Basking concerns, RES  10/17/09
Dear Crew
<Hiya - Darrel here>
I am a fairly new owner of two red eared sliders. They are active, seem to eat well and generally seem to be doing well. I'm concerned that I do not see them out basking and know this is essential to their health. They are in a 55 gallon aquarium set up where they have both water and land, as well as several other areas they can get out of the water to bask. I do have a calcium bone in the water that I can see they are using. I have pellets that I feed them, as well as some dried shrimp occasionally and some soft meaty food. I have tried to give them some romaine lettuce, but they do not eat it.
<Nor should they. Koi pellets or Repto-min turtle sticks (either one) are a completely balanced diet for Red Eared Sliders. That and an occasional earth worm as a treat (maybe one or two a month) is all they need.>
They also will only eat food if I put it in the water, they will not come out to get anything from the dish in the dry area.
<Sliders are water feeders, which is to say that they primarily eat what they find in the water. The will, from time to time, climb up on a bank and snatch something and then drag it back into the water in order to eat it. You should hand feed them>
I have a basking lamp over the dry land area and a UV light over the water area. It's possible they could be out basking when I am not around, as they are still pretty skittish when there's movement around the tank.
<possible>
Should I be concerned and/or is there something else I should be doing to encourage them to come out of the water? Also, I have the basking lamp on a timer and do not use the night heating lamp, is that night lamp necessary?
<You should always be concerned .. just not worried. The first thing to do is make sure you have a temperature gradient. If the water is warm enough they won't feel the need to bask even though they need it. The water should never be above room temperature and the basking area around 85-90 degrees. This way they have clear choices..>
<No lights or heat at night ... let everything cool naturally and then it will all cycle again in the morning. Here's a care guide we have -- check your conditions against the guide and correct anything that's not quite in order: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>

RES turtle questions... sys./lambda, hlth.   9/27/09
hello crew,
I have two red eared sliders, like 4/5 months old.
I don't have a heating lamp yet because it is pretty hot out here.
<If you live somewhere warm, i.e., temperature doesn't drop below, say, 18 degrees C/64 degrees F for more than a few days, then a heater may not be required. However, you MUST have a UV-B lamp. This needs to go above the basking rock. Contrary to popular misconception, a plain heating lamp isn't
adequate or even essential. But a UV-B lamp is utterly essential. Without this, their bones and shell, among other things, won't form properly. The UV-B light is used for vitamin synthesis. Outdoors, they'd get this from sunlight, but indoors they won't. Since glass blocks UV-B, even putting the tank next to a sunny window won't help.>
one turtle is much lighter in color than the other one.
Its shell is a little bit soft and sometimes he shakes his head as if he wants to get rid of it. (his head)
the other one is doing fine.
Lately they have been sleeping all day. Hibernating?
<No; these turtles really don't hibernate much, and certainly shouldn't in captivity.>
Not pooping, not eating
But they are not dead. should i keep them awake, or should i just let them do what they want to do?
please help. :( thank you in advance.
<More than likely a lack of calcium in their diet and a lack of UV-B light for vitamin synthesis. First step is to call a vet, so your sickly turtle can get a check-up and a vitamin booster shot. With that done, install a
UV-B lamp over the basking spot. Note you're after a UV-B lamp, not a UV-A
light, not a heating light, and not an aquarium light. Cheers, Neale.>

