I just bought a pet turtle (red ear slider). What kind of water does it need to live in? Tap or river?

Question

Also, if you have any basic tips for beginners, please feel free to post those too. :)

Thanks

Answer 1

either one should be fine. Tap is probably a bit cleaner just be cautious depending on how much chlorine is present, if you are concerned you can let the water sit for a day or simply change only half of it at a time. Feed it earthworms, fish and a good quality turtle food, crayfish are also a yummy treat from time to time. He may like some vegetables but they tend to become carnivorous in captivity so good luck with that. Keep the water clean, either with an expensive powerful filter or clean it one to 3 times per week. Keep it at between 75 and 85 degrees be careful using a water heat as it might break and electricute the turtle. UV lighting is always good and if the weather permits i would give him a couple of hours of natural sunlight each week. Make sure he has a large enclose with enough water to swim freely and also has rocks or some land area to bask in. Thats about it pretty simple good luck. If it dies then you did something seriously wrong as this is one of the easiest reptiles to care for.

Answer 2

Oh man, ok this is how it goes...NEVER use straight tap water...have you tasted your water as of late? How clean does it seem to you? How many particles do you see when you look down in it? Can you SMELL it? Yeah..doesn't matter where you live, all water has some sort of chemical going through it and it is BAD for all reptiles/birds/small animals/fish (and pregnant women!). Using distilled water from wal*mart is the easiest way to go..if you have a filter on your tap, then that is fine..but if no to any of those, use a dechlorinator when putting water in your tank.

Other tips: good filtration system, large tank, a basking spot, a basking light, a uvb light, and proper feed for the tutrle are all important. Feed = pellets, veggies, and some times live fish. If turtles don't revieve the UVB lighting they will slowly die. Basking/heat is important in digesting and receiving uvb rays. Turtles are DIRTY little guys, so a proper filter and constant water changes is a must..otherwise they can obtain fungi and you will have to medicate them until it is cleared or they won't survive. These guys will get 12"..remember that. A large tank is needed. And know that they rely on you now, you do not want to let him loose after years of captivity. He won't make it..he is your life-long pet now...he will live for about 20+yrs...Wash your hands before and after maintaining the tank as well as handling your turtle. You don't need to be getting sick, nor your friend ^__^ Good luck with him, and do a bit more research on these guys..it is important to know all the dos and don'ts for all your pets!

Answer 3

Turtles do not 'breath' their water, not absorb it in the skin much, so plain tap water is fine. It is nice if you can age it a day before you use it to let some chlorine gas out, but not critical.

Good luck with your pet. You can find some great tips at:

Answer 4

Unlike what the first answer says, a turtle will grow to the size of its species, no matter what size tank it is in! A larger tank is advisable though, for the turtles health and comfort. As for your question, tap is fine, but I always had a dechlorinator to my turtles water when I clean the tank

Answer 5

Tap water. And the larger the tank you keep it in, the more it will grow. You may not want that...

If you are concerned about whatever is in tap water, buy distilled at the grocery store, but the bugger will thrive just fine regardless.

Answer 6

You can start by not getting a pet that you don't know how to take care of. But since you all ready have it check out this care sheet and do exactly what it says. Reptiles need special care. Everything has to be perfect for them to survive in captivity.

http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Answer 7

i have two that are 6 years old and mine live in tap water. you will need to get a book about them. they can be alot of work.they dont stay tiny so make sure they have a big enough area to live in.filter for water. you should heat the water to proper temp. etc...

Answer 8

yeah i agree i even study animals previously i purchase them and thats putting forward somethig yet they are going to do effective in about 2 to 4 inches of tap water thinking they have some way of having out of the water

Answer 9

Tap water is fine. Just make sure you change it often.

Answer 10

Uh, shouldn't you have learned proper care and feeding of turtles BEFORE buying one?