tank pro 120' they look much better.

Search turtle tank pro 120, you'll wish you brought one. Less than $500

Sorry

[grifloki]

@ConstipationFinger Uh, that is the idea. Wanted it to be attractive center pieace in my home and do it myself. the tank pro you speak of is not even half as good as what i have built. I would never buy a pre made setup like that, it doesnt have the right configuration and filtration like my system does. Most pre built systems that can handle turtles cost a ton, over $1200 US dollars. SO appreciate the suggestion but in the end this is just a better system.

[Legitimacy88]

@grifloki I've got to agree. Those pre-made turtle tanks suggested by the gentleman above are really no where near as nice as what you've created here.

Also,

@ConstipationFinger Those tank dimensions are in centimetres - What you're recommending is too small for these turtle to cohabit. The largest model available from "Reptile One" is only a 75 gallon tank and these turtles are living in a 125 gallon.

[TheWhoafish]

@ConstipationFinger tank pros look just like fishtanks, and his setup is way more badass than alot of peoples who have tank pros

[Snoestorm]

Beautiful tank and wonderful setup..I wish more people understood what it takes to actually take care of their turtles.

[Pbuddhafull]

Try speak driftwood for the ph. Java moss is not a moss that lowers ph. You want peat moss. But most people use peatmoss in their substrate.

[grifloki]

@Pbuddhafull i dont have an issue with Ph. Its actually always about 7 which is right where i need it to be. I do have drift wood in there now and your are right, it does help for sure.

[boomerbegood]

Nice setup... I wish I had the space to do something similar

[Kopite91LFC]

I think turtles like space to get out of the water and walk around. Not just a small basking spot, like a whole separate area. I'm planning on getting a long container and making a bridge to it from the turtle tank. This way the turtles can go from one to the other on their on accord.

[donnar307]

great set up love it i am thinking of getting turtles can i put em in with my plec many thanks

[TheMysteryman334]

you said you were tryin to get a bigger tank? is this one for sale?

[RedRyders]

what is that thing you use at the bottom of your tank? the white grid thing. and where can i go to get it?

[TheMysteryman334]

could you give me the link to the lightbulb for the planyed tank?

[andreasandreas66]

nice job bro!!

[Tempdoom]

82 degrees would toast those fish! put it in the main tank instead (im a fish guy)

[grifloki]

@Tempdoom Wrong, tropical fish like 82 - 86 on average and most fish can slowly adapt to higher temps. ALso considering all my fish are all 2+ years old now I would say that backs up what I just said. Please research before posting comments as this only discredits you.

[jasonandjoesrailway]

Are they UV lamps or did you say you didnt need them?

[grifloki]

@jasonandjoesrailway i have a UVb, night heat, day heat lamps and full spectrum over rest of tank.

[TheMysteryman334]

you sir. are wealthy.

[88ratjake69]

you should've called them

mini

miney

moe

[hallowlibra]

Nice tank, is there a plan that you followed to build your sump? I'm planning on building 2 for my 100 gallon tanks.

Do people never read video descriptions anymore, half the questions asked are either answered in the video or the description.

[TheMysteryman334]

whered you get the thin pieces of rock for the basking think? 

[grifloki]

@TheMysteryman334 rock quarry, walk way rocks.

[TheDamschroder]

Why do you use the rocks on the bottom instead of sand?

[grifloki]

@TheDamschroder i like rocks as it makes me feel better. There is conflicting information about turtles loading their guts with sand and sometimes causing eye issues, im sure its not all 100% right as there is sand in lakes etc but i have always tried to be safer than sorry.

[TheTurtleKid110]

@grifloki Please answer, did you have to steralize the rocks when you put them in??? The ones from the construction thing i mean that you mention in the discription?

[grifloki]

@TheTurtleKid110 I washed them in a bleach made for marine life, non toxic then i rinsed and scrubbed really well and left out in drive way for a week with rain and sun, turnned them over a few times. Then i put in tank and filled and let tank run with some bait fish for 3 weeks and then put plants in and then turtles a couple weeks later. Been a few years now without issue.

