What kind of supplies should you have in a turtle tank?

Question

I have a red ear slider turtle in a 10 gallon tank with just some gravel and big rocks. I also have a heat lamp, but do I need anything else?

Answer 1

I would get rid of the gravel unless it's too large to swallow. Some turtles will eat gravel or other small items which can cause intestinal impaction, a potentially fatal problem. Gravel also tends to collect detritis which is difficult to keep clean even with undergravel filtration. Turtles produce a great deal of waste. I don't know how big your turtle is right now, but you will be needing a much larger tank than the 1 you have. Adult males usually have a carapace length(top part of turtles shell) of 5 - 6"; females can reach carapace lengths of around 12". I would recommend a 30 gal. long min. size for a single adult male, and 70 - 100 gal long for an adult female. If your turtle grows to be large, you may want to invest in a pond kit.
You will need a tank heater. 5watts per gallon of water is the rule of thumb for heater size. You will need a thermometer as heaters are not always accurate. Stick on thermometers work well & are cheap. You will need both UVA & UVB light. These are 2 different bands of light that are needed for healthy skin and shell etc. A UVA spot or basking bulb of 50 - 75 watts mounted 8 - 12" above the basking area will be fine. You will need a UVB bulb of no less than 3%(3.0), (Less than that is for amphibians & insects.) and no greater than 5%(5.0) Anything higher is for reptiles with high UVB requirements like tortoises and desert reptiles. You can get bulbs that are a combination of UVA & UVB, but you will still need a basking bulb. Water turtles use their basking areas not only for rest, but also to kill any bacteria or fungi on their shells. That's why it's important to use UV(ultraviolet) light. You will also need a tank filter unless you plan on daily cleanings, which can quickly become a hassle.
Hope this helps you,
Jen
http://www.universal-pet-care.com

Answer 2

aiy carmuba!! youre gonna need a larger tank than that. at least a 55 gallon wide tank!! ( more wide than tall) when they are full grown thy need this.Minimum dimensions for tank are: width - 3 timesthe shell length and length - 6 times the shell length. you really shouldnt use rocks, they cause impaction. they need an area to climb out of, a UVA heat lamp. and then also UVB spectrium bulb...this is vital for shell development and nutrition absorbtion!! you need a python gravel cleaner and take 25% of the water out each week... and add 25% new dechlorinated water after that. the water should be as high as their shell is width wise.. if they are drom side to side only two inches...thats how high the water should be. the need to be able to swim freely but still have a basking area above land. you should get a turtle tank filter, turtle waiste degrader/neutralizer...The water should be 70-750 F and can be maintained with a submersible aquarium heater. The basking area should be 84-880F during the daylight period.Feeding should be daily with all they can eat in 45 minutes. Remove all food remaining after that time, except for greens. Just because they beg for food does not necessarily mean they're hungry, this is a trained condition. Diet should be at least 65-85% meat consisting of commercial turtle food, trout chow, beef heart, cooked chicken, fish live or fresh caught (not frozen). Meat should be dusted once a week with a good herp vitamin containing D3. Dark green leafy vegetables can be used to fill the rest of the diet lie romaine, kale, turnip and collard greens....

Answer 3

A good habitat for a small Red-ear slider would be:
- Tank that allows about 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle shell length. 10 Gal. is OK for now, but not for long.

- Water heater that keeps the water about 75-80F, no matter what the room temp is. (Heat lamps do not do this.)

- BIG filter- about 3 times the sizes usually needed for that size tank, so a 30 gallon filter for now.

- Good basking sites that are smooth and soft on the belly, but easy to climb. Wood is best, fake wood is OK, plastic works of it has traction. Rock is usually too rough.

- Basking area warming light, aim for 90F

- UVB lighting for the basking area and general tank.

- You can get rid of the gravel- they will eat colorful gravel, and the other stuff just collects dirt.

- Siphon-style tank cleaner to clean the bottom and change about 1/4th of the water every week- even with a BIG filter.

- The right food

Try http://www.austinsturtlepage.com for ideas.

Understand- it takes about $100-200 to set up a GOOD turtle habitat. You can do turtle tanks for less, but it will usually have a direct impact on the turtle's health.

Answer 4

If your turtle is a baby, the tank is ok for now, but he will very soon outgrow it. Keep in mind these guys love to swim and need lots of room...it is said 10 gallons per inch of shell. Your turtle also needs a basking spot...can he get up on the rocks you spoke about? You'll also need a strong filter, as these guys can be quite messy. You can probably get away with it for now with a baby, but you should make frequent full water changes to keep your turt healthy. you also need a uv light.
I highly recommend taking the gravel out. Not only does it make the tank dirtier (as the debris will get trapped in it) and harder to clean the tank, it can eventually be very harmful to the turtle, as they love to for whatever reason, eat the gravel and it can cause impaction.

Answer 5

i think your good to go but you are missing two things. a filter and a heater. my turtle lives in a 52 gallon tank use to have gravel but had to take it away because they enjoyed eating it and it got too hard to clean, a heater lighting couple of rocks and a mirror. the mirror thing, it is just my turtles like seeing who that other someone is and they dig at it. you can email me if you have any questions

Answer 6

I have the same turtle and and same size of tank get a floating rock get some plants to go with it

Answer 7

A submersible filter would be good, turtle water gets foul fast.

Answer 8

a sand pile would be nice if not mistaken they eat lettuce if here in the desert prickly pears might find at fruit stands leafy veg's maybe reddish carrot leafs.

Answer 9

thay need a pump and did you now they also eat feeder fish