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First off, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Rebecca, and I'm new here.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I need some advice.

My boyfriend and I have recently acquired a RES turtle, and honestly, we have no idea how to care for it. I know most people would try to learn that BEFORE getting the turtle, but we didn't buy it or catch it, so much as we rescued it after its owners left it to starve after getting evicted from their apartment.

So... what do I need to know about taking care of the turtle? We've gotten it some floating food sticks, have it in a 40-ish gallon tank, and have set up some rocks so it can get out of the water. What else do we need? I want so much for the poor little guy to be happy and healthy. I don't think it was taken care of very well before its owners left it, and I'd love for it to know comfort.

Thanks, Rebecca.

First. welcome to the forum. Second, congratulations on your new turt. Third, thanks for being responsible and checking on the forum for proper care.

The main website has most of the basic info on what you need for a habitat. http://www.redearslider.com/index_habitat.html
You're going to want an aquarium heater for the water. viewtopic.php?f=9&t=31234

For the basking area (the land area you've created with rocks), you'll need heat, UVA and UVB. The cheapest way to do that is two bulbs in clamp lights. The clamp lights you can get in the reptile section of any petstore, OR you can get the generic silver ones from the hardware store for considerably less. A regular incandescent light bulb will produce uva and heat. You'll need a special UVB bulb from the reptile section of the petstore for the UVB. The easiest is one of those CFL (twisty style) bulbs that is labeled UVB 5.0. Shine both lights at the basking area for about 8 hours a day. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10

You'll need a thermometer. You want the water temperature to be about 76-78 and the basking temperature (adjust the height of the bulb) to be about 88-90.

You'll need really good filtration. This is probably the single biggest expense for keeping an aquatic turtle. Do NOT go by the ratings for filter sizes printed on the packaging. That's for fish... your turtle will produce a LOT more waste than fish. Follow this guide or ask on this forum if you have filtration questions... viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

Also, if your turtle has been neglected by the previous owner, post a few pictures on this forum of top / bottom / front / back. A quick visual inspection may help you identify any "issues" that need to be addressed from previous neglect. As always, nothing beats a visit to a qualified herp vet to assess the turtle's heath.

Welcome to the site! VeipaCray covered everything

How big is your turtle?

Thank you for your advice, VeipaCray.

My boyfriend and I got a heater, a thermometer, and a filter, but we ran into a small problem. The aquarium cracked at the bottom. It's a large crack, too. We think we might have put too much weight in it. Is there a good substitute for real rocks that I could make the turtle a basking area out of? Something lighter?

Oh, and the turtle is rather large. Bigger than my boyfriend's hand. 7 inches, maybe?

Cork bark is simple and can be wedged between the glass sides. A floating turtle dock is another easy way to go. Both of those are usually available in the reptile section of most pet stores.

As for your tank, the large crack is no good. You'll either need to replace the tank or replace the glass panel if you're handy. For the bottom of the tank, pool filter sand or play sand are inexpensive and work very well. Both are available at your local hardware store.

My boyfriend might be able to replace the glass. He fixes things for a living. If not, I guess we'll just have to buy a new tank. I'm hoping to get all of this done soon, as the poor little turtle is not very happy in its storage tub And I'll look into the cork bark or a turtle dock

Another question. Its shell is peeling by "tile", I suppose. I'm not sure what to call the little sections of the shell. Its skin is peeling, too. Is that bad?

"scutes" is the term. Turtles do shed scutes and shed skin - both are normal. What is your water temperature?

Not very warm :/ I've tried to keep it heated up as well as I can, but without a heater, I can really only get the water to room temperature.