Turtles

[hardblackrock]

Anyone know much about red-eared sliders?

I'm looking to buy a turtle in the next few days.

I haven't had any sort of pet in something around 10-15 years, so I'm here to request some help from experienced turtle-owners.

[Masaryk]

I have my sister's red-eared slider living at my house for a few years, so I have a bit of experience.

 

1) Healthy, well-cared-for turtles live a LONG time. My sister's turtle is 15 years old and still going strong.

 

2) Healthy, happy red-eared sliders grow to be pretty big. My sister's turtle is about eight inches long - that's just the shell! I think she's full-grown now. So expect to be buying a succession of progressively larger aquariums.

 

3) Red-eared sliders spend time both in the water and on land, so you will need to have a platform or rock for your turtle to climb up on. Otherwise, it might get shell rot. A heat lamp is a good idea too, so that your turtle can sun itself.

 

4) Red-eared sliders don't have saliva glands, so they have to be fed in the water. If you want to help keep your turtle tank clean, feed your turtle in another container, like a wash basin. You can feed them commercial turtle food, and, if you aren't squeamish about animals being animals, small, live fish and earthworms make a nice treat.

 

5) Turtles can carry Salmonella bacteria on their skin. If you want to stay germ-free, always wash your hands before and after handling your turtle.

 

6) If you ever find that you are unable to care for your turtle, please find a turtle sanctuary to take it. Red-eared sliders should not be released into the wild, because they disrupt the habitat of native turtle species.

 

Those are the most important things I can think of right now. If you have any other questions, I'll try my best to answer them.

[hardblackrock]

Thanks for the feedback.

There was actually some stuff in there that I wasn't aware of (such as the saliva gland fact).

I was looking at a 8-10 inch slider as well, what type of aquarium should I get it?

I've researched extensively, but thus far my research has yielded huge ranges, from 20 gallon to a whopping 40 gallon tank.

[dude91]

I heard , they make the water stink a lot ! I need a lot of neopets :(

[Masaryk]

My sister's turtle is in a 15-gallon tank, and it's way too small for the turtle. I would go up to at least 30 gallons, if you have the space. Honestly, if I had a little more floor space, I'd be setting up an indoor pond. Maybe my next house will have more room.