I'm afraid the filter will suck my baby turtle!?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tank and 2 very tiny RES turtles. My tank has a very strong filter and I'm afraid that when they swim around, they will suddenly get stuck in the filter. Also my tank has a basking spot, light, and clean water. It has deep water too. Am I doing everything right? If not, can you tell e what I'm missing too? Also answer the question about the strong filter please. Thank you!

Answer 1

they shouldnt get sucked in at all. you need to have a place for them to get out of the water as well. just make sure there is a filter guard on it just in case.

Answer 2

You need to add a rock or something that will get the turtles off the water and onto dry "land" for a short time, you have one with the basking light possibly, but they do not always want to be under the heat when they get out of the water.

They wont get sucked up, my dad bought me a tiny tiny tiny super tiny (maybe im exaggerating) turtle when I was 11-12 years old, and I too had a strong filter, they'll be okay.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

RES turtles under 4 inches are illegal and shouldn't be sold as pets because they carry huge amounts of salmonella. Be very, very careful with tank cleanings, and keep the turtle away from eating areas.

You can lower the setting on most filters, you'll just have to do more spot cleanings. Tank vacuums work best for this.

You can get some calcium supplements made by Repto-min for your turtles. They look like chalk and are also sold under the name "Turtle Bone". Turtles will bite at it and chase it around.

Great that you're getting advice! Most people just stick the poor RES in a bowl and throw in some pellets.

Answer 4

Give a look over at http://www.redearslider.com for some good care guidelines.

You can attach several kinds of guards to the filter- a pre-filter sponge or net, for example.