All Turtles Message Board

hieston · Guest Joined: 08 Nov 2002 Posts: 1

I have purchased a turtle at a festival for my daughter and it appears to be a slider. I have looked at its feet and saw webbing between the claws so does this make it a water turtle? I also wonder if its ok to feed it pork that is cooked since it is obviously young. I have only been feeding it pellets and fruit. I also have not had the temperature up above 75 degrees is that ok? He appears to sleep a lot but seems in good health. I see red behind his ears so obviously he is a red eared slider. Is there anything special I should know about this species turtle?

deesygirl · Moderator Joined: 12 Sep 2002 Posts: 1231

HI and congrats on your new addition. Yes you do have a water turtle. You need to set up a water tank for the baby. Since you are new to turtles you should read the setup and supply, turtle newbie and care sheets on this site. That will give you some basic information.
First things first. Get that baby in water and keep it warm. You want the water no colder than 75. You need a good basking area that should be about 85.
Stay away from the pork. Try some dried shrimp, worms, and cooked chicken. They like veggies like carrot peels and romaine lettuce. Good luck and please check out the info pages here.
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http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

Wu-Gwei · Level 3 Joined: 18 Oct 2002 Posts: 194

I agree with deesygirl... the RES (red eared slider) will need clean water. You should buy a filter or else you\'ll have to do water changes every second day. Dirty water can cause a lot of problems. The water can be as deep as you like. Make sure you have a basking spot with a basking light. You may use a rock (make sure you scrub it clean and let it bake in the sun) and a regular lamp will do for a basking lamp (40-60 watts). The RES will need UVB light. You may purchase a full spectrum UV light (by itself or combine with a basking light, which is more costly). Or you can take you turt outside for some sunning - natural UV light once or twice a week. The UVB will produce VitD to help absorb the Calcium.

I think deesygirl covered food pretty well. Low fat is good and pellets should be the staple diet. Leave out the greasy foods. Do check this website or others for some caersheets. Welcome to the world of turtles...

Cheers,
JJ Smile

Krysta · Level 1 Joined: 24 Nov 2002 Posts: 20

Gravel at the bottom of your tank will help keep it cleaner. You should clean it out when it gets pretty dirty though, because babies are much more vulnerable to eye infections. To keep that under control, just make sure you check if his eyes get puffy or he/she closes them a lot. A vet can take care of an infection easily. Remember that fruits and veggies ferment. If your turtle leaves some food behind, remove it or your tank could get a bubbly, frothy look, and may smell bad. Good luck with your new turtle!
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My babies:
Yoshi, Lui, Penny, Paco, Aurora, Vedel, Goe, Mase, Mr.Pebbles, Trash, Snorkle, Qbert, and Phil .