Hex set up

Hi Sookie. I think there is some confusion to your tank size. Could you please tell use the dimensions? Height and width. For width, take the tape measurer/ruler and start at the back hex across. I assume that your hex is the same lenght/dpth all around.
Also, about how big is your RES?
Thanks! we are just trying to help you and your turtle!

27x24x28 60gal hex versus other tanks
48x13x20-55gal = most of these tank have more swimming space, let gallons, yet healthier
40 Breeder 36x18x16
40 Long 48x13x16
45 Gallon 36x12x24
50 Gallon 36x18x18
55 Gallon 48x13x20
65 Gallon 36x18x24
75 Gallon 48x18x20

I took the time to list these other opions. These are regular tanks, as yu can see there is more swimming space for more exercise. These are standard all-glass aquariums.
Petland sells 55gal tank WITH stand for 90.00, even that would be healhier for your pet if your hex is about the size of the 60gal one above. Petland is in Nj, NJ, PA, CT and maybe a few other states.
My turtes love to swim down too, so for now (they are 3+inches both) they have a 29gal which is hgher then the 30gal. But he still have good legth. Soon I will get a 60gal maybe since it has a 55gal engh and width, but is deeper. Same with a 75gal vs. 90 gal, the 90 gal is deeper.
But oyur turtle gets more exercise swimming lenghtwise. Mine play on the bottom but also swim back and forth.
I am just trying to help. Katie
Oh, you also need a UVB light. You don't need it to cover the whole tank, but just part of it, and you still need a baksing light.
Oh that brings up another point. At a cetain depth, vital UVB rays dissapate, so it your turtle has a very high versus long tank, they will swim down a lot and not get these neseccary UVB rays as much. Mine like to swimm along lazily and hang o the drift wood or basking platfrom edge to get their UVB.

You say that he's been in that setup for 2 and 1/2 years and shows no signs of illness or strain? Humans can walk around with cancer or aids or any other number of deadly diseaes for years and not show signs of it until it's too late. My point is this, take a look at where turtles like your RES come from. They inhabit shallow ponds and shallow slow moving rivers/streams. We as owners have basically taken an animal that was never meant to be a pet and we put them in glass boxes. So if we are going to do that the least we can do is make these glass boxes as close to what thier natural habitat is as possible. And I'm sorry to say yours is about the farthest thing from their natural habitat as I've seen.

Oh and sorry if my last post came off as pointed, it wasn't meant to be.

where are you from? I will look for a better tank for you, if you want. YOu can use a storage bin or a kiddy pool, they would all work and be good for your turtle. Please hear what we are saying, or ask a herp or reptile vet and they will tell you that this set up is not good for your turtle. The guy who had her before you was wrong when he thought he saved her and put her in this set up, but you don't have to be. You can really save him and give her a happy healthy life. I know that you care about her, but you really should get her out of that tank! Reptiles take a long time to show illness, but when they do it is almost too late. We all have turtles, and we are all trying to help you. That is why we keep posting on this picture. It's not like we just want to pick on you. So please go to this website and learn about how to care for a turtle:

www.austinsturtlepage.com

Thanks,
Amy

Oh dear.
That tank reminds me of those horrible, small but tall, circular bird cages.
Birds don't fly up and down, just like turtles don't only swim up and down.
It's a shame after seeing photos of so many beautiful tank habitats to come across something like that.

If there were turtle police, you wouldnt have your turtle long. I think everyone agrees that you are NOT taking care of your turtle, your abusing it. get it into a longer tank where it can have some room to swim. Its like locking you up in a small closet!

I can totally understand what eveyone is saying. I'd had Mr.T for just over one month when I posted the pics and was so thrilled by my little guy that I wanted to share him with everyone.
I just didn't get the "jumping down my throat" approach, without sufficient back up info. I also put these pics up so others could share their advice, not their hostility.

Mr. T has since moved to a deliciously lavish accomodation in a wide wide tank and I spend much time dotting on him still. However I must say that I think what he was living in before was better than some of the pics I saw of some commenters, only providing enough water to cover the turtle's height is not good at all. Mr.T's strength is very good and he gets lots of exercise.

I'm very new at this too having bought two itty bitty res's off the street (Iknow its illegal but they looked so miserable I had to save them)anyway tank modification has become kind of an obsession just trying give them the best and keep up with there growth .the first tank was very tall and thin so we we removed one of the tall pieces of glass laid the tank on it's side and added a piece of glass to where the top opening used to be (hope that made sense)the result was a shorter tank with alot of horizontal area, now here's how this relates to you ,the next tank we modified was an hexagon it was alot trikier but its done now and turned out great I won't bore you with the details ,but we now have an hexagon tank with a very large "wing" coming off on one side we also made are own huge filter out of those big 2 and a half gallon ice cream buckets .Any way I'm sorry I got a little carried away there I don't have a digital camera and a picture says a thousand words, I think the friend that gave you MrT was trying to give him a much better enviroment than he had ,seeing the poor thing in just 3 in. of water he probably said "don't worry I'll give lots of room to swim in" and simply overcompensated a little bit in the wrong direction.I know my natural instinct would have told me to do the same thing .thank god for the internet it helped me avoid making alot of mistakes .