turtle facts and fallacy

[Fishnut]

Featherfin, there WAS a ban on them, but it has recently been lifted.

If you plan on giving away the turtles you find, you'll need to screen the potential owners and make them get what is neededand make sure they are VERY well educated.  Otherwize they might just end up as dinner (some cultures eat turtles) or back in a river.

[featherfin]

oops! i misunderstood! . yes i know i will make sure the people i give the turtles to have good homes. i think the problem is that they grow so fast, most owners don't know that and don't prepare a large enough tank for their turtle. don't worry i won't send a turtle to someone who doens't know about them.

[Fishnut]

Fantastic!  I hear ya on the tank thing.  I used to keep mine in a fiberglass tank that was 3' x 5' x 4' in the winter and in a pond that was bowl shaped, 8' in diameter and 3' deep in the middle with cinder blocks filed smooth and piled in the middle.  If anyone wants to go to Sudbury to get either of these, I'm sure my father would love to get rid of them

[littlelil]

Is it still true that turtles carry salmonella? I was recently on a website called PracticalPetCare.com and the "experts" were saying that it was proven that there is NO salmonella in turtles!

anyone know anything about this?

anyone know of a good turtle forum website?

[Fishnut]

I went to PracticalPetCare.com to read about it and it's a K-9 camp.  There was nothing regarding turtles from what I could see.

If turtles are crowded into aquariums that are too small, are not provided with sufficient filtering and fed cheep food, they can carry salmonella easily.  If turtles are provided with the proper amount of space, filtration and are fed a good quality food, there should be no reason for them to carry salmonella.  The only way to know for sure is to have a vet test each turtle on a regular basis.  Since the people making that claim are experts, they likely didn't make any of these detrimental mistakes in their studies, so the turtles stayed salmonella free even when they quickly grew out of the easy-to-accommodate baby phase .

They could also potentially pick it up from any food source, or where they were housed as babies.  This is why it is never a good idea to buy them from a place that doesn't care for them properly.  There's never a guarantee unless you have a vet test them on a regular basis and keep them in wonderful water at all times.

[littlelil]

Fishnut, PM sent.

Sorry, my apologies, the site is www.practical-pet-care.com. Thanks for the advice.

[estuary]

fish nut is right simanela if a product of improper care
here is a link  for id of turtles
http://www.chelonia.org/byspecies.htm
GENERAL INFO

Red Eared Sliders are native to the Southern US but are now common throughout the United States.  Red Eared Sliders (RES) can now be found anywhere from Ponds, Lakes, and indoor aquariums.

Here we will outline exactly what you will need to properly care for your RES.  We do not claim this to be an exact science.  However, this is the best information we have to date.

RES are the cute little green turtles commonly found in pet stores and at TurtleSale.com®.  However, anyone who has owned Red Eared Sliders will quickly realize that they do not remain small and green.  They can grow very fast, and the bright green color will generally fade away to other unique colors and patterns.

With that being said, RES can grow anywhere from 6 – 12 inches.  Depending on the sex and care of the turtle, males will stay on the lesser end of that spectrum, while females in almost 100% of the cases will grow from 10 – 12 inches.  Generally it is difficult to SEX a turtle under 4". 
You must decide NOW, whether you are able to accommodate a large turtle of that size.  If your answer is "no I cannot", then Red Eared Sliders are not for you.

Assuming your answer was yes, now you need a proper setup!

HOUSING

When first starting out, we recommend that you buy the biggest tank or aquarium you can get.  If glass aquariums are too expensive for you, we always suggest large plastic or Rubbermaid® totes.   They are large, and cheap, and the turtles will love you for all the space.  As a general "rule of thumb",  always recommends that you provide at least 10 gallons of water for each 1 INCH of shell.  This can be easily "eyeballed" without use of a ruler.  Like we said before, this isn't an exact science, but we want to make this habitat a happy home for your turtle.  Remember, more is better so if you want to abide by 15 gallons per inch of shell, by all means do so!
WATER REQUIREMENTS

Now that you know that you will need lots of water, remember that RES are great swimmers, and this water does not have to be shallow.  They actually prefer to hang out in deeper water, and are perfectly adapted to do so.  Even small babies are fantastic swimmers, and know what they are doing almost right out of the egg.  However, some babies may be weak and sluggish when you get them.  If this is the case, shallow water is recommended until they get their footing, and energy returns.  This usually happens when shipping occurs and the turtle has been shipped through cold or very hot weather.  (if this persists, please see vet)

Now you have a tank filled with water.  What do you do now?

FILTRATION

You will need a proper filtration system.  We generally recommend one that is rated for double the gallon capacity you have in the tank.  Turtles defecate a lot, and are messy eaters.  These aren't your average aquarium inhabitants.

TEMPERATURE

You will also need a submersible aquarium heater.  These can be bought at just about any pet store or Since the turtle will be housed indoors most likely, you will need to keep a fairly constant temperature.  This is not crucial, but it helps in preventing diseases and even aids in curing them.  We recommend that healthy turtles be kept between 74° – 78°F.

BASKING

Your turtle will need to come out of the water to bask every now and then.  Red Eared Sliders are considered "semi-aquatic" because they do spend so much time basking.  To provide a good basking area, you will need either a floating basking dock which can be  at most pet stores, or one you have built.

LIGHTING

The turtle will also need proper lighting.  We recommend an industrial clamp light with a 60 – 100 watt bulb for the heat portion of the basking area.  These are relatively cheap and easy to replace in event of breakage.  Your turtle(s) will also need a proper UVB/UVA bulb.  This can be installed into a regular hood light of an aquarium, and strategically placed over the basking area.  Be sure to remove the lid portion of your hood as this has a pane of glass or plexi-glass which will hinder the UVB from passing through.

FEEDING

Turtle food is a subject of debate on most forums.  We recommend that you buy a low fat turtle pellet.  This can be purchased at most pet stores Look on the back of the package to make sure it is a low fat diet.  It also good to check to make sure it contains vitamin D3.  This vitamin is essential to shell and bone development.  Turtles can manufacture this on their own with the use of the UVB light.  However, to supplement, the food should also have it.  Hatchlings usually eat 1 or 2 pellets per day.  But, some owners go by the "head-volume" method.  This is basically looking at your turtle's head and deciding how much food may fit inside the head if it were hollow.  Both are good methods for hatchlings.  You will also want to supplement with vegetables, and more so as the turtle gets older.  Juvenile to adult turtles are sometimes fed pellets on one day, and veggies on the next day.

ILLNESSES

Your turtle may get ill at times throughout its life.  If this occurs,take it to a vet