Commercial Turtle Tubs?

[bellyboo]

How long do you suppose a turtle can stay in a commercial tub like the Zoo Med ones? I'd really like to see one in person, but I don't have the slightest clue where I'd ever find a store around here. I kind of like the whole built in basking area, but they seems awfully small to me.

And this is mainly a curiosity question. Holly seems to have plenty of room in her aquarium.

 

[Yvonne G]

They're awfully expensive:
http://www.google.com/products/cata....2.5.1.0.2l10l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb


Waterland tubs look similar:
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/waterland-tubs/


I would imagine that if you had a small species of turtle it could live its whole life in one. But a female RES (in my opinion) would grow too big to stay in one.

 

[bellyboo]

They're awfully expensive:
http://www.google.com/products/cata....2.5.1.0.2l10l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb


Waterland tubs look similar:
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/waterland-tubs/


I would imagine that if you had a small species of turtle it could live its whole life in one. But a female RES (in my opinion) would grow too big to stay in one.

That was my thoughts. I had read reviews of people leaving 2 or 3 RES in there and thought there's no way! I think it said the tub holds 18 gallons.

The waterland tubs are pretty sweet, but I'd have to convince my hubby to let me spend that much. I think he'd probably tell me to just go buy a stock tank. lol!

Like I said, I'm mainly curious. Saw them last night when we were browsing online for various setup ideas. Our 55 gal that our RES is in seems to give her plenty of room, especially considering she was in 3 gallons before!

 

[judy wayte]

hi i have a water land tub a 55 in. for my asian leaf she loves it but she needs a bigger one she is 6in. now.they are pricy especially with shipping.they only hold about 40 gallons of water not deep enough for a res.asian leafs like shallow water and be come more terrestriall with age.for my others three the painted ,map andmusk they are in a 100 gallon stock tank not as pretty but alot easier and cheaper then a glass tank.thats my opinion.

 

[bellyboo]

hi i have a water land tub a 55 in. for my asian leaf she loves it but she needs a bigger one she is 6in. now.they are pricy especially with shipping.they only hold about 40 gallons of water not deep enough for a res.asian leafs like shallow water and be come more terrestriall with age.for my others three the painted ,map andmusk they are in a 100 gallon stock tank not as pretty but alot easier and cheaper then a glass tank.thats my opinion.

Thanks, Judy! I appreciate the reply. It sounds like you have quite the collection of pretty little turtles!

 

[EricIvins]

Waterland Tubs have produced more Turtles than any other commercial setup, including RES..........I can say that 85% of Albino Red Ears you see on the market are produced in Waterlands.........They have their place, and work incredibly well for the majority of Turtle species available in the trade........

The Zoomed Tubs weren't designed for Adult anything - Just another filler product for a "Pet" market, not for anyone serious about keeping anything long term..........

 

[bellyboo]

That's kind of what I thought about the zoo meds...seemed like a lot to spend for something so short term. Seems like there are a lot of "filler" products out there.

---

Here's a question...for those who do tubs rather than aquariums, where do you keep it indoors? It's cold here, so I couldn't do an outdoor pond year round. Plus that's how we lost our first two RES. They were about 2 years old and eaten in their pond in our fenced in yard.

My turtle seems to have enough room, but I really don't like the narrowness of the aquarium. And the glass seems to freak her out a bit. So I've been looking at tubs...rubbermaid and stock tank style. I'm just not sure where I would put it in the house without having to worry about my kids and dogs being in it and without it looking completely ridiculous. lol! (For what it's worth, we currently have a ridiculous looking tort tote in the middle of our living room. )

 

[harris]

I use 200 gal stock tanks and they are kept in the basement.

 

[bellyboo]

I use 200 gal stock tanks and they are kept in the basement.

I was thinking basement is probably my best bet too. Safe down there!

---

Yikes! I just measured and my RES is a tad over 8" long and 5" across. Is it crazy of me to keep her in a 55 gal? Keep in mind that she was in one of those 2 gallon lizard terrarium things before, so this is a HUGE upgrade. And when the humane society asked me to take her in they said she was a "few inches long," so I was unaware of how big she actually was until I saw her.

She is the ONLY thing in the 55 gallon. Ideally I wish I had a pond for her.

