General Care Discussion :: Hi, can anyone help?

[KoopaXD]

Ok..I'm pretty new to the whole taking care of red eared sliders..

When I brought it from chinatown..the guy said to put it in cold water..and that's what I did.
But after that..my turtle hardly ever ate anything..and it always looked as if it's out of energy.
After awhile..I searched online and asked around about water temperatures..they said it has to be around 70-80 degrees..

So today, I got an aquarium heater. I was about to get a heating lamp..but when I asked the person in the pet store..he said we don't really need it if our room termperature's pretty warm..and also, since spring's coming..the guy said we wouldn't need it..

But I'm still really concerned about my turtle..is the heating lamp really necessary? I also heard it's for basking..o.o;?

Can anyone help? ><;;

[TheComputerGremlin]

Yes!! You need a basking lamp and a second lamp to output UVB rays. The basking lamp can be a regular incandescent bulb, the UVB one, you should look for a 5% UVB bulb at a pet store. Oh, and first rule of thumb dealing with turtles, NEVER LISTEN TO STORE EMPLOYEES. It's rare that you find one that knows what they're talking about. But we all know lots, so post questions! What's your tank setup like? Post pictures, everyone loves seeing new turtle photos. What's your turtle's name?

You want the water to be ~76-80 degrees, so a water heater is recommended, even during the summer. The water heater will kick on when needed. The basking area is needed to allow the turtle to completely dry out, it's necessary to help regulate their bodies. And the UVB rays are needed to convert calcium (which they get from diet and cuttlebone) to vitamin D. Also, you don't want to rely on the weather and keep your tank away from the sunlight, else it will grow yucky algae. Post more questions if you need to! We're happy to help!

[BullDog]

Yes, a heat lamp of some sorts is necessary. Your RES needs to get his body temperature warmer than the water which helps him digest his food. However, you don't need a "heat lamp" per-say. A regular incandescent bulb would be sufficient. Just make sure the basking temperature is about 10 degrees warmer than the water temp (so low to mid 90's).
However, you will also need a UVB light. You can get these in compact fluorescents which fit in a regular light bulb socket or the tube kind that fit in aquarium hoods. You can also get an MVB (mercury vapour bulb) if your tank is 55 gallons or larger. MVBs combine heat and uvb, so you only need 1 bulb.

If you haven't already, be sure to read through the main site (redearslider.com) for all the information for giving your RES the best care

[KoopaXD]

Oh..I see, thank you! ^^
My turtle's name is Koopa..haha XD
So..for the basking lamp, I can use a regular incandescent bulb? ..and UVB..I'm not sure if the current light I have is a UVB..
Well..the light is almost out..so I'm going to buy a new one really soon..

and I'll post pictures tomorrow..I have to go to sleep now -__-;

Oh..and 2 more question..><;
My water heater..I put it on around 76ish..but the water isn't getting any warmer..so I put it up a little more..but it still isn't getting warmer :O
Would that be a problem from the water heater?..
and..why won't Koopa eat like other RES? ..is it because it's still a baby?

[KoopaXD]

Yes, a heat lamp of some sorts is necessary. Your RES needs to get his body temperature warmer than the water which helps him digest his food. However, you don't need a "heat lamp" per-say. A regular incandescent bulb would be sufficient. Just make sure the basking temperature is about 10 degrees warmer than the water temp (so low to mid 90's).
However, you will also need a UVB light. You can get these in compact fluorescents which fit in a regular light bulb socket or the tube kind that fit in aquarium hoods. You can also get an MVB (mercury vapour bulb) if your tank is 55 gallons or larger. MVBs combine heat and uvb, so you only need 1 bulb.

If you haven't already, be sure to read through the main site (redearslider.com) for all the information for giving your RES the best care

Ah, I see
Then I still need to get a UVB light..mine's kind of dead. -_-
and thanks!

[TheComputerGremlin]

So, basking light, yeah, regular incandescent, wattage will depend on how close you have it to the basking area, I think mine is a 60 watt bulb and it's about 6 inches away and putting off ~95 degrees in the immediate light area, so you might have to work with the bulb to find a good temp.

UVB, I have the Exo Terra Repti Sun UVB 26W 5.0 compact bulb from PetSmart, they are like $17 and last for 8-10 months. You can probably find them cheaper on sale or online, I was just desperate to get my turt set up.

Water heater, sometimes you can have too much water for the heater or you might just have a bad heater. I have ~30 gallons of water in a 40 gallon tank with a 200W heater, it can get the water up to 80 degrees on it's max setting. If your tank is much larger, you can go with a higher wattage or multiple heaters.

And what do you mean "eat like other RES"? Do you mean veggies or pellets? Veggies are an acquired habit, just keep trying and eventually he'll eat them. As for pellets, if he doesn't like a particular brand, just try another til you find one he likes. And don't give him "junk food" like treats or krill or fish often, else he'll become spoiled and stop eating pellets! Yikes! Lots to take in, I know, but it gets easier!

[SpotsMama]

On the water temp (and the basking temp too, for that matter), the only way to tell if it's heated correctly is to measure it with a thermometer. Have you tried this? You can get an inexpensive thermometer at the pet store. Correct temp is very important because a turtle that's too cool is susceptible to disease and won't eat right.

When I feel my turtle's water, it feels very cool to me. But when I measure the temp with a thermometer, it's around 73 degrees which is an ok temp for a grown turtle (but too cool for a little one). On the other hand, when I've been outside in the cold, the same turtle water feels very warm to me because my hands are cold. That's just an example of how it's impossible to tell whether the temps are right without checking with a thermometer.

[KeithBT]

so all together u haft to get a bulb that sends out heat like UVA and one that sends out UVB (both at the same time) and u can use any bulb that sends out heat as long as its ten degress more than the RIGHT water temperature and I recamend a 5.0 UVB bulb

[KoopaXD]

Thanks everyone =)
I just got an incandecent light for the basking area..and there's no time for the UVB light today..but my dad's going to help me get it somewhere this week..it's ok if it's not there right away, right?

and what I meant by ''eating like other RES'', is that..it's not eating lol
When I put in the pellets in..it doesn't eat. I thought it might be too big? ..but SpotsMama also answered that it also might be because of the water temperature.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I'd say that your turtle can go for at least a week without UVB with no major worries, just the next time you can get out, the sooner, the better. And yeah, bump up your temps and your turtle should start eating again.

[KoopaXD]

ooh, ok thanks =]

and..sorry to ask again, but when red eared sliders bask..do they do it a certain way? o_o
'cause mines always sit there and one if his hind legs are always up.
and right now..both of his hind legs are up. o_o;
is that normal? lol ><;

[marisa]

Tjey have no "set" way of basking, but when they extend their legs, it's to get more of the warmth---it's normal. My RES will do that and sometimes twist his legs so that the undersides of his hind feet are facing the light.

[KoopaXD]

Tjey have no "set" way of basking, but when they extend their legs, it's to get more of the warmth---it's normal. My RES will do that and sometimes twist his legs so that the undersides of his hind feet are facing the light.

Oh..I see now lol

[KeithBT]

ooh, ok thanks =]

and..sorry to ask again, but when red eared sliders bask..do they do it a certain way? o_o
'cause mines always sit there and one if his hind legs are always up.
and right now..both of his hind legs are up. o_o;
is that normal? lol ><;

ya its totally normal if you look at Photo Gallery and look at peoples pics of their RESs basking its normal but some usually don't let there owners take pics of them basking, it takes time