I have two Japanese slider turtles, Otto and Valentina, who are outgrowing their current tank---a simple plexiglass box with pebbles, which I have to wash out twice a week. I want to invest in a great home for them and need to know what to look for.
2006-07-05 12:36:16 · 8 answers · asked by Mexy 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
get a tank that is as big as possible. Now, sliders don't need like 3 feet of depth or anything, so you may want to look for wide aquariums as opposed to tall ones. As long as they have approx. 4 to 7 inches of water, they'll be great. If each one's shell length is about 3 inches, a 55- gallon tank should be fine. Anything bigger, and you may have to look for an actual turtle aquarium or get a custom-built one from a local aquarium specialty dealership (you'd be surprised at how many there actually are).
Also, look for floating turtle basking islands. They're great, easy to clean, and available at Petco. Turtles NEED a place to get dry and bask. Also, you definitely want to invest in a good filter. An external canister filter is great for maximizing space in an aquarium.
Make sure to get good UV lights at a pet store, and keep one end of the tank lit (the side with the island) and one unlit. That way, they have shade if they want it, and wont bake.
If they're still too big, you may want to invest in an outdoor pond. Make sure they aren't in danger of getting lost or eaten. Also, make sure they wont freeze in the winter.
Bottom line is, Light, clean water, and basking are all MUSTS.
A good rule of thumb for tank size is to measure the shell length of the largest turtle and make sure the tank is at least 7 times that length.
You may want to pick up one or two Turtle care books at Petco for help.
2006-07-05 18:20:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Get the largest tank you can afford. I will assume, you have Japanese Reeves, which are very popular in the pet market.
Reeves get to about 7" SCL (Straight Carapace Length). It will take a good 5-7 years or more to reach that size from hatchling. When full grown, you should get a 100 gallon tank or larger with a canister filter (fluval 405, Filstar xP3), which will limit your constant water changes. You will only need to do partial water change once every 2 weeks. The filter will keep the tank clean for a month or more. You can get two canister filters for the 100G tank which will make your life easier.
If you cannot afford a 100G right now, buy a 50G rubbermaid and save for a 100G tank. Get a syphon to help you clean the 50G rubbermaid. This will save you some effort.
You can buy a 50G glass tank now and get one canister. But ultimately, your long term goal is to get a 100G tank.
Try looking for used tank in local classifieds, fish groups and also try web classifieds (craiglist.com or freecycle.com). For a 50G tank, $50-75 is a fair price for a tank only. Better quality will cost more. A 100G tank used will cost $100-200 or more. It would be helful to get a stand as well.
Good luck.
2006-07-05 13:11:09 · answer #2 · answered by wu_gwei21 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sliders need at least a 55 gallon aquarium at the absolute minimum. Ideally, they should have a pond. If this isn't practical, consider a 75 or 100 gallon aquarium.
The aquarium should have a basking area that is kept at about 85-88 degrees.
A thermometer is important, but a heater shouldn't be necessary unless the water in your aquarium falls below 75 degrees.
A UV-B light is a must. Without it, the turtles won't be able to metabolize the calcium they get in their diet, and this will lead to all sorts of unpleasant health problems.
A good filter is very important for helping to keep the water clean. Keep in mind you'll still need to do frequent partial water changes as well as completely changing the water every three or four weeks.
2006-07-05 13:04:36 · answer #3 · answered by Spooky Wan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a fish tank and put water in there enogh so they can swim under the water. Put a big rock that is big enogh but dosent take up alot of space in the tank and make sure it goes on top of water so the turtules can rest and breath on it. Get a water filter in it. Put small rocks on the bottom ogf the tank. Oh and remember that turtles can carry dieseases so wash your hand when even you put your hand in the water or hold a turtle.
2006-07-05 13:13:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ascertain 10 gallons in line with inch of carapace (cumulative). in case you had a 10" female and an 8" male, which will be one hundred eighty gallons, minimal. you could get by using with a lot less once you've a vast, shallow tank, mutually with a stiff-sided wading pool.
2016-10-14 04:03:15 · answer #5 · answered by faulkenberry 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why don't you search on google. i've been doing that FOREVER. i bet you can find a website that will tell you.
this is the best advice i can give, considering the only thing i know about turtles, is that they have a shell.
2006-07-05 12:41:09 · answer #6 · answered by iwannajess 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ask the pet store that you bought them from
2006-07-05 12:39:16 · answer #7 · answered by zeus_daughter2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a tv
2006-07-05 12:43:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