Baby Red Ear Slider Turtle Help?

Question

About four days ago, I've unexpectedly been given four baby Red Ear Sliders. I'm completely new at how to care for turtles..and after looking a while on the internet, went to the pet store to buy them a 55 gallon tank, turtle dock, aquatic pellet food, turtle health conditioner, a few feeder goldfish, and Tetra Whisper filter. As I was checking out, I realized I forgot to buy a UVB/UVA lamp..but I already wiped out over $200 dollars. I decided not to go back and buy it because it was very pricey (about $40). What I'd like to know is, would just taking the turtles outside to get some REAL sunlight in a sterilite container (filled with a little water) for a few hours everyday suffice? And for the times where they are inside, can't I just shine a regular desk light over their platform for heat? I'm really low on money right now and I don't want to give up these little fellas. Would they be able to grow up big and healthy under those conditions? It sounds like it would work to me.

Answer 1

yes Natural sunlight can replace a UVB light. But they will need 12 hours of UVB and this will be a problem in the winter. You can get a UVb light a fixture for about $20 on the Internet http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/info... . Also Red ear sliders need a verity diet of pellets(i like the repti-min because of it`s high protein, low fat Continent), they also need greens like Dandelion leaves,  and Turnip greens, Also they do need animal matter like Guppies, Rosy red minnows or pond snails. Goldfish should never be used ans are concerded a high risk food.

-no house bulbs don`t replace UVB bulb, UVB causes skin cancer in human and is not in household bulb (for good reasons). Also putting him by a window won`t do the trick eather becuase windows are UV coated to prevent the UVA/UVB rays from gitting in your house. A house hold bulb may give the animal a little heat but no UVB that will help with calcium metabolism.

Answer 2

All these guys gave some good advice, but here goes mine, Make sure when they are outside they are covered somehow because birds will swoop down and take off with one in a heart beat, unfortunately this happen to a friend of mine.

Answer 3

If you go to walmarts and pay like $4.00 you can buy a round shop lamp like they use in garages and stuff and a regular light bulb...and that works just as well..not as pretty..but it works

Answer 4

That light that came with the tank will be fine for now thats all mine had for 10 yrs and they are now 36 yrs old  :  )..yes I am old.

I have had 2 sliders for 36 yrs now plus a 7 yr old and a 5 yr old. This is how I have taken care of them for 36 yrs. Great pets.

I have had them in a stand alone 150gal pond from sears..for about 6 yrs now..

they bask up to 10 hrs a day inside with a tank light or real sunlight. They love to stack on top each other for some reason.

Here is some important and a lot of info. If he or she is small get feeder guppies or small feeder goldfish, frozen brown worms ..or live brown worms from a fish store. petco and or petsmart do not carry live worms..

Red-eared sliders, Gender especially juveniles, can be difficult to s*x. Gender in adults is determined by external physical characteristics and behavior. Males have longer fore claws (which are use in courtship), a longer tail length, a longer distance from the body to the vent opening, a tail that is thicker at the base and generally a smaller body size and shell length. Turtles are considered juveniles till after 5 yrs old.

Their Home

The minimum enclosure size for hatchling re-eared slider should be a 20-gallon aquarium minimum. As a general rule, the water depth should be at least 2 times the turtle's length, with several extra inches of air space between the surface of the water to the top edge of the tank to prevent escapes. So if your turtle is 4” around  he needs at least 10 to 12” of water to swim. For ONE 4 to 5 inch long sliders, the recommended minimum enclosure surface area is 50 gal plus tank with an extra square foot for each additional turtle.

What to Feed

In the wild, re-eared sliders eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters but still love the greens.

In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist  of a commercial aquatic turtle pellets and small feeders guppies or goldfish or minows. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish), tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of  leafy greens or finely chapped mixed vegetables, can be offered once weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow older.

Fill tank with approx 20 feeder guppies and or 10 to 15 small goldfish. you’ll know when to replenish the live food supply. just count what’s left and then fill it up again..Get a cuttle bone from the bird dept and drop in the water for added calcium. Hopefully they may eat it and that’s what you want.

For adults their of the diet may consist of some commercial turtle pellets. Plus 80% of their diet is fresh alive fish to catch in their water which also gives them exercise when trying to catch to eat. Adults should be fed greens , romaine, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, dandelion, watercress, parsley. Swiss chard, shredded carrots, shredded squash, thawed frozen mixed vegetables and miscellaneous fruits. Adults can be fed every two to three days. NO iceberg or cabbage!!

