General Care Discussion :: New red ear

[Rune]

Hi, I obtained a baby red ear from my mom, she was getting her hair done at the salon, and when she came out, she saw a baby turtle walking on the sidewalk. The place is no where near water, so she decided to take him home. I would have put him back, but again, no water. The little guy was about the size of a 50 cent piece. I have never owned a red ear before, and I have had him about a month now, and I need to ask what to do. I looked up the basic care, but I just wanna get approval.
He is in a 10 or 15 gallon tank.. I think 10.
We feed him about 10 pellets a day of baby red ear turtle food.
He has one of those crappy compacts, Im getting tube next time.
He has a 40 or 50 watt basking bulb, and room temperture is about 72. So..
He has no night bulb/heater. When I turn his lights on, the water feels like ice. Even when the lights are on, it still feels cold.
His tank has About 3 inches of water, a floating dock with suction cups, and some rocks.
I think I should get a timer, since we turn his lights on whenever. Can range anywhere from 9am to 12 pm..
Am I doing things right? Thank you.
(Also we are planning to release him when he gets big, is that ok?)

[steve]

Hi, welcome to the site.

10 pellets might be a little too much for a hatchlings. What kind/brand are you using? You also need a submersible water heater and a filter. As for releasing him, thats a no. A captive turtle should not be released.