Should I get a red-eared slider turtle?

Question

where can I get one
how much do they cost
high maitenence?
other things to consider?

Answer 1

Red Eared Sliders are the most common type of aquatic turtle available in the US. Find a store that sells captive bred turtles, they are much more adaptable to home environments. NatureCoastExotics.com is a great breeder of all types of reptiles. I won't lie, It's alot of work to set up the tank properly, but after that it's just water changes and feeding.

Red Eared Sliders need a MINIMUM habitat of 55 gallons (ideally 100 gallons per adult turtle), lots of filtration (I use two filters), weekly water changes of at least 10-15%, a basking area (I use cork bark), UV/UVB light, Heat lamp, and a good variety of turtle food.

Also, keep in mind that most adults RES can get to be 10-12" or more SLC [straight-line carapace - measuring the carapace in a straight line from the front (head) to the back (tail). ] and will outlive ANY dog or cat you'll ever have.

Think about it for awhile before you decide. It's a big decision and many RES are sold, released, or given away because their owners didn't do enough research before impulsively going out and buying one.

If you can provide all this for your turtle and can deal with the baggage, then go get one. They're awesome, lots of fun to watch and have very unique personalities.

Answer 2

Red-ear Sliders (RES) are a good example of the power of cultural fads over common sense.

This is not a very good turtle for a pet because the adult gets too big for the average keeper to handle easily. A 10" adult needs about 100 gallons of water space to live in to be happy.

On the other hand, Painted Turtles, Mud Turtles, Musk Turtles and others are all a lot smaller as adults, and pretty easy to care for. Because they are not quite as 'commercially cute' as the baby RES, they generally do not sell as well.

Most of these other turtles only hit 6" as adults, so are much easier to manage in a 60 gallon tank.

It runs about $150 to 250 to set up a good turtle habitat, depending mostly on tank size. A good habitat is easier to run, easier to keep clean, and healthier for the turtle.

Other things to consider?
- If you don't want to care for the adult, don't keep the baby of any species.
- All aquatic pets can carry Salmonella. Use common sense and handwashing to stay healthy.
- Healthy turtles can live a LONG time. Will you still want it in 10 years? (20 years in some species, and up to 50 for tortoises, etc.)

Answer 3

If they are young you shouldn't have a problem keeping them together at first compatibility-wise, but you have to make sure you have enough room for them later when they get big (up to twelve inches of shell each!). If you are buying both as adults from a pet store, you may want to watch and make sure that you don't pick two hugely aggressive turtles. If you have had one for a long time and are introducing another into the tank, you want to be very careful. The one who has been there longer will most likely show signs of territorial aggression, in which case one turtle will end up attacked and/or dead (I don't know how often the latter happens, but turtles do fight). So long as you keep the tank large enough (I would say at least 55 gallons for the two) and make sure they don't fight, they should be okay. You can feed them in separate containers if you're worried about them being greedy over food, but if you start doing this, you have to keep doing it, as they're going to battle it out once you start feeding them together.

Answer 4

First off, if youre loking for a pet who can play with you and is affectionate (and one that you'll be tempted to kiss becaue theyre just so adorable), you shouldnt get a turtle.

RES are not that expensive... no more than $20 and theyre about 4 inches in width. (Mine are still babies, 2 1/2 inches)

To care for them is a whole other story! There's so many equipment to buy! To start of, RES loves to swim. You have to make sure the tank you put them in is deep enough... Its recommended that for every cubic inch, the turtle has about 10 gallons of water. Then theres the heating lamp and the water heater and the water filter (a good turtle water filter is atleast $50) and the floating log and the list goes on.

Turtles poo a lot. I clean out their tank roughly once every ten days and it is FILTHY! Theres slime stuck in the filter... Poo bedded inbetween the rocks... Algae growing on rocks and the flaoting log.

Lets talk about the GOOD stuff!
Watching your silly turtle crawl on your bedroom floor is always a relaxing site...
Watching him eat a live feeder fish is "way badass!"
Having something to care for just gives you a sense of responsibilty that makes you happy!
Seeing your turtles swim in the tank that you "decorated" makes you feel happy because your turtles are happy. :)

You should defintely get one if your up for the challenge! They can be a hassle but theyre fun!

Answer 5

I love my red-eared sliders. They are adorabe and fun. Some things to consider,they do carry salamina so wash your hands after handling. They do need a large space to swim,a area to 'basket' in sun and either plenty of direct sunlight or a heat lamp. They do tend to be dirty. I have a 300 gallon pond I built outside and have to clean it 2x week on average. I do have a high tech UVA filter thats helps alot. If you dont handle them often they might bite when you do. Most stores sell turtle food but I think immitating natural environment is best. I keep small feeder fish in tank so turtles can 'hunt' and feed brine shrimp on occassion for a treat.
I buy mine at petsmart for $14. If you build outdoor pond like I did remember to either inclose it or build a cover to prevent rodants from eating them.
Hope this helps and you enjoy yours as much as I do!

Answer 6

you can probably get them at pets mart
around 40 dollars
not to high maitenence but do need to clean cage every now and then and stuff
turtles are very cool but make sure you have a proper cage and food so it can live a healthy, happy life!

Answer 7

I had one and only for the turtle it cost $14

Answer 8

you can get one at petco. they are nice and they eat a lot in summer and need a heat lamp during the winter and if you do get one when it gets bigger you should get a big tank with a filter and lots of rocks

Answer 9

Best site to help you decide is:

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm

Answer 10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-Eared_Slider
here read up on it.
TURTLESALE.COM this a great site to buy turtles