General Care Discussion :: baby turtles i don't know how to care for.

[rufus306]

A friend recently rescued two baby Red Eared Sliders, and I live near a vetrenary college, so I took the turtles to see if they would take them, problem is, the only reason they would take them would be to rehabilitate them and send them back to the wild, yet, they are not native to the state of massachusetts, so they couldn't do that. I said I would take care of them, but I am really clueless. I don't want to give them to a pet store because they might get sold to someone who would try to release them into the wild again. And I don't know anyone who would care as much as me. What's the first thing I should do to take care of these turtles? I have them under a heat lamp during the day and a UV lamp during the night time, in a small plastic container with some room temp water I change frequently. I also have food for them, but no dry place to put it in the container. I've tried reading the care sections on this website, but they seem to be for someone who has prep time. which at this point I do not. So I suppose my question is what is the first thing I should buy for them?

[jenaero]

I'd say the first 2 things would be a tank, 40 gallons would probably give you a good start, and a basking dock. Read over the care sheet and put the rest of it together as you have the time and money.

[megcornell]

Well, it sounds like you have the lights and the food situation under wraps. For the lights, both the UVA and UVB should be on during the day, and then 12 hours of dark.
Along with the tank and basking dock the next best thing to buy is a water heater, they are inexpensive and are very important in terms of maintaining turtle health.
If you cannot afford a tank, look into a rubbermaid bin for the time being. They aren't made for water so they cannot be filled as high as a tank could be (and you need to keep an eye out for signs of wear in the corners), but they are a cheap way to increase the space for your new turtles.

[rufus306]

About what amount of water is optimal for a 40 gallon container with two turtles this small?

[megcornell]

If by container you mean the rubbermaid I suggested, I'd fill it as high as you can without the sides starting to bow out under the strain. The colored ones tend to be stronger than the clear ones I believe. If it were me, I'd buy two and double them up for extra support and in case one has a tiny leak. Some people have built braces to help support them, if you're handy you may want to try that.

If you're talking about a fish tank, fill it roughly half-way and see how well the turtles do. You can continue to gradually add water as they get more acclimated.

In either case, make sure you pick up some floating plants in addition to the basking dock. The plants will give the turtles someplace to rest if they get fatigued.

[marisa]

Actually, depending on how the bottom is constructed, doubling up on the Rubbermaids doesn't do much for strength---I once tried that. Most Rubbermaids don't fit exactly into one another---there's a space between the bottoms. Adding water puts pressure on the interior one's bottom, and the gap between it and the one it's in will cause the bottom to crack faster.

I'd fill the Rubbermaid (or similar container about half full (they're small and don't need to have it filled really full for now). You can build a frame to place it in if your handy to support the sides if you add more water depth. Some people have cut holes in the sides and added PVC pipe width-wise to help keep the sides from bowing out. That said, I've always found the problem to eventually be leaking from the bottoms, since they eventually cracked from the weight of the water.

[Dormant]

i have a baby red eared slider and i haven't filled the tank up more than three or four tenths of the way up. when it was filled half way my turtle seemed to have a lot of trouble swimming...i think he was scared.

i'd just fill it up about three or four inches and see how they handle that first off, gradually increase so they can become comfortable over time.

[mikee]

rufus -- The water line should be about 2/3rds full. You will want to make room and space for a basking area. You will need a filter that will exchange the water 5 times per hour. Keep your water at 78 degrees with an aquarium water heater. Make sure that it is protected from the turtles. You can fine some with plastic outer shell that is "unbreakable" or nearly unbreakable. This is a start. OH! Don’t forget your lighting. UVB and UVA and such!!