I need help with my red ear slider

Question

i have a red ear slider and she is only one year old. i got her from a guy selling them on the streets of new york. i got two but the female like killed it. that isn't the problem. she is only like 3 inches long... maybe! I have her in a huge tank! i could prob fit a 2 year old in it laying down ( i would never though) but she isn't growing like the book told me. they said they live for like 25 year min. I was reading on the internet and it said the avg. size is about 8-10 inches and the females are bigger then the males. I didn't have a filter or a heating lamp on for about like 4 months because i couldn't afford a top for the cage to rest it on. it might be that but i don't know. i recently bought a filter new rocks, top, lamp, plants (fake) and blood worms and two mini crabs to help clean the tank (i had to take them out because she ate the baby crab and last night attacked the bigger one). i don't have a heater because all the items above came to a total of 68 dollars with my sisters employee discount. any hint or suggestions. i love this turtle because when i was smaller i had one just like this but it died because my brother and cousin tried to make it a rock house ( they drowned him be accident) but i would never give this turtle up and i want it to live till it dies of old age. any suggestions.

Answer 1

The fake plants and rocks were a waste of money but not a big one, I hope. For a heater, you can use an incandescent bulb in a trouble light. You could have made your own top with a few strips of wood and a piece of hardware cloth. The hardware cloth also makes a decent ramp and basking platform. You're probably buying food at the pet store, aren't you? Try digging earthworms and netting small fishes and soft-bodied insects. When you can't get live food, cut strips of liver and dust them in bonemeal from the garden shop. Much cheaper than pellets and the other things they sell at petshops, discount or no. If you want a "house", cut a flower pot in half. A few months of that and you can probably afford an aquarium heater for the water, if not a UV bulb for basking. In the meantime, the liver will provide the needed vitamin D.

Answer 2

http://redearslider.com/ go to the forum register and ask them. They know what they are talking about.  

Answer 3

I wouldn't worry, I've had a lot of turtles, and there was one RES that was kept with the others, but it never grew even though the others got huge, and i have talked to other owners that have had the same thing, but mine and thiers lived long healthy lives, most likely it is a genetic defect, esentialy turtle dwarfism. Just take good care of it and it should be fine