Help with my Red Eared Slider, Eating, Basking ECT.?

Question

My brother gave me a Red Eared Slider (Emo) and for four days I stored it in a 10 Gal. aquarium with a bunch of other fish (guppies, mollies, and a pleco) until I could get the 40 Gal. habitat I have for him now. In the aquarium he swam alot and ate twice in the four days he was in there. I have an extensive filtration system, air pump, water heater, basking lamp, log in the water, rocky background for the tank and beach type area to the left 1/5 of the new tank (the rest being water for Emo to swim). I put turtle pellets and lettuce on the beach and a guppy in the water (adding more if he eats). He has not eaten anything and in the ten hours a day he is in my sight for two days (I keep him in my office) I have never seen him bask in the lamp area. Also the bottom of the tank is gravel and so is the beach (Pet store recomendation, I wanted sand) is this bad for Emo? Is something wrong due to the lack of eating/ basking? Do I just turn the lamp off at night? Will he get too cold

Answer 1

I was gonna reply but Madgins is correct! Do not feed on land they can't swallow the food. Also you say you have a basing lamp but what about UVA/UVB? Your turtle needs one of at least 5%. It's very important, it simulates the sun.

Answer 2

1. Turtles don't eat food on the land. Please put the food in the water.

2. Turtles do not benefit from most lettuce. Try dark green leafy stuff, boiled or microwaved lightly to help it sink in the water.

3. Baby turtles don't get ANY veggies- only good pellets, small fish, bloodworms, etc. Young turtles get SOME veggies (not much), fish, worms, andother live fish food.

4. You don't state the temps. Water in the warm end should be 75-80 and 90 in the basking sites. It is OK to let it cool off at night a few degrees (and no heat on basking sites overnight)

5. A couple days of acclimitization is not a problem if everything else is OK. in fact, I often suggest not feeding for a few days after a big change.

6. Sandy bottoms are perfectly OK as long as you are set-up for the right cleaning. Fish tank gravel is not great because it is readily eaten. Beach can be whatever you want to clean.

7. Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for ideas on filtration, heating, diet, etc.

Answer 3

Well to ensure that the water temp. stays were it needs to you could add a under water heater. The water should be a little cooler than normal because winter is coming. The cooler they are the more they tend to eat. Just do not let it get too cold (No cooler than 68 degrees). In regards to him not eating... well he should be because winter is coming and they should be getting ready to hibernate. I have 2 RES and one will eat on land the other will not. Maybe your turtle is one that will not. My larger turtle has to be hand fed everything, including fish. My larger turtle swims over to a corner of her tank and we drop pellets in and she eats them this way. She will not do it any other way. We got her from a pet store and she does not hunt very well if at all. My smaller turtle loves to hunt and will eat on land. We got her from a breeder. I do not know for sure if where I got them makes the difference but it may. You should turn your turtles light off at night to replicate nature. You could get him a night time bulb which is just a light bulb that acts as moonlight. Not necessary. Gravel is better than sand because it doesn't get as dirty and it is easier to clean. Just make sure the gravel is big enough where your turtle cannot eat the rocks. Some turtles like to bask more than others. Is the heat lamp directly above the land or off to the side? Maybe if it is directly above the land your turtle is getting too hot. Hmm. Well I think that is all. If you have any more questions feel free to email me and I will try to help. Take care.

Answer 4

Turtle pellets are meant to be sprinkled on the water. The gravel
is better and easier to clean than sand. Turn the light off at night
because he needs to sleep as well and room tempature is fine
for him. Make sure you rub his shell with the shell conditioner for turtles it keeps it hard. If you have fish in the aqarium with him
then he is probably eating them or he just isn't hungry.

Answer 5

I fed my RES with something that i bought from Petco. It has turtle pellets, baby shrimp and krill. I fed him in the water. He usually doesn't eat too many pellets. I also gave him feeder fish but he never ate them.

Answer 6

www.redearslider.com

Go there. It has everything you need to know.