All Turtles Message Board

jillyb · Guest Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 3

Hi, I have had a red eared slider for about 2 years, but this is my first post here. I love this site! Now for my question, and I hope someone can help me. A friend of mine has 3 red eared sliders in a 55 gallon tank, nice setup, and she has had them since they were babies. Some guy at a pet store she went to has her convinced that she has 3 different types of red eared sliders and that they will outgrow their tank. She is convinced that they are going to become so big they will not be able to move around in their tank, and she is planning to paint their backs and let them loose in her father's backyard-he has a pond. She says that the big turtles we see on the highway here sometimes are red eared sliders that have gotten too big and people have let go. I cannot convince her that this is just not true! I am worried that turtles that have always lived in a tank and been fed will not do so well if they are just let out on their own someday! Am I worrying for nothing? Please help-obviously she will listen to some stranger at a pet store (whose name she either does not know or can't remember), but she won't believe me. Since she listens to other people I turn to you. Thanks!

dixieee · Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2005 3:33 pm Post subject:

welcome to the board Smile

it's good to know that there are people who care about those turtles even if they're not their's..i don't think that releasing them to the wild is a good idea unless the pond is somehow protected and she can still take care of them like feed them or whatever..she will need to get a bigger tank someday but for me releasing them to the wild is not an option
_________________
Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 5:46 pm Post subject:

Another thing is that if there is something in the pond or in the back yard that will hurt her turtles, she won't know until the turtle is injured or sick, the turtle is not used to being left outside and will more than likely die, they don't know how to get food on their own, they are used to being fed from the day they were bought or rescued up until the time she decides to let the turtles go.
_________________

VersteckterGeist · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:14 am Post subject:

well for starters, red eared sliders do get to be pretty big. males reach between 7-9 inches and the biggest females can reach 12 inches.

while her turtles aren't going to be hu-munga-dunga big.. there is a chance that they will be a bit larger then expected.

she more then likely have to get a bigger thank a 55 gallon tank isn't big enough for 3 red eared sliders. a 55 gallon tank is enough to swim for one turtle. they do sell bigger tanks at wal mart for cheap though.

and i have to applaud you for not wanting to release them. if they were raised in a captive environment, they won't be good at living outside in the 'wild', even if it is a backyard. they won't have that natural instinct fear that they're supposed to.. and might be prayed upon by.. a dog or something larger depending where you live.

another good solution i've read about to get a setup that's large, and cheaper then a tank, is to use a pond. not an outdoor pond, but the black plastic base that you sink into the ground, you can use that indoors and put it ontop of a shelf, and use that as a tank. i saw pictures of it, and it looks really pretty. if i ever find it again, i'll definatley post it up to show you what i'm talking about.
_________________