General Care Discussion :: 2 Tiny 2" Red Eared Sliders

[Grandma]

I have recently been left to care for my 6 year old grandson and 2 - 2" shell red eared sliders. My daughter (my grandson's mother), has gotten into trouble and is going away for a long while. That is all I'm going to say about that. The only reason I am telling you at all is because I am an avid saltwater reef keeper and I DO UNDERSTAND the importance of having what an animal needs BEFORE getting the animal. AND I can only imagine the tongue lashing I would receive if you guys somehow thought I chose to end up with these turtles.

Thanks for understanding.

These turtles are SO small! I don't know where my daughter got them from originally. I thought they had to be 4" to be sold as pets? My grandson and I keep debating about him handling them. I say they are to young... He says "Mom used to let me". I say they can give you salmonella poisoning... He says "I've been holding them for months". I ask what do they eat... He says "Nothing". Can they give him salmonella poisoning? If not I can supervise his handling of them to make sure they are not harmed. And would limit the amount of handling.

I've had them for 2 days. They are in one of those small cheap plastic clear pet boxes that has the snap on colored lid. The kind that would be great to house crickets, ect... but not much else. I have it sitting on my home-office desk with a few rocks that I added, so they can climb out of the water and they have a normal desk lamp over them for heat. I know this is not even close to what they need, but it's more than they had 2 days ago. I have fed them Formula One Marine Pellets (for my saltwater fish) for 2 days. Today they actually chowed down, yesterday they ate nothing (I think they were to cold and to wet). I also tried lettuce, but they didn't eat it.

Believe it or not, I actually have a 120 gal aquarium sitting empty in the basement. Its been down there for years, I'm hoping it doesn't leak. Thats all I have, no heaters, lights, filtration, etc. I also have a 20 gallon that I'm going to set up FIRST, do to ease of care, then I will have to upgrade later to the larger tank when I have more time to care for a tank that size.

I have been reading as much as I can, when I can. I guess it is to early to tell the sex of these turtles? If they are both female, they wont live peacefully together in a 120 gal tank? Should I just find a new home for 1 turtle now, just in case they are both female? If they are 2" inches, about how old is that? Can they give us salmonella poisoning at this age/size?

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me, and please try to not be to judgmental, my grandson and myself have lost A LOT in the last month, so I'm hoping to at least keep his turtles around for him. And I do apologize for the lack of care these turtles are receiving, it is very crazy around here because of whats happening in our lives.

[Grandma]

I was just eyeballing these turtles when I said 2". I just broke out the ruler and the shells actually measure 1 1/2".

[missibsu]

Congrats on your inheritance! I will try to answer all of your questions, but if I leave something out, just ask again. For a basic start up set up, I would say you are fine to start with the 20 gallon tank. However, with proper care, I wouldn't expect to be able to use it for long. In terms of buying the additional supplies you are going to need, you might actually want to think ahead to the larger 120 gallon tank. Turtles are messy, so they are going to need a decent filter. Buying one that is rated for twice the size of the tank would be a good idea. Mine personally isn't twice the size, but the filter is rated for a 125 and they are in a 75, so you get the idea. If you buy a filter for the 20 gallon, it is not going to work for the 120 gallon, so do you want to buy two filters? Addition of a heater is also thing to think about. Most will say no glass because if the turts decide to beat them up, they can break. My turts push everything around in the tank. Be careful with using the light as a form of heat, you don't want to cook your turts either. When you get a tank set up, they are going to need a basking area with a heat source, make sure you monitor that temp as well. There are some great stickies about indoor set ups that you can read, but the basics are making sure that they have enough water, good filtration (they are messy), correct lighting (UVB and UVA), correct water and basking temps, and a basking area. An area where the turtle can get completely out of the water to dry off.

There is a sticky that pertains to items that you can try to feed your turts. There are commercial turtle pellets, veggies are good too, but it may take awhile for them to get used to that idea. They eat in water, so it's best to just throw in the food and let it float/sink.

As for whether or not you should get rid of one turtle, that is a decision that you will have to make. It's hard to tell at this age if they are going to get along later. I have two turts that I was told were female and one ended up being a male, surprise! They are 5 and 6 inches and they still live together. I monitor them for signs of aggression and have been lucky so far. It's never a guarantee.