[MultiSniper70]

@grifloki

what type of gravel is that you got in that tank be cause i woud like to get some

i am british i live in the uk so tell me where you got that gravel because i might be able to get it here

[MultiSniper70]

@grifloki

nice tank are you shore that is a 125gallon looks too long for a 125gallon

i found a 160gallon amazing price of £175 on ebay i found tanks like that for £500 or £400 its dimensions is 100x40x40 because thay upgraded it the old one which was

39.4x15.7x15.7

and it not a bad price for a tank realy can you order from ebay because if not it a shame because it comes with the stand aswell what the dimenision on that 125gallon tank because this one looks better than your tank

[LikeToGame80]

@grifloki ya I would think rocks are safer how long does it take you to clean this tank? Cute names

[lFuZzYLuMpKiNsl]

Where do you get your polyester fiber from for your filter? and how how much is it?

[grifloki]

@lFuZzYLuMpKiNsl got online from drillspot, its only like 40 bucks with shipping if you get the free times of years otherwise around 50. Cheap and lasts me a couple years.

[xkingkittyx]

man u know what ur doing, thanks for giving them a good home! i was wondering how my set up is? could you message me so i can send you pic? im getting two babies from a friend in a couple days.i just want them to have a good life

[hanley2458]

what do u feed them

[growhairfast]

one turtle is jelous

[SamuelEllmer]

"and a couple of inches water" LOL, what an idiot.

[reptilelover9]

That guy should know to put more than a couple inches of water.

[Kopite91LFC]

@CRSB1999

Do not listen to that guy. "a couple inches of water" is not enough for the majority of turtles. There's are some (but he didn't specify) but for sliders for example (because of the video), fill the tank as much as you can. Generally, the more water, the better.

[CRSB1999]

it is better not to put any decorations in because then loads of dirt gets built up and you have to clean the tank more regularly

a big chunk of rock (so they can bask) and a couple of inches water so they can swim

[grifloki]

@CRSB1999 Actually that is incorrect. You want to make the turtle feel as "at home" as possbile. Not putting in decor because the owner is lazy and doesnt want to clean is just wrong. If you setup your tank correctly you shouldnt have to worry about debre build up. Also, you need more than a couple inches of water, you need 10 gallons for every inch of turtle, so a 8 inch turtle needs 80 gal of water. Please research your information before posting incorrect information online.

[marika2012]

@grifloki ur so right:) Shut up crsb1999

[Amatersaru1]

@CRSB1999 you ever owned turtles?XD

[DISTR1CT]

I had 2, then my mum gave them away.. but I used my aquarium for my goldfish, bought them yesterday, I made video about it on my channel today :)

[AkaTinaSmith96]

Where do you live i need you to come set up my tank :OD !!

[Lambofreek7]

@grifloki

how is the water returning to the main tank? Did you make a hole in the refugium? or some kind of pump? Its hard to tell in the vid

[34kevin34]

@Mamba1459 somewhat depends on the turtles, my turtles do not eat fish but my cousins turtles do. i raised my turtles with fish, and when they were babies the fish were bigger so they never messed with the fish and still dont. hope it helps

and they will tear up plants from what i know. but i may be wrong

[grifloki]

@Mamba1459 if they can swim good and you have an easy basking platform for them to get on then sure. AS long as they can get out of water and are strong swimmers then you will have no issues.

[grifloki]

@Mamba1459 yesthey can eat them and they are very good for them. It all depends on the species of plant you put in. I have a few different kinds that you just lookup online what is compatible with RES and then plant them. Turtles will tend to eat all they can get as they LOVE plants so hence i have the refugium for growing plants. I harvest my plants meaning cut back overgrowth weekly and just drop them into main tank. Turtles chow it down within minutes. i also throw carrots etc in for vitamins

[grifloki]

@Mamba1459 Younger turtles will eat fish but if you get fast fish like tetras and things of those nature then you will be fine. Minnows and guppies are great too as they are fast and cheap so when they do get eaten they are not too costly. Minnows and guppies are good for them too, just NEVER goldfish. Fish are great entertainment for the turtles so they dont get bored and lazy. Mine are getting older now so they dont tend to chase fish but love veggies. Plants great too just lookup ok species

[91177878]

cool

[kickassbraydon]

i commented on ur other vid so answer that asap please. also can u tell me or make a quick vid on how u made ur waterfall? pleasee i really want one! :)

[grifloki]

@kickassbraydon the waterfall is just a simple whisper filter for a 30 gallon tank. I took out the internals so its just a water box and since it already hangs on the side of a tank all it needs it ability to fill. I pump water into tank from my SUMP so just had to T off it and put a inlet into the filter box so it would fill and then overflow. I then added gutter guard to the overflow spout so it woul eventually grow plants and your done. :)

[kickassbraydon]

@grifloki okay thanks. but with your basking dock do you have to keep refilling your water? because i have rocks stacked like yours and i need to re fill it like every 3 days max.

