Susan - 2020-05-30 I have had a red eared slider now for 20 years. My dog found him on a walk and carried him home. He was about the size of a quarter. Tort is quite a picky eater. He will only eat his one type of pellets. When I run out and give him a different type, he will just swim away and not eat it. He is about 9 inches long now. We take him for walks in the yard and I now know why the hare lost the race. Tort can move fast when he has a goal. He is very easy to take care of. Spends most of the time in the water but he loves to bask on his rocks.
Tony Dai - 2009-11-11 I had a red eared slider for 5 years. We've been through alot. First I purchased him he was 2 inches and he was placed in a tiny plastic container with no heating source, I only put him by the window for natural sunlight. The tank only had 1 cm of water and one small rock. It was a very poor habitat and I kept him there for a few months and he survived. Then I put him in a 9 gallon aquarium with 1 cm of water and the same rock. Still no heat source. He was fed pellets and shrimp. After a few years I went on the Internet and searched information on how to take care of them, and I found out they need a very large tank, a basking area, UVB basking bulbs, very clean water and a very strong filter, and lots more. Then I realized the mistake. I quickly told my parents how to take proper care of them. I always try to tell them how to take proper care of red eared sliders but they think its unnessecary. So I still had him in a poor habitat. But the past few months I tried my hardest to give him a proper habitat by myself. Right now he's still in a 9 gallon, but he has a turtle dock, a water depth of 4 inches, and a desk lamp for basking (I put him under the window on warm days for UVB). He is currently 5 inches and although he was in a terrible habitat for such a long time, he survived and for some weird reason shows no sign of illness. Now I'm going to give him a very large tank with a large basking area, a UBV basking light, a filter and water changes. I just wish my parents could be more considerate and put more effort into taking care of pets as they are a huge commitment. I'm only 11.
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Allyson - 2010-07-20 WAY TO BE Tony! I hope your slider is doing well. I too, had a poorly cared for pet as a child. It was a collie named Mikey. I felt so sad. I loved that dog so much, but I was too young to do anything about it. Unfortunately, he died before I was old enough to take care of him. I now make up for his loss by taking the best possible care of the pets that I love now. I hope he forgives me.
A. N RAO - 2010-08-17 I also have 3 red eared but I am confusing about how to design a comfortable tank for them. If you have any idea on it give me details I arrange it asap "A N RAO"
Diana - 2010-11-22 I think, you are trying to do the right thing, but you should try to tell your parents that you will work around the house to pay for a better tank, tell them that even that it's not important for them, it is important for you that your turtle is happy. I have one for three years now, and I just upgraded her tank, to a 75 gallon one and she is very happy. Try to buy a used one on craig list with a good filter, and you can clean it every month. Good luck
murray brown - 2011-03-15 Sounds like your turtle is very lucky to have you as his/her human--good job!
MS.Donna - 2013-07-26 Tony I am sure that your parents probably have a lot of bills to pay and may not be able to keep you and your turtle fed or in a house or have lights and gas. SO since I am reading this a few days before my own birthday, I will send you a Petland gift card IF YOU EMAIL ME WITH YOUR PARENTS PERMISSION. I DO not WANT TO HAVE ANY PROBLEMS with the law for trying to do a nice thing. EMAIL SUBJECT: MR TURTLE's friend okay.
Anonymous - 2016-01-06 I have a Chinese water dragon. Is there any other lizards( like green anoles or day gecko ), frogs( like arrow frogs and red eyed tree frogs ), turtles( like box turtles or map turtles ), and my tank also as a big water area could I put fish( like cichlids or archer fish )?
Amanda - 2015-05-27 I recently was given a red eared slider from my in laws. It's about 5-6 years old and has lived in about 3 inches of water in a 15-20 gallon tank with no lights or heaters of any kind. I immediately did research and figured out that he needed a lot of stuff. I bought the uva and uvb lights above his basking rock right away and he now has about 5 1/2 inches of water. I'm not sure if I should fill the tank most of the way. I have read a lot of information online but not sure how deep the water should be r if there is something else I should be doing. Also how big of a tank should I have? He is about 5 inches long and about 3 wide. Gave him some minnows and he had so much fun catching them. Please help!
