Bryan
Fish Crazy
Some friends of my wife had this turtle. They kept it in a 10 gal tank. The turtle was almost to big to turn around in it. They only kept 2 inches of water in it so the turtle couldn't go under water, and couldn't get out of the water.
Because it couldn't get out of the water it would get a heavy growth of algae on the part of the shell that was in the water. Once a month they would take a scrub brush and scrub the shell clean, you can imagin how stressful this was for the poor turtle.
They had the tank sitting on a shelf outside by the front door and whenever you'd walk by it'd freak the turtle out. The water was always thick with uneaten food and poop.
Poor turtle.
When I started to put tanks in my wifes classroom, I had found out that the principal had a 55 w/stand filter and light that was just returned by someone that was borrowing it. So, I asked him I could borrow it if he wasn't going to use it. When I told him I was setting it up in the school he loved the idea and gave it to me.
The center bar was rotted out, I don't get it, it's plastic, but looked like it rusted. You could place the hoods on it, but when you filled it with water the front and back would bow out. Looked ready to blow. I didn't dare to keep it full of water so I decided to go buy my own 40 gallon, it would still fit in his stand (most know but a 40gal long is the same length as a 55gal).
I went to get the 40 gal. and everyone wanted a little over $160, and I noticed the the 55 gal. was only $89. I asked why and they said the 40's don't sell, and the 55's are a hot item. So, I bought a 55 gallon. I don't like them as much, a 40 gal is easier to maintain if you have plants.
So, now I have a 55 that can't be filled.
Years ago I made a tank for a small turtle I had, it was a 15 gallon. I had a piece of glass cut that was half as tall as the side and it would fit in the tank. I used aquarium silicon to glue it in place cutting the tank in 1/2. Then I fill one half with water and the other half with gravel. I used an undergravel filter on the water side because I think it would be too much work to make a back power filter suck water from a 1/2 full tank.
Anyway, I decided to do it again, but with the princepals 55. I asked and he said sure, so then I ased my wifes friend if we could have their turtle and she said sure.
I built the tank, and took the turtle, he loved it. He did have some problems with it though, having never floated he didn't know how to use his bladder and he would sink like a rock. He also didn't know to get out of the water to dry the shell off and would get lots of algae growing on it. I didn't scrub him down like the former owner because it seemed to stressfull. Eventually he learned to use his bladder and was able to float and he would dry his shell off every few days, but not every day like he should.
Then a few months later a students parent gave us another one, smaller. The one we had was about 7'' long and the new one was about 4" long. The big one bit 1/2 of the right rear foot off of the new one so I had to seperate them.
The person that used to live where I do now (my house) had a business where he'd go scuba diving and get salt water fish to sell to tropical fish stores (he made big $$$ doing that). I remembered he had left some holding tanks were he used to store the fish. I figured I could use one of those for the turtle. So I took the turtle home
When I went to the garage out back where he had the holding tanks I saw a wash tub, about 3'x3'x3.5'.
I set it on some blocks and put a bucket to set a rock on and filled it with water and put him in it. Now he can swim so he's better off. He still don't dry off enough, somethimes there'll be a layer of algae on his shell, but between sheding and occationaly drying off, it's usually not that bad.
I'm looking to get him something bigger now, he's grown quite a bit.
From a 10gal that he couldn't turn around in and never had water to swim, he sure has it better now. There is no filter so I have to do complete water changes 2 to 3 times a week, but it's easy. I just pull the plug on the bottom and let it drain. There's a hose right nex to it making it easy to spray the inside down and fill it. These pictures are taken right after a water change. You can see the algae growing on the bottom and sides, I let it go, it's natural i figure.
Because it couldn't get out of the water it would get a heavy growth of algae on the part of the shell that was in the water. Once a month they would take a scrub brush and scrub the shell clean, you can imagin how stressful this was for the poor turtle.
They had the tank sitting on a shelf outside by the front door and whenever you'd walk by it'd freak the turtle out. The water was always thick with uneaten food and poop.
Poor turtle.
When I started to put tanks in my wifes classroom, I had found out that the principal had a 55 w/stand filter and light that was just returned by someone that was borrowing it. So, I asked him I could borrow it if he wasn't going to use it. When I told him I was setting it up in the school he loved the idea and gave it to me.
The center bar was rotted out, I don't get it, it's plastic, but looked like it rusted. You could place the hoods on it, but when you filled it with water the front and back would bow out. Looked ready to blow. I didn't dare to keep it full of water so I decided to go buy my own 40 gallon, it would still fit in his stand (most know but a 40gal long is the same length as a 55gal).
I went to get the 40 gal. and everyone wanted a little over $160, and I noticed the the 55 gal. was only $89. I asked why and they said the 40's don't sell, and the 55's are a hot item. So, I bought a 55 gallon. I don't like them as much, a 40 gal is easier to maintain if you have plants.
So, now I have a 55 that can't be filled.
Years ago I made a tank for a small turtle I had, it was a 15 gallon. I had a piece of glass cut that was half as tall as the side and it would fit in the tank. I used aquarium silicon to glue it in place cutting the tank in 1/2. Then I fill one half with water and the other half with gravel. I used an undergravel filter on the water side because I think it would be too much work to make a back power filter suck water from a 1/2 full tank.
Anyway, I decided to do it again, but with the princepals 55. I asked and he said sure, so then I ased my wifes friend if we could have their turtle and she said sure.
I built the tank, and took the turtle, he loved it. He did have some problems with it though, having never floated he didn't know how to use his bladder and he would sink like a rock. He also didn't know to get out of the water to dry the shell off and would get lots of algae growing on it. I didn't scrub him down like the former owner because it seemed to stressfull. Eventually he learned to use his bladder and was able to float and he would dry his shell off every few days, but not every day like he should.
Then a few months later a students parent gave us another one, smaller. The one we had was about 7'' long and the new one was about 4" long. The big one bit 1/2 of the right rear foot off of the new one so I had to seperate them.
The person that used to live where I do now (my house) had a business where he'd go scuba diving and get salt water fish to sell to tropical fish stores (he made big $$$ doing that). I remembered he had left some holding tanks were he used to store the fish. I figured I could use one of those for the turtle. So I took the turtle home
When I went to the garage out back where he had the holding tanks I saw a wash tub, about 3'x3'x3.5'.
I set it on some blocks and put a bucket to set a rock on and filled it with water and put him in it. Now he can swim so he's better off. He still don't dry off enough, somethimes there'll be a layer of algae on his shell, but between sheding and occationaly drying off, it's usually not that bad.
I'm looking to get him something bigger now, he's grown quite a bit.
From a 10gal that he couldn't turn around in and never had water to swim, he sure has it better now. There is no filter so I have to do complete water changes 2 to 3 times a week, but it's easy. I just pull the plug on the bottom and let it drain. There's a hose right nex to it making it easy to spray the inside down and fill it. These pictures are taken right after a water change. You can see the algae growing on the bottom and sides, I let it go, it's natural i figure.
Thanks for sharing that, I'm sure the turtles are very grateful to you 
