i want to buy a turtle but what do i do to set up one and what do most turtles eat i need to know!!! PLEASE!!!

Question

oh and i want to buy a red ear slider witch is 18 bucks what do i do to set a tank up for turtle

Answer 1

Rescues are overrun with these misunderstood animals. Too many people get these pets thinking they will be easy, and cheap. The turtle may cost you only 20 dollars, but the proper care is far more.


You will need 10 gal per inch of shell. Most turtles I have seen in pet stores are about 4-5 inches across already. The tank should be large enough to provide plenty of swimming room. The water should be twice as deep and the turtle is long. These turles can reach upto 12 inches in length and will need a custom built cage. Most places recommend a 6 foot by 6 foot.

When young these turtles are carnivours, eating fish, insects, ect. As they age they are more vegetarians. Also feed a high protien pellet food. Buying cheap low protine food will effect health.

As for enclosure you need a basking area, and a swimming area. Turtles need a basking area to digest food, and they eat/eliminate in the water. You need to buy special lighting, a basking lamp for heat and a UVA/UVB light for vitamin D creation. Without vitamin D you turtle will get shell rot, and without basking light he will not be able to digest food. Air temp should be around 80 degrees.

Turtles are very messy(waste producers) and you need a strong filter to clean the water.( I spent around 90 dollars for mine) You will also have to do a 25% water change bi-weekly. Remember they live in the water so you need it clean.

You need an under water heater and thermomitor. The water needs to be kept at around 75 degrees.

The start up cost for a turle is a few hundred dollars. Do you have a few hundred dollars to spend? If you are not going to take care of the animal properly and skimp on cage size, lighting, etc than don'y bother getting it. Most people who decide to not provide propper care in the beginning never provide it.

Costs:
-Tank 20 gal: 50-100 dollars
-Filter: 60-100 dollars(best to get a strong one made for larger tanks so you don't have to replace tank and filter as the turtle grows)
-Rocks/platforms/ect: 30 dollars for one quality basking platform.
-Food- 10-15 dollars for a small container of pellets, 10 dollars for each container of crickets, bloodworms etc.
-tank water conditioner 3.00-5.00 dollars per pack, multiplied by 4 water changes a month
-Lights- UVA/UVB light $24-35, basking light $10-15. Lamps $20-40 each(need two), depends on the brand
-Water Heaters - $25-$100
-Vet care in case of emergency, etc can cost hundreds of dollars over turltes life.

Be prepared to care for this animal for over 20 years. They are costly and not as rewarding a pet as other animals, and not for everyone. Remember they do not like to be picked up, and half the time mine doesn't even like to be looked at.

There are too many pet turltes out there that are bought, taken, etc, by unassumming people who do not realize the expense and care that goes into these amazing creatures. Please think this through full before you decide to purchase this pet.

Answer 2

well there's the i can tell you everything and make it really long kinda of answer that i always give or better yet this time because there is so much to be said i'll leave you with these two links:

www.turtlecare.net
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/

They are by far the best turtle site i have ever come across and address every need you could ever possiblly need to look up. from basic set ups to food to light and even medical problems. i really hope that you would check these out becasue i could tell you the answer or you could simply (site are very navigatable) look through them and answer questions you didn't know you had or find good information you would of otherwise missed out on.

but out of the spirit of yahoo answers...

*20 gal+ tank (10 gal per 1 inch of turtle shell length)
*bio+mechanical filter rated 2-3 times higher than the tank requires for fish
*full spectrum UVA +UVB light
*Heat lamp w/ 50-65 W bulb
*Dry land in the tank surrounded by the water. also the land must be under the heat lamp so it can bask but not touch the bulb
*Reptomin pellets try not to get wardley because it maybe cheaper but doesn't provide good nutrition
*Lettuces !!!not iceberg!!! try romaine sliced
*try to minimize fruits (too sweet) grapes are an ok TREAT



but still i recomend visiting at least one of those sites and reading through alot of it. the more you read up and resaerch the better of a pet owner you will be.

Answer 3

Most big box pet stores only want to sell you stuff and don't care whether it's the ri9ght thing or not. You will need the largest tank you can afford but at least 50 gallons to start--they grow fast. They will also need very good filtration--much better than for fish. Lighting that provides UVB($40 for the bulb plus reflector and stand) A place for it to bask in the tank, maybe a heater and don't forget the first vet visit. No point in buying the cheap turtle unless you have $400+ dollars to set it up correctly. Plus RES are the iguana of the turtle world--the rescues are overrun with them and many are very sick when they go into rescue. But you might want to check with a rescue in your area to see if they have any available. Many rescues list in Petfinders.com

Answer 4

do not panic yet. maximum turtles in new tanks refuse foodstuff for a week or 2. If it is going previous that, provide a small earthworm. different sturdy ingredients are bait fish and strips of liver dusted in bone meal. The pellets are not undesirable. overlook vegetables for decades. at the same time as they start up eating, feed as a lot as they're going to eat on the instantaneous. Then refuse to feed them until eventually the subsequent scheduled feeding, no count number how a lot they beg.

Answer 5

If you don't know what to feed a RES then do yourself and the turtle a favor and get a dog.

Answer 6

buy a simple cage and get a lamp that gives off heat and they eat bugs like worms

Answer 7

Real simple - go to the pet store and ask - they are experts