How do i take care of two turtles?

Question

i am wanting to get two turtles in about a month. but first i need to know how to take care of them first. i had one at one time but it died. i dont know how either. my dad said it drowned. it was the kind of turtle that had that redish ogange on the side of its head . im cant remember what its called. can someone help me on how to take care of them?

Answer 1

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..

Let your parents read this too,K.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..

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. In Comparison to females, 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 pellet and small feeders guppies or goldfish. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis; however, they should be offered no more than they will consume during a single session to minimize water contamination. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish), tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of chapped 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, 20% 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 kale, 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 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 ..

Common 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.

Fungal 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. .

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“.

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. In Comparison to females, 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 pellet and small feeders guppies or goldfish. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis; however, they should be offered no more than they will consume during a single session to minimize water contamination. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish), tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of chapped 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, 20% 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 kale, 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: 1

Answer 2

I've have water turtles for a long time and I will tell you everything you need to know...When you go to get a turtle be sure to see how active it is if it doesnt move around alot and has those little white parts on its shell then that turtle is bad news don't get it, also if the eyes are brown never get them. Be sure to ask the pet owner to feed the turtles so you can examine which one if healthy. Now when you purchase your turtle you are going to have to buy a dock. A dock helps the turtle to get above the water so it can have fresh air. When you take the dock and the turtle or turtles home you must have a tank. I had a 10 gallon and then the turtles grew out so I would say 30 gallon. When you put everything you want in the tank you must have the tank halfway  and then put the dock in the tank.The reason why you would have the tank halfway is because the turtle can get out for fresh air like i said a while ago. If you plan on have fish with your turtles be careful if you get a slow fish that fish would be a goner.if you plan on having the fish you must have one of those things you put in the water to keep the tank warm. But if you are only having a turtle tank then you should get a heatlamp.It helps the turtles shed its skin.Diet is a important thing so be sure  to get a good brand of food..For example Reptomins. That's what I used for my turtles and they go crazy for it. But don't feed to much they can only eat a amount at a time. Well this is all I know. If you have any more questions on your turtle be sure to contact me I will answer in A.S.A.P.  [Jason]

Answer 3

It depends on whether you are getting a water turtle or a land turtle.

Land turtles, like 3-toed box turtles, need fairly dry habitats with a small, flat dish of water they can soak in.  This needs to be separate from their drinking water.

Water turtles, like Western Pond turtles, live in water but they need a place where they can get out and "sun' themselves.

Most turtles are happy eating crickets. You may also want to get some vitamins to put in their drinking water.

Keep the habitats clean. Wear gloves when you clean and wash your hands thoroughly after you handle the turtles. They have salmonella in their p**p.

Answer 4

well I had a turtle and I fed it adn I cleaned its cage um.... you might want to get a book on what ever kind of turtle it is.... cause they all are different

Answer 5

Ok, red eared sliders require at least ........

*a 50 gallon tank, the bigger the better, females can grow up to 12 inches!males can grow up to 10 inches. a 100 gallon tank is best latter on, but a 50 gallon is fine for now, until they are both more than 6 inches. The tank should be filled up nearly to the top, with four inches left util the top. The water should be around 78-82F degrees, this can be accheived with a water heater.

On top of the water you need a big floating dock, that floats on the water without sinking. At the petstore there is one called zoomed floating turtle dock, get the large size, because your turtles will grow. You also need a basking light. What it is, is a warm heat light that turtles need because they are coldblooded and need to regulate their body temperatures. Get a 75 watt. You also need to purchase a dome shaped liht fixture that you s***w in the bulb. It is really important you get a uvb bulb also. They are tube shaped and emit uvb rays, which are needed to harden a turtles shell. The best brand to get is Reptosun 5.o uvb bulb. The basking light and uvb light should be shined together over the basking dock. The temperatures should be 85-90F, get a thermometer to check. You also need a water filter, and it has to be really strong. The best are canister filters and cost around $100, but work wonderfully for  the cost, and are 100% worth the price. Turtles are really messy so you need to get a good canister filter. The turtles should be fed reptomin pellets (found at the store off course)crickets, mealworms, bloodworms, earthworms, shrimp, fish and veggies like romaine lettuce, kale, mustard greens and other dark leafy lettuces. Since they are babys mostly feed them protien found in pellets, crickets, and worms. Latter on feed them veggies. All of the foods should be powdered with a calcium supplement so the turtles can have strong shells. If you get absolutelly everything i wrote, then you turtles will be pretty happy!

Answer 6

I've taken care of many turtles throughout there growth period.  Just an outside tub will do, fill with water and a one foot high island of dirt in the middle. Feed them 1 head of lettuce a week.  When they reach about 5 lbs they are ready.

Boil wth colored greens, garlic, and onions

Answer 7

RES are fully aquatic and only need a small area of land to bask on.

try redearslider.com for more info.

ps- only get one, they'll get too big to keep together and they will fight.

Answer 8

It depends on what type of turtle you're getting and where you live. It sounds like you had a red eared slider (or RES).  They require large enclosures and a lot of maintenance. Another type of turtle is box turtles and they do better in outside pens, but they need to hibernate in the winter and if you live somewhere too cold you may need to bring them inside.

Turtles require more than a 10 or 20 gallon tank. Your first step would be is to decide what sort of turtle you want and then google until you know the facts so well you can recite them to anyone.