Help me im on a budget! (turtle care)

[rebnvodka]

My friends and I were driving back from the twin cities to wisconsin. We came up behind a huge traffic jam that we saw piling up on the way there so we decided to take the back roads. At one point near a small town we drove right past a turtle that we noticed at the last second and luckily it just went right under the car.
We drove back to it as another car had just done the exact same thing while the turtle was just sitting there not moving from the road so we grabbed him up and brought him to my apartment and so far hes been awesome mostly just sitting in my sink eating some kale. So I do enjoy him as a pet.
The thing is I dont make very much money and im on my own. I didnt think I would ever get a pet but I am warming up to this little guy but theres no way I can afford a $100 tank and accessory's.
So I want your guys opinions should I just bring him to the nearby lake or is there a cheap way of taking care of him?

 

[epond83]

The best thing (and most likly legal thing) is to put it back near where you found it. There are places you can buy turtles for cheap as pets, people keep then in rubbermaid containers (about 10 gals, per inch of shell lengh). Heater, filter (rated for around twice the gallons you have, they are messy animals), also a heat lamp and or a light that gives off UVA and UVB, and a dry basking area for this.

A decent site is Turtle Times the Turtle and Tortoise Web Portal of Choice! go into the forum for more info, just like with fish keeping, do lots of research so you don't do the animal more harm then good.