Vital Statistics

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max.

Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer foreclaws..

Water quality and Filtration

Sliders are voracious feeders and tend to foul the water real quickly with their messy eating habits and frequent defecation. Therefore, a system needs to be in place for good water quality. Partial to full water changes can be performed. Many different filter systems are available ..

*** Health Problems

If you take proper care of your red-eared slider by providing excellent housing, nutrition, lighting, and heating, it is unlikely to ever become ill or injured. However, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with ailments common to sliders so that you can quickly identify them in your own slider, should it become ill. The following are some of the most common medical problems among red-eared sliders.

Fungus Infections

“Fungal infections are fairly common among red-eared sliders, especially younger ones. If you notice what looks like a light layer of cotton on your slider’s shell or eyes or in its mouth, this is most likely some form of fungal infection. Although their appearance can be alarming, most infections in their early stages are fully treatable at home. If a fungal infection remains untreated, however, it can spread across the entire body and cause serious harm to your turtle.

To treat a mild fungal infection, immerse your red-eared slider in a warm saltwater bath for about half an hour each day, using a soft sponge to gently scrub the infected regions. You can also treat patches of fungus with topical applications of a mild antiseptic, such as povidone-iodine. As long as the problem isn’t severe, you should notice signs of recovery within a day or two, and a full recovery in about 10–14 days.

If your turtle has a persistent fungal infection that home treatment isn’t curing, take it to the vet for treatment. Several medications are available that can address a fungal infection if it hasn’t spread too far.”

**Shell Rot.

First make a dry box to keep the turtle in, shell rot needs water to grow.

Keep it warm and give it plenty of light.

Scrub the shell gently with a toothbrush and water.

Let the turtle swim for about 20 minutes a day in something other than his pond..clean water.

1-2 times a day take a cotton ball apply Hydrogen Peroxide to it then to his shell. It'll start bubbling which means its cleaning it. it. DO NOT get it in his eyes.

Then clean the shell and apply providone-iodine solution to the shell, coat the shell and don't clean it off until he is ready to swim the next day.

** Keep this up for several weeks and it should go away. . MOST important !!! TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

Respiratory Infections

“Slider turtles and other aquatic species are susceptible to respiratory infections. Most respiratory infections that can affect sliders are mild and easily treatable in their early stages, but there are also some particularly virulent infections that can kill a turtle very quickly without veterinary attention. Sliders usually develop respiratory infections when their tank is too cold.

Symptoms of an infection include a runny nose, wheezing, lopsided swimming (an ailing lung changes the turtle’s buoyancy), lethargy, and a refusal to eat. If you identify the illness in its early stages, you may be able to treat it by removing the sick slider from its quarters into a new, clean tank (especially if you keep multiple sliders, since the majority of respiratory infections are contagious) and keeping it a few degrees warmer than normal. Warmth is the most crucial factor in treating respiratory infections in the home. If the condition persists for more than a few days or worsens, bring your slider to your veterinarian, who will treat the infection with antibiotics.”

Contact the “herpetologicalsocieties.com“.

Ps..I have arthritis in my hands, so I have  pasted my answer for you. I just try to help you the pet  owner as much as I can. I wish you  Luck.

Answer 5

They'd need to be outside all day long to obtain the right amount of UVB. The thing with UVB is that it helps the turtle absorb calcium. Without it, you can still have a healthy turtle. All you need to do, is to give the turtles the right amount of vitamins. Desk lamp will not be sufficient to sustain the turtles heat, as they do not emit the same amount of heat. Plain UVA bulbs are cheaper than UVA/UVB bulbs, so you won't be out of pocket.

Feeder goldfish are a bad idea. They can be quite dangerous to turtles, as they contain a residual chemical, (forgot the name) that affects the way that the turtle absorbs vitamins.

Good luck x*x

Answer 6

Do what you can with what you have. You can save up your money for a basking light by forgetting the goldfish and overpriced turtle food. Feed your RESs earthworms, fishes (from bait shop or stream), and soft-bodied insects. When you can't get live food, feed strips of liver dusted with bonemeal. The liver provides vitamin D, which is what the basking light is for.

Do you have a basking site? You can make one from hardware cloth. Bend it like this:

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but with a longer, less-sloped ramp. Ignore the dots. They are just to keep the software from compressing the shape.