General Care Discussion :: I had to help it.

[alabamasummer]

I was at this flea market like thing and they were selling red ear sliders, little babies, in glass jars, the water was pink from the red fish tank gravel. I knew that this was so wrong and I bought one... I immediately took him home and placed him in a large tupperware container with natural rocks I made sure they were all bigger than his head at least. I have been doing a lot of research on the internet about these guys but the question I have is, will this little guy be able to live in my pond when spring rolls around he is only 1.5 inches wide right now. or what would your best suggestion be?... I just couldn't stand the way these poor turtles were treated I also noticed that these guys did not give me any basic care instructions or warned me about salmonnella which I already knew about because I had known some people with red sliders. Now I am rambling...

[steve]

It's possible the pond will be OK, but we'll need more details about it - size, location, depth, fencing, filtration, weather, etc.

[alabamasummer]

The weather here is usually pretty warm 70's-90's gets rainy in the winter but hardly frosts. the pond pretty large, gets to be about 6 or 7 feet deep after the rains (it shrinks down to about a foot deep by the end of the summer) it's a natural pond it has no filtration system it's location is pretty much in the wild its just me and my house out here. I have witnessed other turtles out there but they are gone now it contains little fish and even smaller frogs...I could also take him to a creek.

[alabamasummer]

Oh if you wanted a more specifc location up in the hills near Wetumpka Alabama.

[Love of Animals]

Your RES would be vulnerable to predators. Keeping him inside for the winter and putting him in the pond would tame him to the extent of being even more vulnerable. Are RES native to your area? I'm also wondering why there aren't anymore turtles in the pond? Putting him in the pond does not look good for him.