Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: 1st time owning a pet turtle

[Squirt2012]

This is the 1st time I have ever owned a pet turtle. He or She not sure if male or female was givin to my daughter as a Christmas gift. I currently have Squrit in a 5 gallon tank he/she has trippled in size since he was given to us on Christmas day. I have a heat lamp and a UVB lamp as well a basking spot and a filter system. I currently am feeding him/her zoo med. I recently noticed he/she is loosing the red color on the side of his/her head. Is this normal? I also could use any tips on the proper care of our Squrit and what you all find the most useful ans easy way to clean the tank. I need to upgrade to a large tank soon. Money is very tight in my current situation as well so if you have any saving tips on that I would appriciate them as well. I will post a picture of him/her soon. I'm getting ready to change tank water, even with the curent filter I'm changing it once a week.

[mantis]

sound to me like you have the right idea on how to improve. not sure on the red fading. i know someone will have an idea on that. and as far as cleaning a small tank, its always been a pain for me. my big tanks are easy in my opinion. look on creigslist for cheap tanks. and welcome

[devilduck]

Welcome!

[swiltz]

For easy cleaning. Obtain a canister filter that is rated for 3 times the size of the appropriate housing for your turtle. (10 gallons per inche of straight shell length)
The canister filter would keep the water quality pristine..and monthly water changes would only be required
Owning a good sturdy canister filter would indeed be a well-worth investment for all turtle owners!

[steve]

Welcome to the site! How big is Squirt? Can you post a picture of his "ears"?

[The Troops]

Welcome!!
Tripling in size since Dec and loosing the color in her ears sounds like Squirt is being overfed a bit. Rule of thumb, feed them about how much would fit in their head as if it was hollow. They will bug you for food and eat what you give them until they get sick!.. and still want more. Also, Red Shrimp helps them keep their color and restore it. Use it as a every other 2 day thing. Dont just feed then one thing either. I have an extensive list of the different foods I feed my guys.