im reasonably certain that in the near future ill be taking in a red eared slider that's been through consecutive Not Great situations - first, at a school where it was apparently left to die by teachers and students over a break, and then in the home of its well meaning rescuer.
im not sure of the sex of the turtle currently, or its overall health. the setup it has right now isnt great, but also not the worst. it has plenty of hides and a place to bask but the water is shallow and i think its being fed a diet consisting solely of pellets.
the tank size isnt bad. from my guesstimation, it's probably 50 or so gallons. in the future im going to attempt to upgrade it.
when i get the turtle, itll come with everything it has now - tank, filter, heater, hides, lamp, food, ramp, and of course the turtle. im planning on buying several thermometers to make sure his setup stays at okay temperatures.
i also keep fish and so have some prior knowledge on aquatics and also the supplies to treat the water, but have never kept a reptile before.
now that the background info is out of the way, i have some questions. ive been doing research for a while now but am still fuzzy on some things.
1.would unfertilized organic potting soil make an okay substrate?
2.what's the best diet to feed him, and on what days should i feed what?
3.whats the best bulb to put into his basking lamp?
4.can i take him outdoors to bask for a few hours each day? if i did that and let him wander around in the ditch behind my home (which is full of frogs and newts and tadpoles and also sometimes box turtles) would he be okay?
5.can i feed him tadpoles? because i have 2 pools full.
6.would it need a basking place that was kept cool to help regulate temperature?
also, since i live in a place where the turtles have a natural population and he was most likely wild caught, could i not just keep him in an outdoor setup (the setup would be filtered and kept clean, ofc) and leave it at that or put him in a friend's pond? after he was back to full health, of course, and i or my friend would still be feeding him.
i probably have more questions but i think for now this should be it. thank you!