As for the holding and the salmonella poisoning...I am not a fan of holding, some do more than others. If the turts aren't used to it, or decide to squirm it could be very easy to drop and injure them. They can move rather quick and if you or your grandson aren't paying attention, he could be off an hiding before you know it. Other people have more interaction though and might be able to shed more light on the situation or offer a suggestion that would be a bit of a compromise between you and your grandson. Salmonella poisoning is a real threat. It doesn't matter the age or size of the turtle. It is part of their digestive process. Any time I have done anything with the turtles I immediately wash my hands, even if it was just feeding them. It would be important for your grandson to remember not to stick his fingers in his mouth or not to touch a lot of things if he is interacting with the turtles. I am a teacher and so I can picture a 6 year old boy playing with his turtle one moment and reaching for a piece of candy off the table the next and not thinking twice about where his hands have been, lol.

Anyway, I hope I have gotten everything. Welcome to the site. I know that you are going to be a great turtle grandma! Good luck with getting things up and running and we would love to see pics once you do!

[Jaysea]

Welcome and don't worry about the questions, that's what all of us are here for.

First of all yes it's to early to tell the sex of the turtles. Usually at 4" shell length you can tell, some turtles exhibit signs of either sex a bit before that but 4" is the general rule of when you should be able to definitely tell one way or the other. There is also no way of knowing if your turtles will get along as they get older. Females tend to get along better then 2 males or a male and a female from what i've seen. But that being said it's never a guarantee that they will or won't get along, that's just something that will need to be kept watch of as they get older.

And about the salmonella, yes turtles carry salmonella, but then so does just about anything. The only reason it's such a concern with turtles is because they live in the water that they use the bathroom in and salmonella lives in the intestinal track and can be transferred into the water while using the bathroom. As long as you watch that he isn't putting the turtles anywhere near his mouth or isn't putting his hands in his mouth without washing his hands after handling the turtle he will be fine. Just make sure that after he handles the turtles that he washes his hands with an antibacterial soap.

As far as feeding, since they are so little you can get Reptomin brand baby turtle pellets to feed them. You can find them at most pet stores (petco, petsmart) or whatever else is in your area. Feed them the amount that would fit in their head if their head was empty once a day.

I think I got all of your questions if not i apologize. Anything else you need to know just ask, and make sure you read up on the areas in this site its very informative and can usually answer any habitat or feeding issues you'd have.

[Jaysea]

lol missi and i must have been typing out our long replies at the same time...go us!

[Grandma]

Thank you so much for the info. I can probably get the 120 set up in a month or so, but for the 20 gal I do have filters, heater, pumps, ect for fish. I'm hoping I can add a floating dock and some lights for heat/basking and get them in ther asap so I can deal with all of the "other drama" that is going on in our lives. The "other drama" in our lives is why I can't care for a 120 tank right now.

I know nothing is exact and that turtles grow differently like children. (See, I have been reading But do you or anyone have an approximate guess as to how old 1 1/2" shell red eared sliders are? I would like to keep track of there future age, but need a general starting age, if that makes sense...

[SINI5T3R]

you can find cheap equipment on www.craigslist.com like filters, lights, stuff like that. and I am pretty sure they can only give you salmonella poisoning if you put them in ur mouth of touch them then stick ur hands in ur mouth and stuff like that. Also she prob got them from like a side street seller or from a china town or something. it is illegal to sell turtles under 4 inches as PETS...but there is a way around it. they just have to put a sign on the tanks saying that the turtles are not pets that they are ment to be used as scientific experiments or something like that. I would set up the 120 gal asap. they LOVE to swim and the deeper and longer space they have the better and they will be much more happy.

[vear]

Thank you so much for the info. I can probably get the 120 set up in a month or so, but for the 20 gal I do have filters, heater, pumps, ect for fish. I'm hoping I can add a floating dock and some lights for heat/basking and get them in ther asap so I can deal with all of the "other drama" that is going on in our lives. The "other drama" in our lives is why I can't care for a 120 tank right now.

I know nothing is exact and that turtles grow differently like children. (See, I have been reading But do you or anyone have an approximate guess as to how old 1 1/2" shell red eared sliders are? I would like to keep track of there future age, but need a general starting age, if that makes sense...

