Let me shed a little light on the setup criteria and plans pertaining to the red eared slider himslef.
As far as turtles go and space requirements, the "rule of thumb" is...10 galllons of water per in of turtle. Male R.E.S average 8 to 9 inches while females typically range 10 to 12 inches in length.
That said, our R.E.S is a male who is currently 6 inches. At his expected total length of 9 inches max he would properly and responsibly need approximately 90 gallons of water.
Now that I have a 150 gallon aqaurium, stand and canopy, I will be filling the tank approximately 3/5 or 90 gallons full of water and removing and cutting the overflow boxes to that point where the tank will hold only 90 gallons of water prior to the overflow effect taking place.
Above the water line and between the rim of the tank will be open air where temperatures fluctuate very slightly due to the use of a canopy and intake/exhaust fans.
The water temp required for a R.E.S is usually within the acceptable range of many tropical fish. Typically a healhy temp for R.E.S turtles is around 74 degrees. Water parimeters are typically the same as far as requirments of tropical species. 0 ammonia: 0 nitrite: and no more than .25ppm worh of nitrate at any given time when maintaned correctly and vigilatnly. Ph should range between 7.2 and 7.8 while general hardness and Carbonate Hardness are not very significant as turtles are quite hardy in those respects.
The water surface will have sufficient aggitation via use of corner powerheads with pre_filters working double duty as UGJ (under gravel jets) for reverse filtration purposes to reduce "dead spots" and decrease substrate accumilation of detritus.
There will be @ least 1 floating basking dock, possibly 2 and perhaps a couple of built up slate basking areas slightly beneath the surface just low enough for his body to remain submerged while allowing his head to protrude the surface for air. Substrate is still up for ideas, opinions and or modification, but I am leaning towards 1 1/2in to 2in river rock.
As for lighting the hood will be housing @ least 1 basking lamp per dock and a 48" odyssea 4x65w lamp with 2 daylight flourescent compacts and 2 atinic flourescen compacts for esthetic night time evening setting light visuals. Haven't had any major algea problems using that setup on the current 40 gallon breeder.
Now for the good stuff, since the tank is pre-drilled on both ends for the dual corner overflows I could plumb my two sunsun "perfect" canisters into the inlet and outlet.....however I am concerned with airlock within the canister since they are closed systems and the only evaporation occurring would take place inside the tank rather than a sump, eventually causing the overflow level to drop in the tank while the cans are still running causing them to suck up air instead of water.
For simplicity and space it would be ideal, but I don't think it would be advisable regarding the problematic and non-solution air lock problem.
So now I believe that the only way to design this system efficiently and with the biological, mechanical and from time to time chemical necessary filtration would be to design and build a wet/dry trickle filter capable of holding 3 gallons of bio balls and housing a pump rated for @ least 300 gph to turn the 90 gallons over 2-3 times per hour.
I believe a sump meeting these requirements with the two individual corner inlets flowing into 2 individual bulkheads mounted onto the sump going directly over the drip plate and a return pump of 300-500gph feeding back to both corner outlets within the tank would be efficient and maintainable MAIN filtration for the 90 gallons of water and 1 R.E.S turtle.
I am contemplating and considering placong one of my SUNSUN perfect HW-302 caniters with biomax tray, bio sponge tray and pillow batting fine media incorporated into the sump with input and output spraybar pulling and returning water into the return pump section of the wetdry sump.
This is where I really want to hear all of your thoughts and theories.
The reason fo this added measure is because I would like to have a community of FISH
I know "turtle and fish?????" Bad combo....not necessarily in my experience. I believe that I can maintain a community of a semi aggrsive and fast species such as Cichlids anand or Rams of around 4 to 6 inches that the turtle will not stress and or endanger.
He mainly feeds on a veggie and pellet type diet, but will eat goldfish, mollies, golden barbs, tetras and so forth small breed fish. He has never attempted to eat or show interset in our 3 in Chinese Algea Eater so I am hoping to add a large pleco to the 150 as well keeping stocking levels in mind.
I believe that ill I can think to talk about right now, if any of you were brave enough to read this entire book from a complete and inexperienced newbie....PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, FEELINGS,, IDEAS, LIKES AND DISLIKES with me along with any links and or info worth knowing about.
Thanks fellas.
Sincerely,
T.W.