Out door pond     8/24/09
Dear Crew,
<Hiya Melissa, Darrel here>
I have purchased some red eared Slider turtles from a good pet store they approx 5-6 inches long.
<Yanno, Melissa, without punctuation after the word "store" -- you are technically telling me that you shopped at a good pet store that was 5 to 6 inches long.>
<I guess today I'm just Mr. Language Person ... >
I did my homework on these fun creatures to add to my outdoor pond. The issue I am having is that they have plenty of food and places to bask in the sun, the pond is approx. 20 feet long, 15 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet deep to 4 foot deep at the other end, however my pond does not get full sun light at all times
<How many hours of direct sunlight reach the basking area or shores on an average spring or fall day? The amount of sunlight and UV they can absorb even from a slightly indirect source may be plenty. How many hours a day to they bask in direct sun?>
as well as I have found some turtles escaping the pond area. Once they get out they can't get back in. Any ideas on why they keep trying to get out?
<Yes, Melissa. Turtles wander. No one knows why, exactly, but they do it.
If they are not confined they'll often wander out and never come back.
I've found escaped turtles that were gone 3 months and buried themselves in a corner of the garden under a plant. A pond area in which you plan to properly keep turtles will require a hard barrier around the perimeter. I use 1/2 inch mesh hardware cloth buried 3 inches down with a 4 inch lip bent inward 90 degrees at the top. Then I plant tightly all around the outside, so that the little fence blends into the background. Waterfall areas can be lined with brick, stone or cinder block to create a barrier, but however you do it, it must be done.>
Should I be worried about nights getting colder since they are located in a pond outside and we are located in Iowa?
<Yes. While it's true that the literature says that all the sliders (Trachemy scripta) can over-winter in a pond, even a frozen one, the truth is that not all do survive it and even if they do, it is hard on their physiology. You should have a plan for over wintering them in your garage, porch or house in some sort of big plastic where you can control the temperature. Best is to set them up like any indoor environment like in our care guides, complete with basking lamp, UV lamp, etc so that it's summer to them. Also, in the spring, don't be too quick to put them outside. Wait until you're done with the sudden cold snaps of early spring and well into the growing season.>
Also some Goldfish have seem to be safe with the turtles however my grandson just bought a Bubble Eyed Goldfish, brought it out Saturday and it has been eaten already. Any idea on why some Goldfish ok and other's not?
<Turtles are opportunistic feeders, Melissa. (Just like my brother in law, they'll eat anything that's easy, cheap and doesn't require leaving a tip!). While fish are not the main part of a Slider's diet in the wild, the bubble eye was available and easy to catch. At the same time, the opposite is true --- all of us long term Turtilians (and yes I probably just made that word up) have stories where we intentionally filled our pond with goldfish for the turtles to eat and instead they thrived, grew, got names of their own and became pets we have to worry about! I have two "feeder goldfish" that are now 11 years old, almost 7 inches long and now live in my girlfriend's Koi pond where they hold their own with a couple of 28 inch monster Koi.>
<So as a general rule, turtles and fish make a bad tank or pond mates>
Also how many turtles would be too many for this size of pond?
<That's a huge pond for turtles, Melissa. If the water condition is good, you could hold more turtles in the summer time than you'd ever want to have to collect and house during the winter!>
<Assuming that you solve the fish problem, the sunlight problem and the
fencing problem, I'd put 4 Red Eared Sliders (Trachemy scripta elegans) and maybe 4 Pseudemys (Cooters, Red Belly turtles, etc) -- but again .. no more than I can house and care for over the winter. And this is AFTER I'd fix the other problems>
Thanks
<Yer welcome!>
IOWA Outdoor Pond

Red Ear Sliders... sys.   8/18/09
Crew@WetWebMedia:
<Hiya - Darrel here>
We just purchased three very small red eared sliders for our children ......
<Meaning that they get to ooh and ahh over them for a while before they lose interest and then you and your wife get to care for them forever, right? Well cheer up, they're fun and easy to care for and with the exception of a very few individuals, Red Eared Sliders will NEVER borrow your car and back it into a post, start dating people you find totally creepy or decide that DAD is a 3 letter synonym for ATM>
..... and we are wanting to ask a few questions about setting up the tank.
We used to have salt water fish that were in a fairly good sized bio ball filtration tank. The tank has been thoroughly cleaned (including the balls being removed and hosed clean) and empty for more than 4 months. Our question relates to the safety of using this tank for the turtles. We understand that there needs to be a 2/3 v. 1/3 water v. ground area, which is fine, but we are concerned that the previous use may impact the safety of the water for the turtles.
<AS long as it's been rinsed thoroughly I wouldn't see it as a problem.>
Should we fill the tank and let the filter run for a few days and test the water before we move the turtles or should we simply start in a basic glass aquarium?
<It never hurts to run things for a while, just to check on how things settle (pumps, hoses, leaks, etc.) but in general the only thing I'd tell you is that it's almost a fantasy to get a biological filter in balance in a reptile environment. The biowaste they produce easily overwhelms all but the mightiest biofilters. Filtration is GOOD and it's IMPORTANT, but get used to the idea of bi-monthly siphoning and refilling and monthly to quarterly draining and cleaning.>
<here is a like that contains everything need to know. The information in here is enough to raise hatchlings into fully grown adults that produce their own babies:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>
Thanks in advance for your help.
<Worth every penny!!!! Keep in touch as things progress!>
-Mark

