Red Ear Slider Care Info
So you think you want a cute baby Red Ear Slider turtle.
Are you ready for the commitment?
Please do your research and don't get one on a whim.
Did you know for every 4 inches of shell, they need 40 gallons of swimming water. That means a 50 gallon tank. The picture above is what Petco offers when you buy a Red Ear Slider. It's way to small. Now add a 2nd Red Ear Slider so he has a friend.
Two 4 inch turtles equals 80 gallons of water. So now you have bought a 100 gallon tank.
Oops a year or so has gone by and they are double the size. Your tank is a chore to keep clean and they are eating you out of house and home. It's ok you bought them knowing it would be a long commitment. A few more years have gone by and now they have no room to swim. You'll just call a rescue to give them to. Well guess what, we turn away over 100 Red Ear Sliders every year. So now you sneek them to the nearest pond, lake or river and let them go. You're wondering if they will survive? Oh yes they will survive! They are mean and fight to the death for their food thus killing our native Western Pond Turtles. They are taking over our water ways and making the western Pond Turtles extinct. Did you know in Oregon it's a $5,000 fine to posses a Red Ear Slider. They are considered the rats of the turtle world.
Read this article to learn more:
https://www.kcet.org/redefine/we-now-know-a-bit-more-about-what-makes-california-native-turtles-sick
What is the option for your now large Red Ear Slider? Here are some ideas on how you can keep your pet Red Ear Slider happy.
As they grow out of their fish tank get a stock tank like this one.
What should my Red Ear Slider eat?
In the wild, they feed on aquatic vegetation, small fish and decaying material such as dead fish and frogs, etc. Pet red-eared sliders will feed on just about anything you give them, but we recommend feeding them a commercial turtle food or pellets to benefit proper growth and health.
Leafy Greens: Collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale, and bok choy.
Aquatic Plants: In an aquarium or pond, you can add aquatic plants that turtles usually love to snack on. They often eat submerged plants like anacharis, water hyacinth, water lettuce, duckweed, azolla (fairy moss), and frog-bit.
This page is dedicated to the care of the
Red Ear Slider Turtle
A rubber stock tank will get you by for a year or so.
A cinder block works well for basking.
As your Red Ear Slider grows, an unwanted hot tub works well for a koi pond and turtle pond.
A beautiful backyard koi pond we rehomed a turtle to last year.
