All Turtles Message Board

Rocky_220 · Level 1 Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 10

I have a Red Eared Slider turtle, he is a hatchling but now he's big, about 4 1/2 inches, he has a Cascade filter, I'm not sure what model though because the sticker came off.Some gravel, a rock to bask on, and a heat lamp.A 17'' long tank (don't know how to say it in gallons).He also has three little statues, I cleaned them before I put them in the tank.He is on pellets also.Does he have the right setup? Please reply!

Rachel16 · Level 3 Joined: 18 Jul 2007 Posts: 351

does the tank have a cut in the side?
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Storm_Rider · Level 2 Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 99

sounds a bit small at only 17" long? that's like what, a 5.5gallon aquarium? i'm just assuming though since i don't have the other dimensions, but i do have a 5.5gallon tank.

so far sounds fine though, what do you feed?

Rocky_220 · Level 1 Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 10

[/quote]so far sounds fine though, what do you feed?

I feed him pellets.

punkflash54 · Level 2 Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 73

if the tank is only 5.5 gallons it is way too small! a good rule of thumb to follow is 10 gallons per every inch of turtles. it doenst have to be done like that but the more water the better! and RES will get very big...as a full gown RES it would probably need at least an 100 gallon tank. right now being a small turtle, you could probably used a 40 gallon breeder or a 55gal tank. do you have a uvb light?
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Rocky_220 · Level 1 Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 10

maratheartist · Level 1 Joined: 28 Sep 2007 Posts: 13

That bulb sounds huge. I use a 2W ReptiGlo bulb in a clamp light fixture. You can get them in 2W, 5W, and 8W made specifically for reptiles and getting them the nutrients that need to remain active, hungry, and with the proper vitamins. Rolling Eyes

Jdude101 · Level 3 Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 191 Location: Georgia

actually that is not the right bulb, you need a heat lamp, not an incandescnt bulb, well you need both, sorry. you need to also get a 50-100W heat bulb

Fred_and_George · Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject:

Okay, for the sake of not confusing you anymore:

Yes, you need a big tank. The other dimensions of your tank would help us to determine how big it actually its (height, width, and length)

You need a UVA and a UVB bulb. Both are equally important and your UVA bulb will be the one you use for basking (it puts out enough heat). these are both available in the reptile section of your pet store. they are relatively inexpensive but you have to make sure that you change the UVB often enough (it should tell you on the box)

How small is the gravel? If it is normal aquarium pebbles then its not good. Your turtle might eat the pebbles and then cause all sorts of intestinal problems.

Do you have a heater for the water? the water needs to be kept at about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, (I'm not exactly what that is in Celsius, but most thermometers have both so you can compare)

You also need a basking area. You can buy floating turtle docks that stick right to the side of your tank. Your basking light (the UVA one) should be pointed towards it, but not too close or you could burn your turtle.

I would suggest looking at the resources on this site
http://www.allturtles.com/setup/indoorWT.php
and perhaps doing some research on your own. There are some pictures of some really good tanks here: http://www.allturtles.com/msgboard/topic6065.html

I hope this helps.
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