[91177878]

What filter?

[grifloki]

@91177878 Not sure what you are asking? The filter is home made, pump is a CA 1800.

[AKIYIAKELLY]

where did you get the rocks from?

Thx!

[TheGromIsDead]

So what happens when the power goes out or you break a fuse and you are on vacation ? Will it pump 120 gallons in your office ?

[grifloki]

@TheGromIsDead if goes out it stops pumping to main tank, main tank only overflows the internal overflow box while the water level is higher than it which only happens while pump is going. About 5 gallons water continues overflowing then it levels out and the 5 gallons ends up in the sump. Never overflows the sump as i never fill it past a certain line on sump so if power went out (safety zone). People didnt understand this in the 70's/80's and it happen all the time, not these days we learned.

[grifloki]

@TheGromIsDead and if someones tank these days is overflowing when power goes out they dont have a good setup, it doesnt need to happen and shouldnt happen. The information is out there to prevent such a silly mistake.

[grifloki]

@TheGromIsDead Oh, and my refugium, i forgot to mention, the return pipe to it has a small 1/4 hole drilled about 1/2" below the water line so that when power goes out it only can suck water for about 1 second then it sucks air breaking the suction thus no reverse flow.

[grifloki]

@TortoiseGuy71 its 125 gallon tank with 90 gallons in the tank, 20 in the refugium and 20 in the sump. So i have enough total water for them but eventually i want to have a 250 gallon main tank with a 50-75 gal refugium and a 50-75 gal sump.

[pkallen45]

I am setting up my new turtle tank and I'm modeling your substrate. I can't tell though, is your powerhead above or even with your lighting grate/substrate? Your set up is very nice! Thanks for posting and sharing. 

[grifloki]

@pkallen45 i have a power head in the main tank (800 GPH) that pushes water under the substrate keeping things stirred up under there and the flow keeps it goin to filter.

[RCKTBOY]

Quick question. I know you have algae eaters in your refugium, do you have any in the actual turtle habitat as well to battle algae build up on the wall?

[grifloki]

@RCKTBOY Yes, i have 2 in main tank and 2 in refugium.

[XvUchihaSasukevX]

@TortoiseGuy71 lolol 

[iRevized]

Yeah, under 500 us dollars... How much electricity does it draw and add to your bill? i bet atleast 100$+ But turtles are still worth it, nice setup.

[grifloki]

@iRevized Yes under 500 US dollars and per electric it only adds about $20 to my monthly bill and only in winter. Like almost having the cost of a hottub.

[iRevized]

@grifloki Ohhhh, Badass, i want to make this for my res. there in a 40 gallon breeder tank. 

[XvUchihaSasukevX]

@TortoiseGuy71 read the description

[MakeupByJenniferKay]

where did you get the rocks for the basking area?

[johncean12396]

did you have to reinforce the floor and can you do a vidio lof you takeing apart your filter like during a cleaning

[jeounghh87]

Your turtles sure are lucky to have you as the owner!

[1peiceaznboi]

How do you get the tank filter to suck in the water from ur tank?

[ecyfoto]

How did you prepare your stone(s) before filling with water? I'm adopting a 5 year old painted and plan to emulate your setup. Brilliant design.

[grifloki]

@ecyfoto i washed them a few times in drive way. i actually left outside in driveway with timbers around them holding them in place allowing rain and sun to clean them. then i rinsed with hose and filled buckets before putting in tank, this made them clean enough for me, not durt of junk to clutter things up.

Thanks!

[Unknown8186]

Lol you and BauriBob are like the same except the tank of course

[NewbornHippo]

this guy has such nice tanks!

