well, my friends ended up with a res in there back yard the other day and they want to keep it. i have had no experince with turtles so I need some help.

the turtle is a female and she seems to be full grown. can you guys help me set up the cheapest tank possible for it?

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Gerp, Gerp, Gerp.

How big is "seems to be full grown" A RES gets about the size of a dinner plate and needs a very large aquarium and good filtration setup.
Turtles create a lot of mess!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

My 2 cents worth here...if its wild why not just let it be??
Maybe I am misunderstanding your post.
Wouldnt it just be better to go and get CB from a breeder or a reptile show or rescue one?

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Just because you have an animal that isnt dead doesnt mean you know how to take care of it

Personally, i would take it to a park and let it go. Some place with a nice bit of water.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

this turtle was a run away. she is about 8" and is very good around humans unlike a wild RES. i do understand that even a the cheapest tank isn't so cheap. i've looked into filters and tanks and the sort but wanted to get some extra help from other people. i'll go searching and build a tank up and send you links then see what you guys have to say about it.

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Gerp, Gerp, Gerp.

i was wondering if it was one that someone let go.

Look into those plastic pond inserts, or a really really big rubbermaid tub.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

i have looked into the pond inserts which is a big consideration. the only problem is it gets pretty cold here during the winter time. would she just hibernate when it got cold?

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Gerp, Gerp, Gerp.

i was thinking you put it INSIDE, they come in many sizes. They do it in shops all the time.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

There are actually many recent threads in the turtle forum that you may find useful also. You'd need a 55 gallon tank or larger (or the equivalent), some kind of basking platform, a mercury vapor UVB light and a hood to put it in, a filter, and I HIGHLY recommend you get a Python No-Spill siphon system. They'll have a hard time doing water changes without one. They're looking to spend a couple hundred bucks easy. I also recommend they get a timer for the light, which you can find at a hardware store. Even with a cheap plastic habitat, definitely over $100 for the rest of it.

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+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

yeah I was figuring it would be around 300 for everything. don't you also need a water heater?

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Gerp, Gerp, Gerp.