Re: Red Ear Sliders and lizards in plastic container... tog.!?  8/18/09
Darrel:
<Yes!!!!!!! Not like you win anything for the correct guess, but you're right! It's me!!!!>
Thanks for the reply.
<That's why I'm here! That and the free food>
I forgot to ask you one other question. We also have an anole (just 1) which is rather small....maybe 3-4 inches long. Could the three sliders co-exist in the same aquarium?
<No>
We are also contemplating using our glass aquarium for the sliders as opposed to the acrylic one and if we keep the anole in the same aquarium, we will probably have a 50/50 ratio of land versus water. Any thoughts?
<I have lots of thoughts, Mark, but over the years I've learned not to give into them or listen to those little voices ......>
<Um..... OK, first. Sliders and acrylic aquariums are a bad combination.
No matter how small they are, they manage to scratch the inside of almost every square inch of the tank in a very short time. I think they work in shifts and one may even stand on another's head to reach the hard to get places, but in less time than you can imagine they'll have the whole tank looking like someone sanded it.>
<Second, putting an Anole into a vivarium sounds like a good idea, since turtles and anoles occupy different niches within similar eco-systems, but the problem is that sliders are called "non specific feeders" which means that -- much like my brother in law -- they'll eat just about anything they can find as long as it's easy, cheap and doesn't require leaving a tip.
As soon as you start mixing animals in this manner you're creating an eco-system and eco-systems come with a thing called a food chain.>
<So .... no.>
Thanks,
Mark

UVB light  07/23/09
Hi crew! It's me again, Felix from Malaysia XD
<Hiya Felix, Darrel here is Los Angeles!>
I have 3 Red Ear Sliders, I got everything except UVB light, it's super hard to get it here, just wanna ask, those full spectrum fluorescent light for fish tank, do they give UVB? I saw a lot, like those that kill germ, those for aquarium plants... I plan to keep them outside under the sun, but they're still small, their shell less than 2.5 inches long... Any better idea
<Natural sunlight is by far the very best and only UV the turtles need, Felix. That is IF they can get it directly -- it can't be filtered through glass of any kind and even screen the size of window screen or mosquito netting. Also, if they are outside, make sure that they have shade where they can get away from the sun -- and lastly, that there is enough water that the sunshine doesn't make the water too hot. Remember, a small tub of water left in the summer sun will easily reach 120 degrees and that can kill your little friends.>
<Inside the house, they really should have a dedicated UV bulb, but on the other hand I have used full spectrum bulbs myself for many years. The Vita Lite by Duro is a full spectrum bulb that I used for many years and should
be easy to get since they have many uses. Just remember that the effective range of the UV declines significantly beyond 8 to 10 inches and place the bulb accordingly>

Re: Answer hazy: ask again... RES question  7/22/09
Hello
<Hiya- Darrel here>
I have another question for you. Last night the water in my tank was crystal clear. After a four hour time span, the water went from clear to cloudy. My filter seems to be working fine. Do you have any idea on what could be causing this to happen?
Thank you.
<It's really hard to say without knowing some background. How long has the vivarium been set up? When was the last time anything new (substrate, rock, etc) was added? The obvious first place to look is something that was added like a rock, a branch, etc. that simply wasn't clean. Second is an explosion of microorganisms due to sudden change in temperature and too much organic matter (food & feces) in the water. This often happens when a filter is turned on again after cleaning -- people don't realize that the insides of the tubes and hoses slowly build up a mucus layer and when a filter is stopped, cleaned and turned on again, these small growths dislodge and cloud the water.>
<The problem is, without knowing what was different 24 hours ago, it's just random guesses. Write back with more info .. more details .... and I'll try to make more specific guesses.>

Re: Answer hazy: ask again 7/22/09
Dear Crew
<Hiya - Darrel here>
Sorry for not giving you any information to work with. The whole tank has been set up for almost two days.
<In that case let's not worry about it. Drain it, rinse it out along with
everything in it, set it up again and let's move forward>
I got my Red Eared Slider as a gift.
<I hope it was a gift you asked for and not an impulse purchase>
The tank doesn't have much in it. 3 rocks that we previously cleaned before we put them in the tank. An artificial plant that came in the kit. Finally the turtles and the filter. The Temp of the tank seemed to have dropped also. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I am worried that I may be harming my turtles, the temp. at the moment is a low 70. It was 60 when the lamps were not on and with the lamps on its still a low 70. Do you have any suggestions on how to raise the temp.
<The water temp should be whatever your room temperature is. 60 to 75 degrees is fine, because the turtles climb out on the basking area to heat up under the lamp. The point is to let them choose to be warm or cool>
<Here's a link that covers all the basic aspects of care. Turtles don't need much ... but they absolutely HAVE to have what they need. Please check all aspects of your care against this article and I'd bet they'll
live long and healthy lives.>
Thank you for any information you can give me.
<Yer welcome!>
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>