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Clarice Brough - 2015-05-31 These turtles get to be about 8-10' in length. I have 3 adult sliders (about 18 years old now) and keep them in an outdoor pond. Read about the indoor setup above, a large tub that's 48'w x 84'l x 20'd will be needed indoors. As far as food, they do like some live prey, but they also need a lot of vegetable matter. I alway feed turtle and pond pellets and they feed on the aquatic plants too.
Paul C - 2015-12-29 A RES turtle's water depth should be at least equal to the length of their shell as they need this to swim that they enjoy. So a RES with a 5' shell needs water that is at least 5' deep.Got 2 in July 2011 around 5' long and kept in a 20G long tank they outgrew within a year. Now in a 45G long that is half filled, same as a 55G but couple of inches shorter, both turtles are about 7' now. Never fed them live fish, they have been fed and eat varieties of turtle pellets, floating sticks supplemented with freeze dried mealbworms and krill. On sunny days from mid spring to early fall, put them in a plastic kiddy pool with a large rock island during the daytime for their dose of vitamin D.
lala cutie - 2015-10-05 i got a red eared turtel. But it likes to sleep so i can't feed it so i got a rock and he's better so now he eat's. i'm so happy
Chelle - 2008-03-01 My 2 month old RES lives in a 40 gallon long aquarium. He has a basking light, uvb light, a ramp for basking, a water heater and powerful filter (200 gallons per hour). He lives with 3 rosey red minnows and 6 zebra danios. I made the mistake of feeding him dried shrimp treats and then he wouldn't eat anything else. I have some advice on what to do if this happens to anyone else: Buy baby turtle floating food sticks, grind them down to a powder, add a little calcim/vitamin powder and a drop of water. Add a tiny bit of the dried shrimp (for the smell) and mix into a paste like texture. Then I put a dab of the mixture on the tip of my finger and hold it just above the water so he can reach up and get it. This is working great and he is thriving. I also have a small piece of cuttlebone floating in the water and have ordered water lettuce and water hyacinth. I haven't seen him bite the cuttlebone yet. He does try to bite the fake plants, this is why I ordered the edible water plants. I hope this info might help someone else out there with a picky eater like mine.
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Sarah Wheeler - 2014-07-23 My turtles wouldnt go back to regular food too after some treats, but a few days they strated eating when they wer hungry. But congrats on keeping ur turtles AND fish, all my turtles will eat fish excpet 1 of them(i have 5)
Wendy Hall - 2014-06-02 I just acquired 2 red-eared sliders from a friend who had them in an aquarium at his home. I have had them at my home in their own pond now for 2 weeks, they seem to be adapting well. Today I came home to find one of them laying upside down, but not like she fell that way, in a flat area, upside down. Is this a sign of sickness and what can I do? I turned her right side up and will continue to observe for now.
Richele - 2013-09-17 I have two young (under a year) RES. Unfortunately early on they learned about dried shrimp and krill, so now I can't get them to eat anything else. They do eat some dried meal worms though. I spray a hearty amount of multiple vitamins as well as calcium on their food before giving it to them. Occasionally they'll eat small pieces of carrots or green leaf lettuce, but not as often as I think they should. Any suggestions on how to get them to eat a better variety of food? Oh and I feed them in a seperate tank which they stay in for about 20 to 30 minutes, so they don't free feed.
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Clarice Brough - 2013-09-26 As adults these turtles are primarily vegetarians. My two red-eared sliders are about 18 years old, but when I got them (at 8 years old) the lady who had them fed them only shrimp! Well, I put them in my pond and began to feed them a commercial turtle food, and sometimes a pond Koi food. There are also some plants in the pond. When that was all they were offered, they began to eat it. They will still come up, hoping for a shrimp treat, and I give them some once in awhile. But they now know it is just that... a treat.
dottie - 2013-07-31 Was given a red ear slider, he was raised in a small tank. Got a 50 gallon tank and got new stones. Fill tank half way with water, put turtle in and he acts like he can't swim. Did I put too much water in? He was trying to eat stones just digging does he like his new home? Help can't sleep keep checking on him.
