General Care Discussion :: New Owner - So Many Questions.

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:01 pm   New Owner - So Many Questions.

I'm going to be taking on a red-eared slider soon (next Monday, to be exact) and i'm still confused/lost on some of the care and or supplies. I hope you guys don't mind the incoming WOT. Hope it makes sense, I tend to ramble.

So basic overview: the turtle is tiny. Only about an inch and a half long. I plan on housing it in an old 40g breeder.

1. Can the turtle drown? Amidst my research I read various articles that turtles under four inches can drown. Is this true? Because of this i thought I would give him/her five inches of water in the 40g B and as time progressed, add more water. Is this an okay plan? Or can I go ahead and fill the whole thing?

2. How old does a turtle have to be in order to be adequately sexed?

3. How long do I wait to let the turtle settle in before visiting the vet? I have a vet that treats exotics that I take my hamster to. I figured I would go ahead and take him in as soon as I could to get a good physical assessment and start a patient history.

4. Do I have to condition the water? This is probably super stupid. I had a fish as a kid and I thought they just needed any water so I used faucet water and it was then I learned that you have to condition water for fish. Rip fishy. But are turtles the same? Do turtles also need their water to be conditioned or do I just use tap water? If I do need to condition the water, which product do you recommend?

5. What lamps do I use for basking?

Those are all the questions I have for now. Hope to hear from you guys.
KiwiMango
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 12:40 am   Re: New Owner - So Many Questions.

1 - any turtle can drown. Two situations that can cause drowning is getting stuck in the filter intake or getting stuck in a decoration (like a small cave/tunnel)

2 - size is more useful to determine gender... at 4" long, a male RES should be exhibiting sexual features/characteristics

3 - it's probably not necessary, but maybe useful to assess the vet. This might be helpful: http://www.redearslider.com/choose_vet.html

4 - you don't have to BUT you might consider using activated carbon. once you start using large canister filters (where beneficial bacteria will colonize), you should be using it.

5 - I personally use a Philips PAR30L halogen bulb, though you will have a lot of options. Make sure you get a good fixture!
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 3:21 pm   Re: New Owner - So Many Questions.

steve wrote:1 - any turtle can drown. Two situations that can cause drowning is getting stuck in the filter intake or getting stuck in a decoration (like a small cave/tunnel)

2 - size is more useful to determine gender... at 4" long, a male RES should be exhibiting sexual features/characteristics

3 - it's probably not necessary, but maybe useful to assess the vet. This might be helpful: http://www.redearslider.com/choose_vet.html

4 - you don't have to BUT you might consider using activated carbon. once you start using large canister filters (where beneficial bacteria will colonize), you should be using it.

5 - I personally use a Philips PAR30L halogen bulb, though you will have a lot of options. Make sure you get a good fixture!


Ooh okay. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. In regards to no.1 does that mean I can fill up as much as the 40g breeder tank as possible and worry about the small 1.5" turtle drowning? You know, as long as I don't have decorations that could pose a danger and keep an eye on the filter.
KiwiMango
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Gender: Female

Post Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 9:38 pm   Re: New Owner - So Many Questions.

I would make sure that the basking area is easy to get on and some people sometimes add a second area where a small turtle can hang on to. I think a soap dish with suction cups was a popular idea. You can gradually raise water levels to see how well he does. What kind of filter do you think you will get?

Low water levels can actually be pretty dangerous if a turtle flips over and can't right itself. Either way, a healthy turtle shouldn't have a problem swimming.
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male


Return to General Care Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests