Turtle Dilema?

Question

I have a red eared turtle about 2 months old that I recently recieved from it's first owner.

1. How do you tell that the turtle is breathing?
2. It jerks every so often, is that normal? What does it mean?
3.How do you treat swollen eyes?
4. How close should he be to the heat lamp?

Any suggestions on how to care for my new turtle would be greatly appreciated!! Thank You!

being a little more specific: The turtle jerks while on the basking rock not in the water. It's head goes up and down along with the front legs as if pushing himself up.

Answer 1

your turtle is fine, just growing, tip feed him a little meat every now and than, mine grew to be 8inches across and 3 lbs

Answer 2

First of all be sure you have the turtle set up properly. A Red Eared Slider that age should be kept in a ten gallon tank with a good filtration system that will keep the water moving and remove fine particles. Change the water twice a week. It will also need to be able to climb completely out of the water in order to dry out and bask.
1. If the turtle is acting naturally, it will remove itself from the water to bask under the light ~ thats a good way to tell if its breathing! Otherwise, it will poke its nose above water every so often for air.
2. Its difficult to say without seeing the action, but when small turtles feed under water, they often jerk in an effort to break food into smaller pieces.
3. Swollen eyes are sometimes a sign of improper care. Be sure that you have paid close attention to the above descriptions. In the event that the turtle has swollen eyes do to illness, remove the turtle from the tank and put it in a seperate container. Clean the tank thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap. There is an over the counter eye remedy for aquatic turtles that can be purchased in many pet shops or may use medicated Visine drops directly on the turtles swollen eyes. Let the turtle remain dry during this treatment and for 30 minutes there after.
4. The tank should be kept at room temperature. A heat lamp is not necessary, but a full spectrum lamp (also available at pet shops) is necessary and a vital component in this type of turtles care. It should be no further than 12 inches from the turtles basking rock.
By the way, a two month old Red Eared Slider is not much bigger than a quarter (just so you can judge the age a little better:)~
Good luck and thanks, Leo

Answer 3

The turtle is ready for training and want to become a ninja turtle

Answer 4

http://www.redearslider.com/