I've Got A Turtle ^_^

[PRW1988]

Alright, so I've now got a red ear slider Currently he/she's housed alone in a 10gallon tank, with a screen top and basking light. I'll be steadily upgrading as my new turtle grows I've named my little buddy Sly because it's so shy at the moment

Any tips to make the care and life of my new buddy would be very helpful I know they can grow to be a 16" full sized turtle, and that a 72gallon tank is the absolute minimum for one of these guys, also that they're messy little buddys, so I've got the basics covered. Does anybody know how to sex these turtles by any chance?

 

[Esfa]

Well they usualy get to 10" - 12" and the guide is 10gal per inch of turtle o i would say the minimum is 100gal.

 

[PRW1988]

theoretically, however the man that I bought my little guy from breeds them, and he recommended no smaller than a 72gallon tank when these turtles are full grown, although a 100gallon would certainly do


EDIT---> Only larger males will get to the size of 12-16", most stay around the size of 8-10"

 

[RainyES]

Males have longer tails than females.

 

[Joemuz]

Any chance of some pictures??

Cjeers, Joemuz

 

[PRW1988]

I'll get some pics when I find my Camera lol, I've lost it (yet again) and still haven't found it Although I know it'll be the last place I check...

 

[roseK]

i bet, if we raced turtles mine would win mwuahahha


*random moment*

mine is named wall-e and hes basking in the sun right now teehehehe

 

[PRW1988]

good to hear hope all goes well, and I'll get my pics up ASAP, just found my camera... Under my bed.... as I said the last place I'd check

 

[Leahzebelle]

Congratulations!!! i used to have turtles and i LOVED them! youll get more and more attatched to your new little guy, i used to put some tiny feeder goldfish into the tank with mine, every once in a while one would go missing. he was pretty big though.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Here is a care sheet for RES:
http/www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care..._ear_slider.htm

Hope you like your new friend.

 

[PRW1988]

Thanks much neon, always great to learn more

Anyways, picture time (finally), the tank set-up, and my little buddy Sly, I'll try to get a close up later today

 

[roseK]

looks like he could use a basking light

 

[roseK]

i just noticed ur turtle food, i think i hav the same one. sticks? tehehe wall-e loves them

 

[PRW1988]

Basking lights coming tomorrow, however I have an incandesest light with Day-glo 40watts

and the food is Repti-min turtle sticks for babys Little sly actually goes bonkers for these things and he even will come top the front of the glass when I shake the container It's really cute to watch

 

[RainyES]

You should get he/she some live plants... like, duckweed, water lilies, frogbit, anacharis...etc.
Pretty much anything that you can have in a pond you can have with turtles.

Maybe some sand in the bottom of the tank, my brothers two adult RES looove to dig in the sand.

Make sure you don't feed your turtle any of those feeder gold fish, they are too fatty and sometimes are sick.
Go for rosey reds or white cloud minnows.