General Care Discussion :: Surprise! Here is a new turtle!

[AllisonChains]

Hello to all -

I just recently found myself the proud owner of a slider, I say red 'headed' because I am a redhead.

A little info - Johnny was a present from a friend. My daughter, who is 11, has been wanting a turtle for a long time, but we have waited until I felt we were ready. Well, this friend MADE me ready and didn't let me know of her intentions as this was a SURPRISE birthday present for my daughter.

The most I know is that he (?) may be around a year old and she got him from Petco. We have only had him for maybe 4 or 5 days. The friend did bring the tank, filter, basking rock, food/treats that came in a kit, water conditioner, lamp and all the stuff that he would need. I went to petco and spoke with the lady in his department and she seemed very knowledgeable and was very helpful. She thinks that I have all the better quality equipment. I do need to get a screen and a bigger tank as he is in a 10 gallon right now.

Now, I have learned more about the slider in the past 4 or 5 days than I thought I ever could, so I don't really know what questions I might have. I am extremely excited at having found this website - it has been so helpful and has answered many questions that I have had.

Johnny is in my daughters room and he really is full of personality and seems to love his new home. We are just as fascinated with him as he is with us. We have a wide array of animals ranging from dogs to a hamster and rabbit to now a turtle! We absolutely adore him!

I guess maybe I am just looking for some advice for a first time owner. I want him to be with us for a very long time and I want to make sure I am doing everything I possibly can to keep him safe. I just feel a bit overwhelmed the more I read!

Thank you in advance for any suggestions or advice.

[megcornell]

Welcome to the site! You're smart to start gathering up information before you upgrade Johnny's tank- aquarium equipment is expensive and buying things right the first time can save a lot of money and frustration.
My best advice is to read up on the main requirements of a turtle. In general you'll need UVA and UVB light (although in Texas you can supplement the UVB with sunlight most of the year), a basking area, good filtration, a water heater, and a large tank. Ideally, you'd like 10 gallons per inch of shell and you'll want to keep the water temp at 75F with the basking area about 10F warmer. The wisest thing you can do is buy the largest tank you can right now. That way you're not wasting money with intermediate upgrades from a 10 to a 20 to a 50gallon etc.
Good luck with Johnny and post pictures and questions along the way! Getting a new turtle can be daunting but once they are set up they're such a joy to have.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Hey! Welcome to the wonderful world of turtle-keeping.

Sounds like you have a pretty good start. Do you have a water heater? It is a long glass-tube that stays underwater to help keep the temp. of the water constant. keeping constant water temp. is one of the most important things you can do for your new friend & will help keep his immune system healthy. Likewise, you will want a thermometer so you can check to make sure the water temp stays good. For a small turtle (less than 4" in length), this will mean keeping the temp at around 78-80 degrees F.

Post pics of your set up when you can & we can all help you further!

Best advice I can give you: HAVE FUN & ENJOY your new little friend. They can be so amusing once they get used to their new home.

[AllisonChains]

Thanks!

I do have a few questions - sparked by your replies.

I have one halogen lamp at either 65 or75 watts for his basking area- this is what the clerk recommended. Should that wattage be enough and I also need another lamp? I am looking to get a large plastic tub for taking him outside. I would need to be at home to be certain of the wattage.

I have the Reptofilter water pump that is suctioned to the inside of the tank - says to have 3 filters in one? I know I would probably need a bigger filter for a bigger tank?

Also, you are right - tanks are expensive! I find petsmart a lot higher than petco. I might also look at the feed store and see if they have any, which is where we got the rabbit cage. How long do you think he would be OK in the 10 gallon tank?

The starter kit came with a sulfa block and I had it in his tank, but he either didn't like it or thought it was food as he tried to eat it, so I took it out. Is it OK for him to nibble at it? In reading, I see that there are turtle bones that he could eat for extra calcium. Recommended?

He also came home with some algae spots on his shell, should I be concerned with getting them off and how?

I truly can't thank you guys enough! My daughter and I are so excited to have him and we want to do everything exactly right.

I will definitely post some pictures tonight or tomorrow. We need to measure him and also see if we can determine if he really is a boy!

[Dein211]

I would acctualy try for one with a plastic cover or ust a plastic water heater. their shells are so hard and if that thing cracks you'll have turtle soup instead.

lol pretty much sounds like my situation. My sister's best freind thought i needed a turtle for christmas and turns out she was right!

my best advice is to go and look for a herp vet in your area BEFORE you need one. that way in case of an emergency you know where to go and whatever. turtles contract RI so easily ( not to scare you ) that if its not taken care of asap it will get harder to get rid of and maybe kill your turt.

well anyway congrats on the new turt! and i hope you find him as enjoyable as i found my Rolo!