[TheNewBeastBoy]

PLEASE RESPOND!(i have 2 baby red eared sliders, about 1 1/2 inches long, they live in a 55 gallon, i will buy a filter for them soon, but i dont know which filter is best. the babies dont make too much of a mess cuz there kids, so plz answer my question) What is the best filter too buy for 2 baby res?

[mjmadskillz]

So your undergravel filter actually just push air up from the pvc pipes right? So it will flow all biological waste to the overflow right?

[oliverbrason]

silly question, what about the electric bill?

[grifloki]

@oliverbrason honestly i dont know, from what I can tell my elec bill is an extra 10-15 a month i think but i have other exotic animals with heat lamps too so could be a combination of things.

[madturtlefan]

how do u on the heat bulb without the lamp??

[grifloki]

@madturtlefan i bought a electical box with ceramic light fixture and some romex and a plug. Makes a lamp that can handle high wattage and the heat from the lamp, the cheap ones in the stores get hot and are dangerous.

[carplunk2]

your turtles are sooo lucky! Please adopt more because there are so many that could use a great home and you would be giving them the best! save more turtles from sadness or even death!

[SprynxFusion]

I'd like to transform my aqurium into something like that, but before I do so, I need to know if there's any smell that you'll get from having an open aquarium like yours. How do you keep the smell to a minimum?

That tank looks awesome, really impressive. Good job!

[walsallcrew]

Hi I remember watching the original videos a while ago. And the improvements you have made are excellent especially Moving sump next door I bet that cuts down on all the noise and your refugium looks great. Have you ever tried sand in the main tank? I know that wouldn't work with the power head set up at the min

[grifloki]

@walsallcrew Sand works well, turtles naturally like to clean out their systems with it but i find it too messy in my world currently. My turtles like to dig and sand gets kicked up constantly. The flow in tank is so good that it gets sucked into overflow and then goes into media, wasting sand over time and adding sediment to my filter and wearing on my pump etc. The overflow would need a sponge to keep sand out but then would get clogged by other crap, so i choose not to. But yes, can be nice.

[arubaiguana]

Also, where do you get the bulk filter material and is there a part number for it?

I was using lighting grate under river rocks but when I took out the rocks there was quite a bit of crap in the lighting grate pockets. Do you think that you now have a bunch of crap in between the PVC pipes hidden under the lighting grate/rocks or that the powerhead is really able to create currents that force it up through the rocks?

Thanks so much!

[grifloki]

@arubaiguana i get my filter media from drillspot, internet site. "Air Handler 4WZ67 Polyester Roll Filter" 90 feet long, 16 inches wide and 1 thick. They always have free shipping deals, just need to catch them, its 43 us dollars right now with free shipping, and it will last years. For me its 2 and still enough for 2 more probably. I use three layers in my filter, blue side up, blue side down, blue side up, as its made with two kinds of material.

[arubaiguana]

@grifloki Thanks very much! Wow, for it to last that long for you, using 3 layers, I'm thinking you change out the "top" layer every week or two and only change the middle and lower layers once a month or so? Is that about right?

[grifloki]

@arubaiguana yeah thats about right, i dont have a set amount of time, i pull top off every couple of weeks and inspect the others, sometimes i replace all 3 layers and other times i only put a new top layer on. no real science to it, just how dirty it looks. :)

[arubaiguana]

@grifloki Ordered a roll of the filter media yesterday. It showed up at my door today! Just cut it and put some in. I see now why you use 3 layers - it isn't super dense and it's not really a full inch thick. I put in a couple layers though and expect it to work well. Thanks for the tip!!

[grifloki]

@arubaiguana lighting grate is lifted off bottom with pvc pipe and the power head does a good job of keeping flow under the rocks. My return is also returning under the rocks so flow from other side as well. i moved the rocks just now to look and its pretty clean, yeah some debre in edges of pvc but nothing the snails and algea eaters cant handle. My next build I intend to have two returns that force water under the substrate to have greater flow, no power head and also have a spa pump attached.

[arubaiguana]

@grifloki Thanks for the response. What are your thoughts on siliconing in a piece of plexiglass in the corner (instead of glass) to create an overflow? I'd rather use plexiglass as it's easy to cut to size and I can drill holes in it to establish the water level instead of having it rush over the top edge. Or if I cut it to just the right height I can skip hole drilling.

