General Care Discussion :: Hello Everyone! Newbie in need of tips!

[NewTurtleMommy]

Greetings all!

I just acquired one of these turtles yesterday. My nephews girlfriend was going to put her in some random pond because her mom wouldnt let her have it anymore. I said I would take it for my son. (I know the dangers with children, hes not really going to be handling her, just watching her swim and whatnot) Hes 7 and I think he will enjoy it. I have him every other week right now, and it will be a treat for him to have a pet in his room So, I will definitely be the main caregiver. The girl that had her before definitely did not treat her well. She was in a very small tank, no heat lamp and was barely cleaned out.

We went to Petsmart today and got a 10 gallon tank, a 50 watt heat lamp, etc. Here are some pics.







Am I doing good so far? I have the water filled halfway, and have a floating rock in there for her to get up on. I have the heat lamp right on that.

Should I get a filter at all? How long do I keep the heat lamp on for?

Any other tips would be great because I am a total newbie and I want to take the best care of her, especially since she wasnt taken care of before. Thanks!

[missibsu]

The best way to get some advice is to read through the forums and the main site. But for now, here are some things to get you going:

remove the gravel. It's a pain to clean, and you turt can eat it leading to a number of other issues.

You will need a UVB light as well as the heat light that you have. For the UVB light you will have to remove the screen that you have. It will filter out the needed rays. Leave the lights on for 8-12 hours a day...make it like it would be in the wild.

A filter would be a good thing...remember one that is one rated for 3 times the size of the tank. It will definitately keep you from cleaning the tank so often.

Keep in mind that the tank you have isn't going to last you too long. 10 gallons per inch of straight length shell. Before you purchase a filter, think about the upgrades you are going to have to make in the future. It's better to plan ahead and get as much as you can. It will save money in the long run. No need in having a 10 gallon tank, then a 30, then a 50, then a 75. If you can skip some of those steps it always helps.

Also, be sure you know what your water temp is. For a hatchling, 78 is ok, and the about 75 for an older turt. The basking area should be 10 degrees warmer.

What are you feeding your turt? For extra calcium you can feed cuttlebone. It's foundin the bird section. Also, the sooner you can start veggies, the easier it is to get them to eat it.

Good luck, and ask if you have any other questions.

[NewTurtleMommy]

This may or may not be a good assumption, but I dont think that she eats the gravel. Her previous owner had her for 6 months and had the gravel. Thats why I just assumed that I needed it because she already had it.

The only reason I really wanted the screen was because of my son, but if I drill it into his head that no fingers should go in there, I can take the screen off.
Yeah, I was going to look into the UVB.

Im definitely getting a filter after I get paid, that is for sure LOL

Yeah, I knew that it wouldnt last long. I just didnt have that much money right now, but wanted to get her out of the crap that she was in. The tank was only $20 so its no biggie.

Will get a therm.

Well right now, just the food pellets that the previous owner gave me, but I do plan on giving her the other items.

Thanks, I really do appreciate it. I feel like I dont know what Im doing, but I knew that I do love animals and didnt want her released into a pond somewhere.

[steve]

A lot of people who use gravel don't suspect that their turtles eat it. They also may not eat it deliberately but it happens more often than not. I've read once that a keeper found pooped out rocks months after they had removed it from the tank.

How big is the turtle? The shells looks slightly more curved that what I have seen previously (though I mainly look at hatchlings )

Once you get the temperatures, diet, basking, UVB, screen issues done, you can rest abit There is some basic info on this printable page: http://www.redearslider.com/res-guide.pdf

[melnez]

When you get the cuttlebone (if you get the cuttlebone) don't forget to pick off the hard backing.
I also found as a nice subsitute of gravel is river rocks or just big rocks. Mine were cheap (aka free), I just went on an "adventure" outside with my friends and found some rocks out in the mud, brought them back, and cleaned them real well. You could go on an "adventure" with your son, he'll feel involved. Oh, we also got a branch outside for the tank.
Also, I would raise the water level, I know you want to keep it low so your son can't reach but sliders like to swim a lot when their not basking. Just some suggestions. He's cute!

[Andrew7769]

hes a portly little fellow dont have anything else 2 add except collecting rocks with your son is a good idea i do it with my sisters and they like it

[marisa]

Just curious as to how big your turtle is (shell length from the back of the neck to the tail without the curve). Maybe it's just the pic, but he doesn't look that small, and a 10-gallon tank sounds small for him (nice looking turtle, btw).

[NewTurtleMommy]

Thank you all for the suggestions... big rocks would be a heckuva lot easier to clean LOL

I think after I get paid on Wednesday, I will get the filter, therm, etc...
Being a single mommy, I have limited fundage.

Its already starting to smell in there. She was in way worse condition, but I feel bad. She needs a filter.

I will measure her when I re-do the tank and let you all know.

She is a qt

oh and btw thank you Steve, you have a nice site I dont know why her shell is curved. Like I said, she was poorly taken care of, so if its a result of that I wouldnt doubt it.

[steve]

What's "qt"?

She does look good and comfortable. The curve of the shell could be appear larger than it is since she is tucked in

[missibsu]

qt = cutie...they sound the same when said outloud. lol

[steve]

Ohhh.. I think I've reached my limit of acronyms and abbreviations. It's endless!

[fish21]

i know that for most people money is aloways an issue. so what i suggest is you go to wallmart or k mart or any other store that has the word mart in it(LOL) and but the biggist roubermade tub you can find. (usually under 10 bucks) i have about a 40 gallon. then all you have to do is walk to the pet secton of that store that has the word mart in it and buy whisper or whatever brand or filter system they have that has the highest gallon rateing. usually the bigges they go up to is 60 gallon.( usually under 25 bucks. ) then turn around in the same row and look for a bottol of aqua safe (yellow bottel 05 bucks) it takes the chlorine out of the water. then go home and fill the tub with water use the aqua safe hook up the filter. and you are good to go.
oh yha buy a 2$ stick on thermomitor and stick it on the out side of the tub below the water line. this is the advice that was given to me when i got here. and it has worked great for me. oh yha you definatly want to get a avb bulb.

fish

you are in the right place. all the people in here are verry knowledgable and only want the best for you and your little turt.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/ this is a great website to get your supplys. it is cheaper than petsmart.

[hannah.26]

If you are looking for less expensive stuff a lot of time small local pet stores have specials - trying to lure the public away from the superstores I imagine. As long as you know what you need it's great! That's what I learned...spent $100 and then had to return half of it! =) (thank you to everyone on this site who helped be back on the right track!)

that and you can weal and deal a bit which is always fun!

[NewTurtleMommy]

Thank you for the tub idea, I think that when she needs a bigger home I may just do that!

Well I got a filter today that is for use in tanks up to 30 gallons. It was the cheapest one they had. I put it on full blast in there. Also got some Reptisafe to use in the water, because I wasnt too sure about the stuff that the girl had given to me.

Should the smell be under control from now on, or is there something additional that I need to do? She is in my sons room and I dont want it smelling like hell in there all the time for him. (Wow, it smells so similar to cat pee! I used to have 4 cats. I hate that smell!)

She seems really happy now. I took out all the gravel and went out and got some river rocks from my apartment complex. I just put them around the edge of the tank so that she can stand on them. Left the middle of the tank empty. She seems happy

Am I doing good so far???


LOL @ Steve, now that was cute, AND WOW, LOVE YOU ALL! This is the best board ever!

[fish21]

the bigger the tank the less the smell will be. you should do a complete water change once a week if you are going to keep it in the 10 gallon for now. but i strongly recomend the rubermade tub idea. it works great and thats what mine are in. they love it.

fish