[TheComputerGremlin]

Well, he can remain in the 10 gallon as long as he can't get stuck or overturned and not be able to get back on his feet. You haven't mentioned size, although if he was purchased in a pet store, I would imagine he's around 4-5". That would mean he'd need at least a 50 gallon tank NOW, but up to 120 gallons later. The bigger you can buy, the better. At the feed store, they should have what's called stock tanks, which are large tanks, kind of like ponds, usually 150 gallons. That will hold him for life, but they are usually dark plastic, so you won't be able to see him inside like the glass aquarium. I wouldn't leave him in the 10 gallon for too long, though, just enough time to get a new tank. Once you breach the 30 gallon tank size, you'll want to look into a canister filter. They are an external filter, they are just awesome, they keep your water crystal clear and not smell. However, they cost a pretty penny, anywhere from 120-250 dollars. But they are worth the investment. The lighting and heating seem cheap compared to the tank and the filter. Look for filters on ebay, namely a Rena XP3 or XP4 or a Fluval FX5, sometimes you can find good deals. Post the price on here if you want us to check if it's reasonable or not. Look for a tank on craigslist or in your local for sale papers, it's spring cleaning time and many people will be wanting to get rid of large tanks for good prices.

The sulfa block, you don't need it and if he eats it, it'll upset his tummy and he may puke or have bad diarrhea, just get rid of it. The calcium blocks they need are called cuttlebone, and you can find them in the BIRD section of pet stores, they are cheap. You just need to cut off the hard backing on the one side of the cuttlebone.

And if you take him outside, you'll need to watch him like a hawk. RES are very fast when they get on the ground, he can disappear quickly, hide under bushes, dig into the ground, or get scooped up by a raccoon or hawk. Even if he's in a tank, predators can get him. Or your neighbor's dog. I wouldn't recommend any trips outside until you are comfortable with him and his setup and have read A LOT about turtles.

[jacqui]

Congratulations and welcome!!
Yiou are doing really well so far.
The more you read the more you learn and this site will have all the answers.
Get the biggest tank you can then make sure you have a filter and heater that
are suited for that size. Sounds like you have a heat lamp. The uva uvb light are really important to keep that shell healthy.
I am in the process of setting up my turtles (Lily and Herman) dream tank. The water goes in tomorrow YAY. It has been an adventure but SO worth it.
Lots of hints tips and pics on the site for ideas too.
Keep up the good work!

[1981camaroz28]

Tanks are expensive but if you look on craigslist you will find great deals. I just bought and 120 Gallon tank with the lights, stand, 2 filters that will cycle the water 800 gallons per hour and a ton of fish related items for $325. It's funny when I came home with my first 120 I thought it was very big after about 3 months I thought it was small we are now looking into a 300+ for our living room. My wife wants to kill me since I grew up with fish tanks my whole life it might be the reason we have 6 up and running now. Almost every room in the house has a tank even the bedrooms. The best advice I think anyone can give is buy the largest tank you can afford and fit. Good luck with your new family member.

Thanks!

I do have a few questions - sparked by your replies.

I have one halogen lamp at either 65 or75 watts for his basking area- this is what the clerk recommended. Should that wattage be enough and I also need another lamp? I am looking to get a large plastic tub for taking him outside. I would need to be at home to be certain of the wattage.

I have the Reptofilter water pump that is suctioned to the inside of the tank - says to have 3 filters in one? I know I would probably need a bigger filter for a bigger tank?

Also, you are right - tanks are expensive! I find petsmart a lot higher than petco. I might also look at the feed store and see if they have any, which is where we got the rabbit cage. How long do you think he would be OK in the 10 gallon tank?

The starter kit came with a sulfa block and I had it in his tank, but he either didn't like it or thought it was food as he tried to eat it, so I took it out. Is it OK for him to nibble at it? In reading, I see that there are turtle bones that he could eat for extra calcium. Recommended?

He also came home with some algae spots on his shell, should I be concerned with getting them off and how?

I truly can't thank you guys enough! My daughter and I are so excited to have him and we want to do everything exactly right.

I will definitely post some pictures tonight or tomorrow. We need to measure him and also see if we can determine if he really is a boy!