# Using turtle tank for fish



## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

My daughter came home with this ugly little turtle three years ago. We had this 20g long tank left over from the eighties when I used to keep fish.

I set it up for her and let her take care of it. Well last month she decided it was time to let the turtle go. Some how it lived despite the water being changed only four times in a three year period. It had actually grown at least four times it's original size.

So I go to Petsmart on 4/09 and see these neat little black cichlids (bout an inch long) (SA) for only $3.59 each! I think they will go well in my 20g with a school of Buenos Aries tetras. I get two of them.

I had been trying to keep a school of these tetras for a couple months now. My Eclipse cat kept eating the darn things so I moved him into the 100g then bought 4 more tetras for a total of 7.

I bring home the two new cichlids and place them into the 20g than go online to see what I have just bought.

They were labeled managuense and the label said minimum 20g tank. I find out that these are Jaguar Cichlids and their meaner than snot and get huge!

Okay I screwed up, 20g my a$$. The next morning I get up and go check on them. One of the buggers has a tetra in it's mouth but it is to big for him to swallow it. Great! So much for my school of tetras.

Than I remember the 20g long turtle tank upstairs sitting with stagnant water in it for a month. It also has puke clown substrate and a inside the tank tetra filter rated for 10-30 gallons.

I know very well that turtles carry all sorts of nasties so this is what I did to prepare the tank so far successfully.

Removed substrate, rinsed tank with garden hose. Scrubbed inside and out with 50% vinegar. Soaked substrate/filter/rocks in 50% vinegar. Scrubbed rocks and filter. Cleaned coarse bio-media sponge in vinegar solution.

Rinsed everything. Filled tank half way (10g), added about 1 pint of bleach.
Scrubbed inside of tank again. Added substrate, rocks and filter. Let it circulate for three hours while I headed to the Goodwill to look for something to put it on and to the LFS for a heater. This was done out in the back yard with the tank in full Sun.

Found a neat little thing there for only $15.00 that would hold both 20g tanks!

to be continued silly Job gotta go do something!

Okay I'm home now no more interruptions. Hospitals would be a great place to work if it wasn't for all the sick people.

Came back home and drained the bleach out rinsed everything real well. Filled the tank up all the way this time. Triple dosed prime and let it run for two more hours.

Checked for chlorine and it showed zero. Drained the tank again. Set up the tank along side the old 20g. Double dosed prime just to be safe and added Seachem Stability to aid the establisment of bacteria. Added the two cichlids and two larger Platys to help with the bio load.

I added a top fin 20 to go with the internal filter. The top fin has been running for months on my 55g for no reason other than to have a cycled filter if I need one. (Like Now)

The tank has been up and running for over 48 hours now and the fish our happy campers. I have worked the last two days so I haven't tested the water. Gonna test tomorrow when I get up.


So what the heck is all this about?

You can clean up an old stinky turtle tank and use it for fish.

Also the wife don't know it yet but another big tank is in my future. Those Jags will need a new home soon!


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## mec102778 (Feb 17, 2011)

rtbob said:


> My daughter came home with this ugly little turtle three years ago. We had this 20g long tank left over from the eighties when I used to keep fish.
> 
> I set it up for her and let her take care of it. Well last month she decided it was time to let the turtle go. Some how it lived despite the water being changed only four times in a three year period. It had actually grown at least four times it's original size.


HA HA HA. That sounds exactly like my stepdaughters turtle tank. She had a RES in a 10G I came into the picture. Poor little turtle looked so cramped, and yes the water had been stagnant in there for a long time cause neither her nor her mother could stomach changing it.

So I buckled down rolled my sleeves up cleaned the hell out of the tank.

And surprised he got bigger. So I (no choice to my stepdaughter) graduated him to 20G Tall. Well after about 6 months in the 20G tall and more research, I read they need to be able to get completely out of the water or they will suffer from defficincies.

Now "Lucky" aka fatbastard resides in a luxiorus 40G breeder I picked up on sale for 40$ at the LFS. Added a turtle filter (POS turtles are dirty keep changing the water filters don't work), and siliconed some acrylic in place to provide him a nice dry spot with a heat lamp to climb up and relax.

2 months since this change, his water is stagnant again (cause I refuse to change it is daughter doesn't remind me or help) but he's happy as a clam.


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

Story done. Get some popcorn


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

Tested the water just now in the converted turtle tank

Am 0.50
Ni 0.25
Na 10

That was quick. The tank has been running for about 62 hours with four fish.
Nitrates present all ready more than likely due to the established filter being added in conjunction with the bacteria suppliment.

Added 2ml of prime to detox the Am and Ni for 24 hours and will retest tomorrow.

I also bought a KH test kit. Since I got back into the hobby last June I have never tested this. Results:

100g African Tank 143.2 Set up 12/11/10 Glad the fish don't have internet access as this is a bit low for them. I'm not telling them.

55g Community Tank 143.2 Set up 12/11/10

20g Hospital 143.2 Set up 12/27/10 This tank is also used for a rescue tank. If a new African is in trouble he will be removed and placed in here. Haven't had to use it as this.

New 20g Long 161.1

Tap water 161.1

My PH always is 7.6 so I kinda knew even without testing that I must have a high KH to buffer resistance in change in PH.


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