5 Gallon Paludarium

A heat lamp or hot rock. Heat lamps are pretty cheap at a feed store or something like that. If you ask I'm sure they'll be able to get you one. It's just a stainless steel lamp with a big red bulb. I would suggest going to a feed/farm store for the cheaper lamp option, as opposed to going to a pet store where they will probably suggest something pricier. If it's in your budget, though, by all means go for it.
 
you will need a underwater filter so that you can have the tank half full so there needs to be a place for the turtle to get out of the water and bask which is where you would generally put your heat lamp over but other then that you should be able to house one red eared slider in a 30 gallon no problem
 
Ok, any ideas on whether or not she should get plants or caves?
 
I know stinkpot musk turtles stay very small, but I really don't think you should be getting a turtle yet. You need to google around for a turtle forum, and for caresheets that apply to the specific species of turtle you get. If you don't do your research, you'll end up with a very smelly, very unhappy, deformed turtle in a dirty, ugly tank. Invest a few hours of reading, write down everything you'd need, and don't cut corners, and you can give your grandmother a great little pet that'll last the rest of her life, and maybe yours, too.

The kind of info you should be looking for is:

-What temperature should the water be?
-How deep should the water be?
-Should there be substrate, and what?
-Should there be plants or hiding nooks under the water, and what would be safe, with no risk of drowning your turtle?
-How much time does your turtle spend in the water and on land?
-What does your turtle need to eat to be in pristine health? It will be a variety of foods, for sure, deffinately not just pellets-in-a-can.
-How dirty is this turtle, and what kind of filtration and water changing schedule will it need?
-How/where will you find healthy turtles to buy?
-What kind of lighting does the turtle need, UVB, etc.
-How big will your turtle get, and how much room will it need as an adult?

Chime in if I've missed anything major. Turtles aren't beginner pets; They're messy, they need lots of cleaning, and you can't ever walk away from them; They can live at least as long as a person, and deformities and neglectful conditions can affect them the rest of their lives. Owning a turtle is a commitment, a very long commitment, unless you can find a good home for it.

Also, if you could manage it, I find turtles look much cuter with other turtles. Just throwing it out there ;)

-Bryce
 
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Hi, fishboy! Is your grandmother really set on having on a turtle: That's really the only type of wet pet she'd consider? If she simply wants something that's still wet but not fish, you two might want to consider newts, frogs, hermit crabs ... I don't know what all the choices would be, but there's probably something that would work in a 5.5g and not require your gram to be dealing with large, frequent water changes and all that.
 
There is no turtle that can be housed in only 5 gallons. I would say that you should have at least a 20g for hatchlings (with shallow water) because they are rather active. If you have the room to house them though, I would go for them all the way. I got my turtle when he was a tiny and I was four, and he will be turning 10 this year!
 
Okay, thanks for the help! She said she would look around at garage sales to find a large cheap aquarium (30+ Gallons). I explained to her about how turtles are messy and need a lot of room. She said she understands and will decide what kind of turtle she will get based on how big the tank is. Again, thanks for all the great help so far! I will post more about this when she gets the tank!
 
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If you get a 30g, you can get some turtles like mud turtles and MALE map turtles. Male map turtles are a good bit smaller than most, and max out at ~4" depending on species. With a turtle, its important to have really good filtration.
 
Good idea, she's thinking about getting one of those. Also, how big of a tank should she get to get a painted turtle? (We are keeping several species in mind.)
 
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