how to take care of red eared turtles? i plan on getting two of them
Buy a 125 gallon tank along with two large submersive heaters. Buy a UVB/UVA lamp along with a basking lamp. Now buy an island platform of some kind so they can crawl out of the water and rest or bask. After you have all this for your new RES, go to the pet store and buy two dozen guppies for them to eat. You can also buy a dozen crayfish (small) to help clean the bottom and serve as food for the turts.
Don't handle the turtles and watch them swim and grow.
Are you aware that these turtles can grow to 12 inches in length and need 10 gallons of tank for every inch? That means up to a 240 gallon tank for two adults ... that is a MASSIVE tank.
Are you aware that proper supplies and lighting will cost you hundreds of bucks?
Are you aware that turtle sticks are NOT an adequate diet and they need live insects plus feeder fish, strips of fish and seafood, beef and heart and mixed calcium rich greens?
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Are you aware that they can live several decades and are a HUGE commitment?
Are you aware that they STINK and you will be doing a hell of a lot of tank cleaning from now on? Not fun with a tank that big.
Please make sure you're aware of the issues surrounding keeping these animals. The cute dollar sized babies soon grow into massive demanding adults and then you are stuck with them for around 30 years or more. Moving home can be a huge hassle, new partners may hate your pet turtles, tonnes of them end up dumped in rivers suffering and dying or becoming a pest in the native habitat.
This site tells you how to care for turtles:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com If after all this you are still set on getting turtles might I recommend just one, instead of two? And perhaps a small species like a Mississippi map turtlle, a Southern Painted Turtle or a common musk turtle instead? They are smaller, require smaller tanks and are easier to care for.
Please don't. Please please please. Unless you have the time and large sum of money to do it properly, please don't.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
A RES can grow to 12 ". The size of a large dinner plate. Before I let mine go into the community river of-other-let go turtles, he was already 8 inches at 2 years old.
RES need 10 gallons per 1 inch of turtle shell. That's 80 gallons starting, because it's actually illegal to sell them under 4 inches. When fully grown, you're looking at a 240 gallon tank bare minimum to house them both. If you stick it in a 10 gallon tank, it will continue to grow. They don't just grow to the size of the enclosure you put them in. They will grow, and then if they can't grow due to the improper conditions, they ' ll keep growing on the inside until their organs shut each other down.
Not to mention, they're mean when they get big. They snap, they need live feeder fish. They might fight with each other.
They need double filtered water and are VERY messy. You'll still have to vacuum the gravel every other week. They need water heated to 78-82F. Indoor turtles need UVB lighting, and a large spot to get out and bask on that maintains a temp of 90F. They need pool filter sand as substrate so they don't get impacted. They love love love live plants, but will dig at or eat the roots sometimes.
yes do not get one or wven two, their tanks are so hard to clean and they do get to the size of a plate, and they arnt friendly when they get big either anyway, they stink and algae gets in the water, you have to get like a 40 gallon tank when its bigger, too much space.hard to clean tank, not nice, just dont get them, i had one and had to get rid of it because i just couldnt hold him he would snap and run off, its not worth it trust me and the others that say no
PLEASE ... PLEASE DO NOT get them. All the info given you is TRUE and the one OTHER thing not mentioned is that they carry salmonella. ANY time you handle them or touch their water or ANYTHING they have come in contact with ... you have to wash thoroughly and sanitize yourself. My grown daughter forgot ONCE and was puking sick fro 4 days! Reconsider PLEASE and get tropical fish or something that is easier to care for and does not have the potential to KILL you .
i have one of them! mine likes to eat bloodworms, dry shrimp, when its big enoghf u can feed it little minow or gold fish, and mealworms. sometimes i try to give it like carrots or something. oh ya also he likes live crickests !!!!! hope it helps and good luck!: ^ D