[grifloki]

@arubaiguana sure,as long as its thick enough. If too thin it will bow over time and pull on edges and eventually let go. I wanted to use plexi too but had glass and wanted to build cheap so used what i had. I will be using plexi in next build as well so I can notch the top edge so water doesnt rush all as once as well, though in next build I intend to have bottom drilled in the overflow box so no more spyhon system. Works great but i want to have a 300+ gallon tank so need to rethink things.

[arubaiguana]

Beautiful setup! Well designed and executed.

Are you worried at all about the weight of the shale and slate rocks? The density of those rocks is about 3 times the density of water so the glass underneath those stacks of rock is taking quite a load. I ask the question because I really like the way it looks and have been thinking about doing something similar but am worried about the excess weight. Thanks!

[grifloki]

@arubaiguana Well yeah, I was worried and that is exactly why I put PVC pipe Down in a grid pattern, edges and then cross wise, then lighting grate then river bed rock then everything else. This distributed the weight very well, 2 year now and no issues.

[grifloki]

@arubaiguana Note; before the PVC under lighting grate it was fine too, I added PVC for better water flow above and below substrate.

[HaiKenny]

So, you feed your turtles gold fishes? I've been giving them pellets :P

[Boneyman]

My set up costed me $350 total. It would have been less if I made my own filter but I decided to buy a canister filter instead. I wouldn't want 90 gallons of water on my floor.

[grifloki]

@Boneyman Yeah you can always go pretty cheap and still have a functional system. I couldnt get much cheaper as turtles need a refugium to combat their waste etc to truly be healthy. Many think just putting a platform and some water is enough. Swimming area is important but just because you have 100 gal of water doesnt mean they are healthy or happy. They need to feel like home so rocks, plants, fish, and VERY clean water is a must. Canisters just dont cut it with adult turlles, babies ok.

[Boneyman]

@grifloki I agree with you completely. If I could I would double up on my filtration but due to parental politics I can't do anything else. I plan to add more decor and substrate to my tank but my female is aggressive and destroys everything in the tank. I wouldn't say that a turtle needs a refugium to be healthy. They need very powerful biological filtration and a wet/dry filtration system is the most efficient way of doing that.

[grifloki]

@Boneyman Yeah, i agree but i do strongly suggest live plants to combat the crap turtles create. My wet/dry does a great job but having live plants had made a HUGE difference not to mention i can harvest every 2 weeks and put in main tank for turtles to eat. I also like to have a covered canopy setup to trap heat in for air temp so having a refugium i can allow moisture to escape and have lights on all the time (24hrs) without disturbing the turtles.

[Boneyman]

@grifloki I really like your set up with the auxillary tank as a refugium. The idea I had in my mind was to use the sump as a refugium but that would come with it's own set of problems.

[Solitude102]

I think I might need to upgrade my tank, thanks for your turtle videos there actually quite useful.

[MLGMajorityFFA]

Very cool, love it!

[MrDjcuro]

i dont have a night time baskin lamp do you need 1 i have to baby yellow bellys in a ten gallon until they get bigger..

[grifloki]

@MrDjcuro That all depends on how warm to keep it in the tank. My turtles are used to the air temp being 80's when they sleep and water temp being about 75. During day they like air temp to be about 92 and water temp to be about 85. So long story short, i would suggest having one unless your over 75 already in the air (get a thermostate to stick on glass inside for air temp) or you have turtles that are used to colder climates.

[ganstagansta888]

Also, how many hours a day do you leave the lights on in your turtle tank?

You also mentionned the planted tank lights are on 24h/day. Isn't that bad for the fish you have in there?

[grifloki]

@ganstagansta888 Turtle tank I leave daytime lights on from 8am to 8pm and then night time infared heat lamp stays on from 8pm to 8am. The planted tank they stay on 24 hours a day, its not bad for the fish, they learn to adapt. Think of places in the world where daylight is way longer, like alaska etc. The fish in the planted tank are only there to work really and make babies for feeders and the plants keep water stable as well as provide food for the turtles.