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Jasmine Brough Hinesley - 2013-08-01 Make sure there is an area of rocks/sand that he can get up on to to bask and that it isn't all water. Was he kept in water at his old home? He may just not be used to so much water. Turtles will dig sometimes, but you might want to get a hiding place like a log or cave that he can retreat to. It might take some time to get used to his new home.
The Red Eared Slider has been a favorite household pet for many years!
I have had a red eared slider now for 20 years. My dog found him on a walk and carried him home. He was about the size of a quarter. Tort is quite a picky eater. He will only eat his one type of pellets. When I run out and give him a different type, he will just swim away and not eat it. He is about 9 inches long now. We take him for walks in the yard and I now know why the hare lost the race. Tort can move fast when he has a goal. He is very easy to take care of. Spends most of the time in the water but he loves to bask on his rocks.
I had a red eared slider for 5 years. We've been through alot. First I purchased him he was 2 inches and he was placed in a tiny plastic container with no heating source, I only put him by the window for natural sunlight. The tank only had 1 cm of water and one small rock. It was a very poor habitat and I kept him there for a few months and he survived. Then I put him in a 9 gallon aquarium with 1 cm of water and the same rock. Still no heat source. He was fed pellets and shrimp. After a few years I went on the Internet and searched information on how to take care of them, and I found out they need a very large tank, a basking area, UVB basking bulbs, very clean water and a very strong filter, and lots more. Then I realized the mistake. I quickly told my parents how to take proper care of them. I always try to tell them how to take proper care of red eared sliders but they think its unnessecary. So I still had him in a poor habitat. But the past few months I tried my hardest to give him a proper habitat by myself. Right now he's still in a 9 gallon, but he has a turtle dock, a water depth of 4 inches, and a desk lamp for basking (I put him under the window on warm days for UVB). He is currently 5 inches and although he was in a terrible habitat for such a long time, he survived and for some weird reason shows no sign of illness. Now I'm going to give him a very large tank with a large basking area, a UBV basking light, a filter and water changes. I just wish my parents could be more considerate and put more effort into taking care of pets as they are a huge commitment. I'm only 11.
WAY TO BE Tony! I hope your slider is doing well. I too, had a poorly cared for pet as a child. It was a collie named Mikey. I felt so sad. I loved that dog so much, but I was too young to do anything about it. Unfortunately, he died before I was old enough to take care of him. I now make up for his loss by taking the best possible care of the pets that I love now. I hope he forgives me.
I also have 3 red eared but I am confusing about how to design a comfortable tank for them. If you have any idea on it give me details I arrange it asap "A N RAO"
I think, you are trying to do the right thing, but you should try to tell your parents that you will work around the house to pay for a better tank, tell them that even that it's not important for them, it is important for you that your turtle is happy. I have one for three years now, and I just upgraded her tank, to a 75 gallon one and she is very happy. Try to buy a used one on craig list with a good filter, and you can clean it every month. Good luck
Sounds like your turtle is very lucky to have you as his/her human--good job!
Tony I am sure that your parents probably have a lot of bills to pay and may not be able to keep you and your turtle fed or in a house or have lights and gas. SO since I am reading this a few days before my own birthday, I will send you a Petland gift card IF YOU EMAIL ME WITH YOUR PARENTS PERMISSION. I DO not WANT TO HAVE ANY PROBLEMS with the law for trying to do a nice thing. EMAIL SUBJECT: MR TURTLE's friend okay.
I have a Chinese water dragon. Is there any other lizards( like green anoles or day gecko ), frogs( like arrow frogs and red eyed tree frogs ), turtles( like box turtles or map turtles ), and my tank also as a big water area could I put fish( like cichlids or archer fish )?
I recently was given a red eared slider from my in laws. It's about 5-6 years old and has lived in about 3 inches of water in a 15-20 gallon tank with no lights or heaters of any kind. I immediately did research and figured out that he needed a lot of stuff. I bought the uva and uvb lights above his basking rock right away and he now has about 5 1/2 inches of water. I'm not sure if I should fill the tank most of the way. I have read a lot of information online but not sure how deep the water should be r if there is something else I should be doing. Also how big of a tank should I have? He is about 5 inches long and about 3 wide. Gave him some minnows and he had so much fun catching them. Please help!