Since they're not even 2" they're probably hatchlings. How long have you had them again? I would just pick a day in December and call it their "hatchday" haha =) They can't be too old.

[Grandma]

Thank you all for the replies. Today is Day 3 of my turtle ownership. FYI: I don't think I'm cooking them... they seem to be enjoying the desk light, I know it's not enough/correct, but I was in a jam and knew they needed something. They are what I am assuming is "basking". On the rocks stretching there feet and head upwards? Eyes closed, like they are relaxed or napping?

I have been turning the light off at night because I can't keep an eye on them. I believe I will be at petco tomorrow to get a light or lights. I need 2, right? One for UV rays and another for heat? I going to get a floating dock that suctions to the aquarium wall. I will try to find the "Reptomin brand baby turtle pellets". Thanks Jaysea, nothing is worse than standing at petco looking at 50 different food choices, not knowing what is the right choice. They did eat formula one marine pellets again today. Do you only feed them once a day? More? Less?

[SINI5T3R]

You can do a few pellets per turtle one day, and some veggies or feeder fish the next day. what you would want to try is to get different types of fast fish that way the tank stays fairly clean. I would suggest Cichlid's since they are super fast, smart, and they know to stay away from turtles after a few hours of a turtle trying to chase them. Also for a dock, you should get a big piece of cork bark. I duno if petco sales it but here is a cool way to use it.



Those floating docks tend to not work when ur turtles get a bit bigger, they start to not float when the turtles are on them and the turtle cant get dry.

[Jaysea]

Just feed them once a day. The amount that would fit inside their heads if their head was empty.

And yep what you see them doing all stretched out under the light is basking, they do an awesome superman pose sometimes too with all legs stretched out lol.

Also those floating docks are fine for when they are little and it's a quick option. Because they are so little you might want to only use the top 2 suction cups of it though because they tend to like to squeeze themselves into tight spaces and might get stuck. Removing the bottom 2 suction cups gives them slack room to wiggle their way back out if they do ram themselves in there.

I do highly recommend this ramp http://www.amazon.com/Kordon-Novalek-OA ... B0006L12HS they come in a few different sizes. My turtle loves hers, she's able to move around up there and reposition herself without falling off. And can get completely dry on it which is necessary for a healthy shell. She also likes to sleep on the lower part of the ramp that is still in the water.

[Grandma]

I went downstairs to get the 20 gal after my grandson went to school. The stand (a 70's looking black scrolling iron stand) had some rust on it and the tank has hard water stains in it. So I went out and got some rustoleum paint for the stand and vinegar for the tank. I am now just waiting for the stand to dry, to bring it upstairs and set it up.

Hoping to get these little guys in there tonight. I will try to post pictures.

I was watching a utube video about an above tank basking enclosure and it said something about not putting hatchlings in very deep water... The tank is 20 gallon, how full should I fill it?

My daughter called and I asked more about the turtles... PLEASE DON'T HATE ME FOR WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY... ... She got them in Indiana (We are in Iowa) about 4 months ago. She said they havn't eaten for her that shes seen since she had them? That she had put them in the kids room and forgot about them. Maybe the kids fed them? Maybe why the turtles are still so small? Ghaaawd... Can they live that long without sun, heat or food?

[kmichael55]

So glad for the turtles that they are in your care now!!
Obviously they can survive that long, just not well or healthfully...

Turtles are born swimmers, that's complete misinformation...the more water the better!
A floating dock will work for them for quite a while since they're so tiny.
You're right about the lights, point them both at the basking area, UV won't help over the water. (and make sure the box says UVB not just UV or full spectrum)

Good luck!

[Jaysea]

So glad these turtles ended up in your care. I've noticed every time i've logged on that your also logged into the forums, awesome isn't it, the amount of info in this place Can't wait to see your tank set up once you get it all going, i'm sure the little guys already feel better with everything you've done for them. They look like 2 little cuties in that pic you posted. Keep up the good work!

[Jaysea]

Also if it makes you feel comfortable you can start with a low water height and just gradually increase it, but like was stated above these guys love to swim, just make sure there is plenty of places for them to rest (like the rocks in your picture) and a place they can fully get out of the water to bask and they'll be fine.