[ganstagansta888]

Hey grifloki,

I have a 75 gallon setup similar to yours and I'm wondering if you've had any luck with fish in the tank. I have previously had algea eaters in the main tank and I currently have feeder minnows. I have tried to give adequate hiding spots and obstacles so the fish can get away.

I'm wondering if you've had any luck with fish in the main tank and what keeps them from being eaten.

Thanks.

[rubyjlove]

you are amazingly crafty and creative! your wife is lucky!

can u please let me know which water heater you use im having much trouble finding a good one for my turtles. thank you! god bless!

[grifloki]

@rubyjlove i have a 300 watt in my veggie filter (refugium), just make sure yours is not glass if in your main tank. Also get one to fit the tank size, not all tanks need a 300 watt etc.

[kickassbraydon]

so should i get a chinese alge eater?

[grifloki]

@kickassbraydon woudlnt hurt, just make sure they have places to hide to get away from turtles. one should be enough unless you have 60+ gal then 2 are good.

[kickassbraydon]

woah!!! i lvoe ur tank ijust cant stop watching it, and hey watch my vid and comment if good or if got any ideas can use on it. and do u ever get alge on your rocks and stuff? also could u tell me how many gallon my tank is. its about 48 inches long 20 inches tall and 13 inches wide, thanks, and also how do u clean your rocks? becuase my tank has lots of rock that i found but it was vary hard to kep clean shoul i use rock or snad and how dou clean your rocks whe oo and alge get on them,

[grifloki]

@kickassbraydon I dont generally get an alge on my rocks, well it starts to grow sometimes but the chinese alge eaters take care of it. The veggie filter (refugium) takes care of the nitrates in the water so alge is choked out and cant really grow much. Your tank sounds like a 40 gallon maybe 45 to me.Per cleaning rocks I dont ever, they float on the grid system i have on bottom and fish and alge eaters clean them very well. You should use large rocks like river bed rocks so turtles dont ingest.

[kickassbraydon]

@grifloki but with sand they can digest it and it helps them poo, i heard. like ide get some digestive sand

[9912699125]

@grifloki may i noe why is the name of your light u mentioned?whats the name of the light?(the sixteen 100 k light that u said it is what plants need)

[grifloki]

@9912699125 ah i was actually saying 6100K, look for the K or kelvin of the light, 6100K and higher can grow plants indoors as it simulates sun light.

[9912699125]

@grifloki oh....how many k does normal florescent light has? i dont see any ''k'' on the box of those light bulb

[kickassbraydon]

woah!!! i lvoe ur tank ijust cant stop watching it, and hey watch my vid and comment if good or if got any ideas can use on it. and do u ever get alge on your rocks and stuff? also could u tell me how many gallon my tank is. its about 48 inches long 20 inches tall and 13 inches wide, thanks,

[HomelessShelterRice]

i've been keeping tortoises for a couple of years now and my wife and i are looking into getting a turtle setup in the future..... obviously i wont be starting off with this in depth of equipment...what would you recommend to start off with? you also just gained a new subscriber tonight :) great videos.

[grifloki]

@HomelessShelterRice Well that depends on their age.If really young you can get away with a 30-50 gal tank in beginning. If water turtles then its 10 gal of water for every inch of turtle. So youcan imagine how big a tank needs to be for an adult turtle. If land turtle thats not my area, im know a decent amount about care for water turtles. Anyways, a temp setup can be small as long as they can turn around and get away from water if wanted as well as keep warm. Good Luck, email if u want.

[spiderskater3]

Wow your turtles are lucky they have a great owner like you.

[666Arukard666]

Oh, what a great setup. Espacially with the substrate-sollution.

Your fulter is kinda interresting. I wanted to make a plant tank to but actually i cant afford that in the next five years. but it's planned in the future.

It's really interessting.

