Who here has owned or owns Red-Ear Sliders (Turtles)??

[Majin Boo]

I just bought 3 of these baby turtles, anyone here care to give any tips?

 

[Drakon]

Buy a fourth, then toss them down a NYC sewer.

 

[rdh007]

Shouldn't he wait until they're a little older? More...I don't know...adolescent?

 

[Drakon]

It'll take a while for the growth spurt. Besides, they need time for their training. I'm planning ahead.

 

[Majin Boo]

lol, how long does it take this turtles to grow? or better yet, how long will they stay in this baby size for?

 

[DOG LIPS]

I've had one for a few years now.

 

[DOG LIPS]

lol, how long does it take this turtles to grow? or better yet, how long will they stay in this baby size for?

It took mine a while to balloon in size, and it mostly happened as I stepped up his tank size. I've had him going on 3 years, and he's about 8-9 inches. I'm sure you know they are covered in salmonella, so be careful. Also, watch out for their claws. The bigger they get the bigger their claws get, and they will rip your ass off. I'd also say get a calcium turtle for the tank. It's a little turtle-shaped white chalk-looking thing at Wal-Mart. You just drop it in the water and leave it. Over time it evaporates and helps keep them healthy as they grow.

http://www.arcatapet.com/fullsize/9670.jpg

 

[Majin Boo]

I dont have a tank yet, I have one of those little plastic lagoons (the one in the picture), and today I should be getting a JUmbo Swamp which is the same as the lagoon but double in size

https://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/215680/product.web

after a while I'll upgrade to a big fish tank.


I will head probably today or tomorrow to walmart to look for that Trutle calcium thing.

I heard there is also this bone type thing that they can chew on, kinda like birds do to sharpen their beak, have you heard or this?

Also how often do you change the water for your turtle?

 

[DOG LIPS]

I think you mean Cuttlefish bone. You can find that at Wal-Mart as well I believe.


I try to clean his filter at least 2-3 times a month. I actually try and clean out his water every other month if it gets nasty.

 

[Majin Boo]

cool, this new swamp has a filter, but the lagoon im currently using doesnt have one, so I was changing the water every 1-2 days.

 

[Dew k. Mosi]

My sister had one and one day Homer went into his shell and Em said "Mom, there is something wrong with Homer" We knew nothing about turtles and since it was winter and fairly cold, Mom said, "He's hibernating." A week later Em said, "Mom, something is really wrong with Homer. There's maggots coming out of his shell."

Well, you guessed it, Homer had died a week earlier and we didn't know it.

 

[nosebleed.]

Buy a fourth, then toss them down a NYC sewer.

I'm kicking my own ass for not getting this right away...

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

MMmmm...White Castle Red Ear SLIDERS!

 

[Ice-man]

Buy a fourth, then toss them down a NYC sewer.

dont forget to feed them some toxic bio chemical food that will make them talk and do karate.

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

I remember when my sister got turtles for Christmas this past year..They ended up dying. They were adorable.

 

[Drakon]

I'm kicking my own ass for not getting this right away...

For shame.

I remember when my sister got turtles for Christmas this past year..They ended up dying. They were adorable.

You're disturbingly morbid.

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

You're disturbingly morbid.

Hey now. My sister wasn't living with me at the time so I only saw them like the one few times she came over. She's the one that killed it. I think she forgot to feed them or something.

 

[Drakon]

"They ended up dying. They were adorable"

Do the math

 

[Majin Boo]

how long did your sister have them before it died?

 

[Golgo-13]

I've been keeping them for years. It's absoluetly crucial that they get enough sunlight everyday, and are allowed to bask. If they're not outside make sure you buy a UV bulb (Ultra Violet bulb).

Make sure they gey enough calcium. This and the UV is EXTREMELY crucial while the're young, and when neglected, are the number one cause of death by dim witted costumers who don't know what they doing. Feed them on feeder goldfish/minnows/guppies, so they'll get the calcium from the fishes bones. Also feed them pellets.

As they get older they'll love earthworms, mealworms, shrimp (wash out the salt), pieces of bananas, and chooped up grapes, in fact there's very few things these gullets won't eat! The one i had got really fat, and couldn't pull himself into his shell! I had to cut back on his diet.

Their appetite is there number one commodity, and it's the best way to know when they're ill- when they don't eat = somethings wrong!

Keep the water temp around 70-80 degrees F, and it should be around 90 degrees around the basking light , outside the water and you'll have these babies for 10 years plus easy!

 

[Golgo-13]

It took mine a while to balloon in size, and it mostly happened as I stepped up his tank size. I've had him going on 3 years, and he's about 8-9 inches. I'm sure you know they are covered in salmonella, so be careful. Also, watch out for their claws. The bigger they get the bigger their claws get, and they will rip your ass off. I'd also say get a calcium turtle for the tank. It's a little turtle-shaped white chalk-looking thing at Wal-Mart. You just drop it in the water and leave it. Over time it evaporates and helps keep them healthy as they grow.

http://www.arcatapet.com/fullsize/9670.jpg

Can't really tell by your pic DL but yours looks like a female. The male has 'two very long claws on his inner digets' which are used to woo/caress/seduce the female during mating. The slower growth can be attributed to temperate, a constant higher water/air temp (around 80 degrees F) will make them grow faster. Lower temps will slow growth down.

Just curious Majin Boo, do you live in the U.S.A?

 

[Majin Boo]

yes I do, in florida to be more precise.

Right now I just leave them in the balcony and they get the natural sun.

I'll soon post pictures in the new Jumbo Swamp that just arrived!

 

[DOG LIPS]

Can't really tell by your pic DL but yours looks like a female. The male has 'two very long claws on his inner digets' which are used to woo/caress/seduce the female during mating.

Hmm. I looked into this once and got confused. He/She matches up to a female with the claws, but then the tail is very long and is wider at it's base, which is supposed to be a male's trait.


Maybe mine is a hermaphrodite.

 

[Golgo-13]

yes I do, in florida to be more precise.

Right now I just leave them in the balcony and they get the natural sun.

I'll soon post pictures in the new Jumbo Swamp that just arrived!

Reason i asked where you lived is because it's illegal to sell (by the petstores) Turtles that are less than 4 inches in length because younger Turtles can sometimes carry Salmonella. Maybe it's a state by statre thing, but i always thought it was the entire U.S.

Enjoy your pets though......

 

[Majin Boo]

yeah, its forbidden here too, but I didnt find out until after I bought them, then asked at another pet store and they told me they cant sell those baby turtles.

Altough the place they sold me they had a sign on top of the acquarium that said "for study purposes only" or something like that. It did strike me as odd, and asked them if they were selling them, and sure enough they did.
Only after I got home and searched the web, did I find out it was illegal.

How risky is the salmonella thing tough? whenever I remove the turtles to clean the tank i just grab them with a plastic bag on my hand as to not come in direct contact and i am very careful when cleaning the plastic pond as to not spill that polluted water on me, and wash my hand with liquid soap.

I also desinfect my tub with Chlorox once I have cleand the plastic pond.

But with the new one since it has a filter, I think I dont have to clean it as often.

Also, aside from the pallets which they seem to love, what else can I feed the baby turtles?
And would it be bad if I dont feed them worms or crickets? cause I just hate instects, they disgust me.