RES question, sys., gen...  7/21/2009
Hello. I just got two RES today as a gift. Along with the turtles i received a "Zilla deluxe aquatic turtle kit".
<Interesting product. The 20 gallon tank should hold in you in good stead for a few years, but do bear in mind Red-ear Sliders get to dinner-plate size eventually, and will outgrow that vivarium.>
It cam with 2 8.5 dome fixtures and a 75W day blue light blub and a tropical 25 13W UVB fluorescent Coil bulb. i was just wondering if at night do i turn off those lights or should i keep both on?
<Switch them off at night; indeed, a timer set to 12 hours on, 12 hours off would be ideal. You can pick one of these for a few quid (or dollars, or whatever) from most hardware stores, and a two-way adapter stuck into the timer would mean you could control both lights from the same timer.
Easy-peasey.>
I have no idea on how to take care of these adorable turtles and i hope you can help me.
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/RESCareBarton.htm
Red-ear sliders are pretty easy to keep, but there are some things to watch for. You've got the UV-B issue covered, and presumably warmth too with the daylight bulb, but the other issues are regular water changes, a greens-based diet, and a regular source of calcium so that they develop their bones and shell properly.>
Thank you,
Kelsey
<Good luck with your new pets! Cheers, Neale.>
RE: RES question
Thank you so much. You were a huge help! I'm sure my turtles would thank you also.
<Glad to have helped. Cheers, Neale.>

slider turtles... sys., gen.    7/18//09
Hi,
<Hiya - Darrel here>
I recently became the owner of two red slider turtles. I sort of inherited them. I was a teacher at a middle school in mid-Michigan. I got laid off at the end of the year. I had two turtles in my classroom the entire year that have been there for about 7 years. They were extremely mistreated by students, the former teacher did not seem to care too much about them, and the janitor informed me he was responsible for caring for them only because he felt bad that they were so poorly taken care of. They were in a tiny tank, no filter, and most of the time the students threw food, gum and candy in the tank. After a few breaks, when I returned, the tank smelled and looked like an outhouse. So, needless to say, at the end of the school year, I brought them home with me.
<Thank you -- on behalf of them!>
Now, having said that, I currently do not have any intentions of returning them to the school at the beginning of the year. However, I do not have the accommodations for them at my house. I do have a small fish pond that I was setting up in my back yard that I have sort of placed them in for the time being. I will keep them there if it is the best option.
<Over wintering becomes a problem in your climate and then we have to protect them from predators (raccoons, etc.) as well. You'll have to do that with fish as well, but fish are in some ways 'easier' than turtles.>
I do not have the money to buy a tank, filtration system, chemicals, and all of the other things I have read about on your website.
<You don't need much money. We'll get to that in a minute>
My first instinct was to release them in my backyard, which leads to a small creek. But, given that they have never been in the wild, I was not sure how they would survive.
<Survival skills would be a small issue, but climate, predators and diseases are. Believe it or not, captive turtles can carry respiratory infections that they can deal with quite well but that can be devastating to wild animal populations.>
<This is an important note to all pet keepers>
<Never ever EVER release a captive animal, fish or reptile into the wild.
It's almost always fatal to the fish or animal you're trying to help and when it's not it's devastating to local populations of all kinds of different animals, damaging to the ecosystems ... and ALMOST ALWAYS ILLEGAL!!>
They were able to survive in a very bad school environment for so long with students that do not have much care for human life, let alone that of a reptile.
<Tell me about it>
They have been in my back yard for a little over a month and seem to be enjoying it. But, my concern is that when winter comes, will instinct take over and they will automatically know to hibernate, or are they going to just freeze?
<The hibernation is instinctual, yes. But on the other hand, not every animal that hibernates lives through the winter and even fewer animals that over-winter in a freezing pond survive it. These animals CAN survive -- it's technically possible -- but by no means all DO survive it>
I had them in the classroom and know that they were active the entire school year. When I inquired to the former teacher (now principal) what to do with them over the summer break, she informed me that she never took them home and they were always fine when she returned in the fall. Of course, the janitor informed me that he was feeding them over this period of time and periodically changing their tank water.
<Red Eared Sliders are remarkably hardy animals but what that means is that they can SURVIVE a remarkable amount of mistreatment and neglect. That's not at all the same as saying that neglect or mistreatment are in any way 'good' for them!>
I have never had turtles before, but want to do right by them. I think I have a male and female (one has a longer tail than the other) and I know they were both babies when they were given to the former teacher. Okay, one last concern I have, since I have put them in my back yard, their back claws have seemed to wear down to nothing and periodically bleed. I think it is because they are constantly trying to escape (which also makes me think I should just let them go).
<Again .. NO!>
There were rocks on the bottom of the pond (a plastic pre-form), but I have since removed them and have not noticed the bleeding since then, about 3 days ago.
<My guess is that they're bleeding as a result of metabolic bone and tissue problems stemming from long term diet issues. Let's fix that first. Go find a high quality Koi pellet at your local fish store. They're inexpensive and are a completely balanced diet. Second, assuming they're outside I guess they're getting lots of natural sunshine? And they have a place they can haul out and completely dry off? If so, we're covering the basics. Enough of this and they'll start to heal themselves>
Okay, I know this is a lot, but I just want to help these little guys out the best I can. I would hate for me to try to do them right and end up harming them more than when they were at the school.
<Here's a link to a basic care article that will help you cover the basics.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm >
<the important thing to know is that you don't HAVE to spend a lot of money. For example, turtles of any size will almost always outpace a filter system. Eventually, even with the best filters, the water has to be siphoned and changed. So ... if you can't afford a filter, then you simply siphon and change more often (This goes for ponds as well as in-home setups). When they come inside for the winter, a simple Rubbermaid tub of sufficient size in your garage, laundry room or enclosed porch will be fine. Suspend an ordinary 60 w light bulb over the basking area and you've covered the basics. Proper UV lighting is suggested, but if they've been outside all summer and fall they'll be able to tolerate a few months with minimal environment. Keep the setup simple so that it's easy to break down and drain the water, etc. When things start to heat up in the spring .. be patient. Don't jump at the first warm spell -- let the weather stabilize, maybe late spring and THEN put them outside for the summer.>
<It really doesn't take much money to give a good home to a few turtles ... it just takes someone who cares!>

RES...  sys.    7/11/09
Hi...
<Hiya -- Darrel here>
I was just wondering what your thoughts are on leaving a Red Eared Slider in a covered tank in the backyard. It would be on a covered patio that does not get direct sun.
<OK so far. My first thought was that it doesn't take very long at all for sunlight to heat a glass tank and all it's contents to the point of cooking them ... but as long as no sunlight shines on the tank sides, this might be OK>
I want to give her more room to run and swim and I just don't have the space indoors. I can also bring her in during extreme weather.
<An enclosure on a porch is still and complete environment and must supply all the elements - water, basking area, etc. The main benefit to an outdoor enclosure is that it can be larger but if it's not comprehensive ..
if she can't bask until she's warm and then drop into the water to cool off, etc. then I really don't see the point.>
She has slept with me many times before!
<Presumably she doesn't snore?>
There is 1 thing that just occurred to me and that is we do get raccoons in our backyard from time to time. Will they tear the screen top off to get at her, I wonder?!
<Yes, they will. They can even open gate hasps. In instances like this the entire top of the tank needs to be covered. What I'd so is as follows:
Set the entire tank on a piece of plywood that is 2 inches bigger than the tank all the way around (so, 4 inches longer and 4 inches wider).
Construct a wooden frame just larger than the tank itself from 1" x 1" lumber and attach 1/2 hardware cloth to that with screws or nails (so now you have a screen "cap" that will fit down over the tank top just like the lid of a shoe box. Now at either end, attach a piece of wood or wire that stretches from the bottom wood to the top wood that can be attached to each end of the top with a tiny padlock. Done right, this will confound the raccoons and they'll just move on.>
And is it actually fine for them to be out of the water for 8-10 hrs at a time?
<That's perfectly OK as long as they don't get too hot OR too cold.
Remember, water changes temperature a lot more slowly than air does>
Thanks for the help!
<happy to do it!>
Jewel

