I used a combo, hard pvc for drain to sump and flex pvc for return from sump to dt. My thinking was the flex pvc reduces the drag and loss in flow that you get with 90 degree turns with hard pvc.
I know your turtle won't be happy, but go with the 75. When it comes to sumps, the bigger the better. You'll have more options for skimmer (if you run an internal one) and you'll have a larger refugium. Basically bigger sump = bigger filtration for your tank.