Do you use an extra air pump? i didn't heared or seen one. well with a plant tank it's not neccissary. i had have 130 liter in my first tank. a grown up turtle (yellow eared is the english name i think) so ~23 cm (the shell)... i really needed one

[grifloki]

@666Arukard666 No air pump, the water gets airrated with return to turtle tank so no issue with oxygen in water plus yeah the plants. Per plant tank i think I spent $20 for 20 gal long and maybe $15 for PVC pipe to hook it all up. The plants cost me around $50 so that was the most expensive part of it. The filter works great, i change it once every other week and the filter media i bought will last for a few years, just cut what i need when I need it. The scrubbies work great for bacteria as wel

[666Arukard666]

@grifloki oh, that cheap? i've got a tank with maxium 160 liters. i think that would be enough for plants~

over here (germany) such things are kind of expensive in my opinion (don't know your prices)

what are scrubbies?

well actually i'm a fresh student i'll come to my room next week. i have to pay the room and so on xD

[grifloki]

@666Arukard666 well if craigslist or similar is there you should be able to get used stuff cheap, i do that all the time. Scrubbies are the plastic pots and pans pads for taking food and waste off things. Literally small round maybe 3 or 4 inches in diameter and allow lots of bacteria to grow inside. Youcan use Bio balls, unused shot gun wadding or lava rocks, it all works but scrubbies/pags are the cheapest way to go.

[666Arukard666]

@grifloki ah okay then i understand what ya mean. i'll let u know when i find something great for my turtle ;)

[JMoe327]

Do the turtles leave the algae eaters alone? How big of a tank would be needed for 2 adult male red eared sliders?

[grifloki]

@JMoe327 Yes they dont touch them besides they are just too fast for them. I woudlnt put them in for young turtles but adult no problem. Per size tank its all a matter of size of turtle.

On avg an adult turtles is 10 inches so that would be times 2 for 20 inches and then times 10 gallons of water so 200 min for swimming area. So if not filled to top like mine you would need larger like a 250 gal. This is why I plan to go 400 gal for mine so they can have tank for lifetime.

[sexy52637]

you make $500 seem like nothing :( I'm poor and I really like turtles.

[grifloki]

@sexy52637 Well in the scheme of things 500 is cheap when your talking turtle care. They require way more care and work than most realize. Pet stores just wanna sell, they don't care what people do. I've seen people that have an adult turtle in a 30 or 50 gallon tank and it kills me, I feel so bad. 1 inch of turtle = 10 gal of water so an 10 inch adult needs 100 gal of swim water. As is mine needs to upgrade to 400 for their adult life in a few years.

[xBillLeex]

beautiful tank

[camwestbb1]

i got a 75 gal i like your set up

[ExileNJ]

Great vids and I look forward to seeing when you do a bigger tank. One kinda off-topic question, though, is what video camera are you using?

[grifloki]

@ExileNJ Thanks abs took with my iPhone 4, easier to get youtube that way.

[BIGGESTxxEMINEMxxFAN]

you really do have one of the nicest turtle tank on youtube , and it all-ways looks fresh and clean ..

i have an 8 foot tank and it is so hard to afford the up keep and algae grows fast on the rocks because of all the uv light and other lighting i have .. what type's of rock do you have in your tank ,is it just slate ?

[grifloki]

@BIGGESTxxEMINEMxxFAN slate and riverbed rocks. i have 2 gold algae eaters in there too to keep algae that does grow at bay but the live plants suck up the nitrates etc hogging food thus algae has hard time growing.

[tehkforce]

thank you so much for making another video

[TheRES74]

And sorry, is it ok if my rocks grow those greenish substance? Moss or algae if thats what's its called

[grifloki]

@TheRES74 yeah its algae and its ok, but could be a sign of things not balanced in your water. YOu can get one or two chinese algae eaters but make sure they have places to hide as they need to be able to get away from turtles. They do a great job of keeping things clean.

[TheRES74]

A bigger tank soon? Wow isnt this tank big enough for like another year? Check out my turtle tank video, its really small but im getting a 30 gallon after my exams. I want to ask for my 30 gallon tank, which kind off table should I look for to make sure its strong enough? Btw your a GENIUS! :)

[grifloki]

@TheRES74 not really. 10 gallons of water for every inch of turtle is the rule. So all 3 turtles are about 15 inches in total so thats 150 gallons of water. I have 90 in my tank right now and 50 in the sump and refugium so i have enough water but really it should be 150 gallons of swimming area. I suspect they will grow to 10 - 12 inches so if each did get max 12 inches thats about 370 gallons of water needed for idea setup. i havent had 30 gallon since they were under 8 months old.