- 1). Rinse the gravel under fresh water to remove any dirt or dust, and layer it at the bottom of the 55-gallon tank. Push the gravel to one side so that it slopes upward, creating a bank. The thinnest layer of gravel should be about 2 inches and should gradually slope up to about 6 to 7 inches.
- 2). Fill the tank with about 3 to 4 inches of fresh water. About half the gravel should be submerged while the other half should not. You may wish to have more water depending on what animals are going in the tank. For example, turtles will require about 2/3 water and 1/3 land while Chinese water dragons will prefer 2/3 land and 1/3 water.
- 3). Place the in-tank filter against the wall at the submerged end of the tank. The filter will most likely look like a plastic cylinder with a grate at the bottom, though models may vary. The grate is what the filter sucks water through and should be fully submerged.
- 4). Run the filter's power chord up over the edge of the tank wall and plug it in to start the filtration. The water should filter for several days before introducing any animals.
- 5). Place any rocks, plants or other decor throughout the wet/dry tank. Research their specific requirements if using live plants. Soak any wood or logs in a bucket for 24 hours prior to placing them in your tank to eliminate any sediments.
- 6). Cover the tank with a screen lid and place the dome lamp with heat bulb over the terrestrial side to provide a basking area for reptiles as well as keep the tank warm. Place the fluorescent light strip over the aquatic side to increase the amount of light in the tank without quickly evaporating the water (fluorescent lights do not produce as much heat). Attach a thermometer to the tank wall to monitor temperature.
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