These turtles get to be about 8-10' in length. I have 3 adult sliders (about 18 years old now) and keep them in an outdoor pond. Read about the indoor setup above, a large tub that's 48'w x 84'l x 20'd will be needed indoors. As far as food, they do like some live prey, but they also need a lot of vegetable matter. I alway feed turtle and pond pellets and they feed on the aquatic plants too.
A RES turtle's water depth should be at least equal to the length of their shell as they need this to swim that they enjoy. So a RES with a 5' shell needs water that is at least 5' deep.Got 2 in July 2011 around 5' long and kept in a 20G long tank they outgrew within a year. Now in a 45G long that is half filled, same as a 55G but couple of inches shorter, both turtles are about 7' now. Never fed them live fish, they have been fed and eat varieties of turtle pellets, floating sticks supplemented with freeze dried mealbworms and krill. On sunny days from mid spring to early fall, put them in a plastic kiddy pool with a large rock island during the daytime for their dose of vitamin D.
its banned to have these turtles in Queensland! they are a pest in the Brisbane area!
No animals are pests, PEOPLE are the pests!
i got a red eared turtel. But it likes to sleep so i can't feed it so i got a rock and he's better so now he eat's. i'm so happy
My 2 month old RES lives in a 40 gallon long aquarium. He has a basking light, uvb light, a ramp for basking, a water heater and powerful filter (200 gallons per hour). He lives with 3 rosey red minnows and 6 zebra danios. I made the mistake of feeding him dried shrimp treats and then he wouldn't eat anything else. I have some advice on what to do if this happens to anyone else: Buy baby turtle floating food sticks, grind them down to a powder, add a little calcim/vitamin powder and a drop of water. Add a tiny bit of the dried shrimp (for the smell) and mix into a paste like texture. Then I put a dab of the mixture on the tip of my finger and hold it just above the water so he can reach up and get it. This is working great and he is thriving. I also have a small piece of cuttlebone floating in the water and have ordered water lettuce and water hyacinth. I haven't seen him bite the cuttlebone yet. He does try to bite the fake plants, this is why I ordered the edible water plants. I hope this info might help someone else out there with a picky eater like mine.
My turtles wouldnt go back to regular food too after some treats, but a few days they strated eating when they wer hungry. But congrats on keeping ur turtles AND fish, all my turtles will eat fish excpet 1 of them(i have 5)
I just acquired 2 red-eared sliders from a friend who had them in an aquarium at his home. I have had them at my home in their own pond now for 2 weeks, they seem to be adapting well. Today I came home to find one of them laying upside down, but not like she fell that way, in a flat area, upside down. Is this a sign of sickness and what can I do? I turned her right side up and will continue to observe for now.
Take him to a vet.
I have two young (under a year) RES. Unfortunately early on they learned about dried shrimp and krill, so now I can't get them to eat anything else. They do eat some dried meal worms though. I spray a hearty amount of multiple vitamins as well as calcium on their food before giving it to them. Occasionally they'll eat small pieces of carrots or green leaf lettuce, but not as often as I think they should. Any suggestions on how to get them to eat a better variety of food? Oh and I feed them in a seperate tank which they stay in for about 20 to 30 minutes, so they don't free feed.
As adults these turtles are primarily vegetarians. My two red-eared sliders are about 18 years old, but when I got them (at 8 years old) the lady who had them fed them only shrimp! Well, I put them in my pond and began to feed them a commercial turtle food, and sometimes a pond Koi food. There are also some plants in the pond. When that was all they were offered, they began to eat it. They will still come up, hoping for a shrimp treat, and I give them some once in awhile. But they now know it is just that... a treat.
Was given a red ear slider, he was raised in a small tank. Got a 50 gallon tank and got new stones. Fill tank half way with water, put turtle in and he acts like he can't swim. Did I put too much water in? He was trying to eat stones just digging does he like his new home? Help can't sleep keep checking on him.
Make sure there is an area of rocks/sand that he can get up on to to bask and that it isn't all water. Was he kept in water at his old home? He may just not be used to so much water. Turtles will dig sometimes, but you might want to get a hiding place like a log or cave that he can retreat to. It might take some time to get used to his new home.