 

[tortoises101]

Unless you have a very large Waterland Tub, IMO they don't work too well for an aquatic species like an RES. They sacrifice too much land area and the water area is also a bit on the shallow side.

 

[bellyboo]

Unless you have a very large Waterland Tub, IMO they don't work too well for an aquatic species like an RES. They sacrifice too much land area and the water area is also a bit on the shallow side.

Thanks! I'd like to just get a plain plastic tub/stock tank, I just need to figure out a place to put it.

 

[Floof]

I recall once coming across some GREAT ideas for indoor "ponds," basically using a preformed pond or a stock tank and then walling it in and building a "land" area along the edge so it makes a nice display piece... Kind of like the second picture in this slideshow: http://redearslider.com/habitat_gallery.html

I'll post the link if I can find that page again... But, that might be a consideration for you, so you can go with the stock tank without worrying about looks...

---

Aha! Found it! That didn't take long, lol! Here it is... This shows a LOT better what I was talking about: http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/smpond.html

One of the pics from the link, to give you a visual:

 

[bellyboo]

That is very cool! I would definitely put something like that in if I had the room/the money. It's very pretty and I'm sure the turtle is very happy! My hubby has an old pool table, and I tried convincing him that if it ever dies we should figure out a way to make it into a tortoise or turtle table. lol!

 

[Floof]

LOL! Love the pool table theory. I'm glad I'm not the only one always trying to think of ways to convert furniture into reptile enclosures... I'm actually gearing up to convert a bed frame into a tortoise table!! (Now things just have to stop coming up that make it so I have to postpone the build...)

The link that pic is from has a couple other ideas, too--like using a preformed pond and just surrounding it with things like potted plants to make it look nice... Much cheaper, lol, and still a better display piece than a plain old stock tank.

 

[bellyboo]

LOL! Love the pool table theory. I'm glad I'm not the only one always trying to think of ways to convert furniture into reptile enclosures... I'm actually gearing up to convert a bed frame into a tortoise table!! (Now things just have to stop coming up that make it so I have to postpone the build...)

The link that pic is from has a couple other ideas, too--like using a preformed pond and just surrounding it with things like potted plants to make it look nice... Much cheaper, lol, and still a better display piece than a plain old stock tank.

Owner turtles and torts has really brought the DIYer out in me. lol! I'm still brainstorming for the cheapest, most creative, most spacious home for our little Hermanns. He's in a tote now with plenty of space and a nice setup, but I have big plans come summer!

I saw those corner ones with the plants and they are very nice! I think I could actually pull one off since we have a lot of house plants. I'd have to screen it in though or my 3 year old would constantly be in there. And my dog would try to swim. I'm going to pass that idea along to the hubby too, although unless I can find one used it'll have to wait. I've more than spent my turtle fund this week. lol! I've got her set up all nice in her 55 aquarium with an above the tank basking platform though, so she's got room.

 

[j156ghs]

How long do you suppose a turtle can stay in a commercial tub like the Zoo Med ones? I'd really like to see one in person, but I don't have the slightest clue where I'd ever find a store around here. I kind of like the whole built in basking area, but they seems awfully small to me.

And this is mainly a curiosity question. Holly seems to have plenty of room in her aquarium.

I bought a ZooMed turtle tub, and you're right: the land area is small. I also don't like that there's no enclosure for the top, you have to make one yourself. I've had bulbs burst on other terrariums, and if that happens without a screen, the glass will go right into the water and dirt and it'll mean a total cleanup. And if it happens when I'm not around, it would expose the inhabitants to dangerous glass shards. Also, a thirsty dog can get on its hind legs high enough to do damage and vermin and unwelcome insects can be a problem without a screen top. Making one is tedious. I've tried a screen window but that blocks a lot of UVB light and looks hokey. Hardware cloth (1/4") allows more light but also allows glass shards and insects, like bees, easy access. My other observations is that the black sides make the occupants claustrophobic. Most confined animals feel more comfortable being able to survey their surroundings rather than feeling trapped in a containter.

There's a company that makes turtle tubs with lids and with your choice of a large land area or large water area. A good idea. The URL is http://www.waterlandtubs.com/