i am setting up a tank for a red eyed slider turtle what do i need?

Answer 1

Well, depending on size I would say a minimum of a 55gal tank. The ones that you can get at walmart are great and only cost about $180. Not a bad deal when you're going to be using it for a long time(in the case of a baby) and because it comes with gravel, filters, etc.(usually)

You will need a spot for him to get out of the water. A floating turtle dock, the zoo med dock, or any other turtle dock works well. Also, driftwood and rocks are just as good but more dangerous and prone to falling. Glue your rocks or driftwoods together with fish-safe sealent and it should hold fine.

Water should be as deep as he is tall(at least, more is preffered). The water needs 3 times the filtration it would need alone. So 10gallons of water would need a 30gal filter. I only have two whisper 30 gal filters in my 55gal tank, so I'm not following the rule well, but its clean as our drinking water!

Feed him crickets, mealworms, earth worms, dried krill, baby shrimp, some turtle pellets, feeder fish, etc. Try to vary it and make sure that once a week it is dusted with calcium.

You will need a 2.0 or 5.0 UV light(both is MUCH better, and more healthy.) They need the UV to use the calcium, otherwise they will get MBD(metabolic bone disease) and die slowly and painfully without you really knowing because you shouldn't hold your turtles. They get stressed VERY easy, so leave them in their tanks and they'll be healthy and fine.

Good luck, hope this helps!

Answer 2

Big tank- the bigger the better. Aim for at least 10 gallons of swimming space per inch of turtle shell length- and plan ahead. The little 1" baby can hit 4" in a couple years and 10" as an adult.

Heater capable of keeping the tank between 75-80F.

Basking site- log, dock, ramp, etc. Needs to be safe and comfortable for the turtle.

Lighting- needs to accomplish 3 things: illuminate the tank, warm the basking site to about 90F, and offer UVB light to the turtle. You can do all of this with a mercury vapor bulb from a big pet shop, or use seperate bulbs- usually a heat-emitting basking bulb and a light and UVB emitting flourescent light.

Filtration- this can cost a ton, but get the biggest and best you can find. http://www.austinsturtlepage.com talks about this and more on their site.

Substrate is not really needed, but use whatever you like OTHER than colored aquarium gravel- the colors trick the turtle into thinking it is food.

Timers, thermometers, a good aquarium vacuum, andother odds and ends will help as well.

It is not uncommon to spend well over $100 to set up a basic turtle habitat.

Answer 3

Well I've had my 2 now for 5 yrs. I just for the first time had to take them to the vet. Red puffy eyes. They had a vitamin A deficiency which led a bit to respiratory infection. Shots! Every 3 days for antibiotics for a week & then A a week later & then now 1 more week this coming Fri. They are much better. I was just feeding them big Superworms because they were getting too big to swim quick for crickets & goldfish. Vet gave me a sheet...squash (they didn't like so far), Romaine Lettuce (specifically), pond weeds & algae (I have no idea how I'm going to find that!) and then Reptomin Pellets or Purina Trout Chow.

Light is not $60! I get the ZooMeds or others & they are about $15-20. I just got a 40 gallon & they are doing well. I'm going to build up a walk with rainbow slate rock. They are fun but my one was actually moaning! I was like OMG I didn't know they could do that. I was told about 85 degrees on light & 75ish for water where light is not.

Answer 4

Your tank should have a few inches of clean water (enough to cover the turtle's back and allow him to swim around), be fairly large, and have a dry section for him to chill out on when he wants to sit in the sun. Your tank should also be in a sunny area (your little guy needs his Vitamin D).

Also, you could take your turtle tank outside every once in a while on a nice warm day... the fresh air is good for them.

The water should be room temperature, not to warm, not to cool, and it's pretty important that the turtle can swim easily without hitting the bottom or surfacing.

Keep your tank clean (it'll need cleaning about once or twice every two weeks) and enjoy your turtles. They are fun pets.

Answer 5

You will also eventually need a really big tank. Male RES need at least a 75-90 gallon tank when full grown and females need at least a 125 gallon tank, or a horse trough.

Answer 6

You need dechlorinated water, a place for them to get out of water, a basking bulb, and the most important is a UVB bulb. That'll be a good start, and it'll run you anout 60 bucks for thebulbs. I recommend Zoo-Med bulds.