Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Will be purchasing a RES tomorrow

[Billy Black]

Tomorrow morning, I'll be going to the pet store to pick up an aquarium and all the othe equipment I'll be needing (heat lamp, basking area, etc.). Then, if I can get everything set up properly with the correct temperature, I'll be heading back over to the pet store to pick up a turtle!

I'm pretty excited. I haven't owned a pet since my hamsters when I was younger. My brother had some turtles for a while, so I pretty much know what I'm getting into.

Is there anything to know before I pick up the supplies? Any brands to avoid, etc? Any help is appreciated.

[Kallistos]

I don't reccomend gettin the turtle the same day. You want to make sure the water temperature and the basking temperature is pefect before putting the turtle in.

[Billy Black]

I'm going to go out first thing in the morning to get the tank, and I'm hoping that by night time I'll be ready to pick him up. Of course, if things aren't perfect, I can wait until the next day.

[missibsu]

I would just warn you that a lot of pet store people don't know a lot about turtles...so don't trust them on everything that they tell you.

Size of tank should be 10 gallons of water per inch. Some believe that only an inch or two of water is ok...

Make sure that the light you get is UVB and not just a 'basking' light. It should say that it has between 7-10% UVB. For heat, you can use a regular household bulb, don't let them fool you into some expensive reptile bulb.

Don't get aquarium gravel. I don't know how many times I've heard people say that the people at the store told them to get it. Petsmart even has it on the list of things that you need.

A decent filter is also a must. Most filters are made for fish, and RES are messier. A filter that is rated at least 3 times the size of your tank will help you in the long run.

Also, in terms of tank size. The larger you can go now, the less money you waste. It will save on costly upgrades more frequently. The bigger the tank, the easier it will be to maintain temp and cleanliness.

That's all I can think of right now.

[Billy Black]

I'm probably gonna head over there soon. My dresser is 36 1/2 inches by 15 1/2 inches, which I believe only gives me room for a thirty gallon tank. Is that enough for one turtle? Since you can't buy turtles under 4 inches, I guess I should be aiming for at least forty gallons.

In a year, I'll be moving into my own apartment (sharing one right now), so I'll have plenty of room then to buy whatever size tank I need. And hopefully I'll also have the money to do that. Do they grow much in a year?

[missibsu]

After the first year, a good rule of thumb for growth is about an inch a year.

For a bigger tank, you can always sit it on the floor. Be aware of drafts and all of that, but it's better than nothing if it means you can get a bigger tank.

[Billy Black]

So I just got back from Petco, and they have some RES in stock (they didn't last time I went), but there was a sign saying that they weren't for sale. I asked someone there, and he told me that they got an email yesterday saying that it is illegal to sell ANY red ear sliders in the state of Virginia.

So... what do I do now? The only other place I can think of to get them is PetSmart, but they didn't have any in stock. I live in a pretty small town, so there aren't that many places to choose from.

[turtlesrock77]

I live in Virginia also, and have not heard of that law. I live near Richmond, but I called all the local pet stores and only one store has them but they were 6" and $30 each (not quite what I wanted), so I ordered online from www.reptilecity.com. They should be arriving soon because I ordered on Wednesday. If I recieve mine and they are healthy, I'll let you know. If you've tried all the options, you may want to start thinking about ordering online. Someone else may be able to correct me if I'm wrong.

[Billy Black]

I just remembered a smaller pet store in the area. I'm gonna stop by to see if they have any, and if they know anything about this supposed law. If not, I guess I'll order online. How long does it take for them to ship it, and is it really safe for the turtle to do that?

[Billy Black]

The other pet store didn't have turtles...

That website, reptilecity.com, seems to be out of stock on most turtles. Are there any other ways to get my hands on one?

[Billy Black]

Nevermind, I just saw on that website where they have them. Thank you for that. Hopefully now I can get a turtle...

[turtlesrock77]

Yeah, they seem to be one of the best dealers on the web.... I also heard good things about www.turtlepimp.com but I couldn't find RES's on there.

[CountryGirl68]

Billy, you should look into adopting a turtle from a rescue place in Virginia. I don't know if there are any near you, but you might want to check out the Virginia Reptile Rescue:

http://www.vareptilerescue.org

They would also be able to give you more information about turtles if you have any questions, such as this supposed law of it being illegal to sell turtles in VA. Or they may be able to tell you of a place near you where you can adopt a turtle.

Size of tank should be 10 gallons of water per inch. Some believe that only an inch or two of water is ok...

I also wanted to clarify here what Missibsu said. Although some petstores think it is okay to keep the turtle in 2 inches of water, they are wrong. The turtle needs sufficient water to swim in. I know that's what Missibsu meant, but I wasn't sure if you understood it that way or not.

Good luck in getting your turtle. Just be sure to read through all the sticky's throughout. Many long time turtle owners have suddenly realized they didn't have all the fact until it was too late.

[missibsu]

Thanks CountryGirl68! Sometimes what makes sense to me doesn't to others. I also agree whole heartedly about adopted an unwanted RESS from the rescue center. There are so many RES out there that people don't want and it would be a great rescue!