A Slider, Mon? 7/8/09
Hi I'm Kelly from Jamaica,
<Hiya -- I'm Darrel from California>
I have a Red Ear Slider that I bought in may from a pet store and I was told that it was one year old at the time. I was told that it is fed on a pellets known as Aquamax 300. However, at the time of purchase the store did not have these in stock and I was given another pellet known as beta bites. The turtle seem to enjoy both, but I'm wondering if this would be enough for it. I've seen in some of your articles where reference is made to turtles being fed crickets and stuff however I'm not seen where these are available at local pet shops. I do have access to fishes. Would just the fish and pellets be enough for it?
<No>
<No fish, no crickets, no stuff like that. Koi pellets are a perfectly balanced 100% diet for all of the Sliders and other Emydid turtles. I raise them from hatchlings to adults that breed their own babies on JUST that and an occasional earthworm as a treat. Fish is not part of their natural diet, can contain parasites and .. because the turtles usually can't catch them, the fish thrive and you end up taking care of them as well!>
Also, indication is made in some articles posted that meat can be fed to them, is it any kind of meat?
<Nope. They're scavengers and opportunistic eaters to be sure. If you give them a steak or a pork chop they'll eat it ... but that doesn't mean it's good for them.>
And may I know the types please. Another thing that your articles suggest as important is an UV lamp, but given the type of climate we live in (tropical), would that be a necessity for my turtle? I do ensure that he gets sunlight everyday or every other day, will this be enough for him? Our temperature range is generally between 27-32 degrees Celsius year round.
<Your climate is perfect for him ... but the sunlight needs to be direct.
Coming through glass does no good at all ... even through screen reduces it's effectiveness quite a bit. The very BEST is a UV lamp that you can place over his basking spot (next to the lamp that provides heat) so that he gets both UV and heat when he needs it and then can cool off when he doesn't.>
Thanks in Advance for your help,
<You're welcome. We enjoy helping!>
Kelly
<Kelly, I'm sending you a link to a BRILLIANT article that covers the entire basics of keeping Sliders and similar turtles. The author is experienced, well regarded in his community (did I mention he was brilliant?) not to mention good looking. EVERYTHING you need to know about the basics is in this article and you can compare every aspect of your care to what this brilliant article mentions and you'll be just fine.>
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>

Tank change affecting turtle? 6/27/09
Dear Crew,
<Hiya -- Darrel here today>
I've had a red eared slider for about 2-3 months now. We just moved him to a 10-gallon tank and used water from the tap. I've noticed that he keeps blinking and closing his eyes and "sleeping" on one of his rocks for long periods of time. His rock is under the water but close to the surface for warmth.
<I'm hoping you also have a rock or platform OUT of the water for him!!!!
A Red Eared Slider will spend 60% to 70% of his day OUT of water, warming and drying himself. They climb out of the water to seek warmth and slide into the water to seek cool.>
He lifts his head up for air but keep his eyes closed. He also hangs his head down like he's bowing. I've never seen him do this before and I'm worried he may be sick or he may be shocked from the tank change. I thought it might have been the pH level of the water, but its the same water we've always been using and has seemed to work fine. He ate when we first put him in the tank and seemed to have normal energy but now seems to be more lethargic.
<Water Ph is not usually a problem for most water turtles. Any water that you'd drink is within PH and Chlorine ranges for a normal, healthy turtle.>
I've seen him blow a few air bubbles from his nose also. I've read a lot on this site about eye and respiratory infections and didn't know if this may be the same situation. His eyes don't seem to be swollen... We fed him a minnow for the first time today also.
<Bubbles from the nose is most probably a respiratory infection and it needs to be treated right away! Obviously the first recommendation is a qualified veterinarian. Failing that, take him OUT of his tank and place him somewhere warm and dry. A temporary shelter can be anything from an empty aquarium to a plastic bin or trash can or even just a cardboard box with high sides (keep in mind a determined turtle is an incredible climber). Add a heat source, which can be a regular electric heating pad (if you're lucky enough to be able to find one without the annoying 'automatic off' feature) to a light bulb suspended over head. Ideally you want to achieve a constant temperature of between 86-90 degrees. Since we are deliberately taking away the turtle's choice to move from cool to warm, we have to pick a constant that fits both needs. NOT having to move between temperature zones and not having to swim or climb is the first step on giving the turtle the ability to direct his attention more toward healing. You must also provide UV-A and UV-B light sources, which perhaps can be moved from his original enclosure or -- in the alternative, a minimum of 10 minutes of direct (NOT filtered through any kind of glass or screen) three times a day. Assuming he is healthy enough to be moving, the regimen will be to place him in a shallow container of luke warm (room temp) tap water every day for 5 minutes in order for him to drink, poop and possibly eat. Shallow means no more than half his shell under water when you place him in it -- and really only enough to cover his tail and cloaca.
Assuming that he is being treated for his actual condition and improving, he can go YEARS in this condition without ill effects.>
<This is not, strictly speaking, a "treatment" for a respiratory infection.
What we're doing is creating a condition that will ASSIST the turtle's own immune system in fighting the infection and healing. It will take 6 to 8 weeks of this isolation and treatment to help him beat it. Remember that the infection will remain for several weeks AFTER the last bubble is visible. If he doesn't respond or if his condition appears to deteriorate, veterinary care will be about his only hope.>
<Meanwhile, review your care and keeping conditions against the article in the link below and correct anything that is wrong.>
Please help!
<I hope we did>
< http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm

Turtle Tank Question 6/25/09
Hi!
<Hiya! Darrel here>
Here's the situation. I have two Red Eared Sliders each in their own tank.
They are still relatively small and are in 10 gallon tanks until I can afford bigger ones. Each tank has a 30 gal filter on it. The problem I'm having is this, Mak's tank has been going through a filter every other day.
The water is crystal clear but when you pull the filter out it is covered in a slime.
<A very efficient filter>
I've tried cleaning out the whole thing, scrubbing and all that and that made the new filter last for maybe a week. Yertle on the other hand has a partly cloudy tank but the filter will last a good three weeks or more.
<since Yertle's filter isn't clearing the slime out of the water as efficiently, the slime stays in the tank and not so much on the filter>
So my questions are, What is the slimy stuff in Mak's filter and how do I get rid of it?
<It's slime. There is, of course, a technical term depending on it's actual makeup and considering what organic residue, protozoa and/or microscopic worms & all that are mixed in ... BUT we professional Herp people use the term 'guck.'>
Is there a way to keep Yertle's tank clear?
<Yes!>
Hopefully I will be able to get each of them bigger tanks soon but I just don't have that kind of money right now.
<Here's the thing: When you scrub the tanks, you're probably not scrubbing inside the filter tubes, impellers. groove where the filter slides in, etc. are you? The problem with 'guck' is that if you don't clean and sterilize ALL of the water-portion of your tank, you leave a colony of it behind, just waiting to reproduce. So here's what you do: Get Mak and Yertle a nice box to live in for about a week. Somewhere warm and DRY .. when they can get and stay completely dry so that any guck living on them will dry up & die. Don't worry about Mak and Yertle ... if they get a 15 minute bath in a bowl or tub of shallow, room temperature water every day .. for say ... 15 minutes (so they can drink, poop and eat) they can live for years without being back home.>
<Meanwhile, put 1 cup of chlorine bleach per 10 gallons of water in the tank>
<NOTE EVERYONE!!!!! 1 cup per actual gallons of WATER ... NOT how big the tank is!!!! A 10 gallon tank (usually about 8.5 gallons actual capacity)
half full of water would be 4.25 gallons of water! Do the measurements and the calculations>
<Be sure to leave the filters running during this period. After 24 hours, you can drain the water, break the tanks down & scrub them with soap and water ... and then rinse, rinse, rinse.>
<When I do this ... I repeat the whole process -- bleach for another 24 hours and then a second wash and second rinse, just to be sure.>
<After the rinse, refill and restart the filters and allow them to run for another 24 hours before putting Mak and Yertle back. From then on, if you keep the feeding to no more than what they will eat in 5 minutes 3 times a week and keep the water changed regularly ... you 'll be guck-free.>
Thank you!
<Yer Welcome!!!!!>
-Beki 

WATER DEPTH, RES sys.   6/9/09
Hi,
I have 2 RES in a 20 gal. tank.
<Need much more room than this>
They were hatchlings when they were given
to me and in a little over a year one is about 2.75" and the larger one is 3.25". The friend who bought them for me also bought her daughter 2. One of hers died and the survivor was deposited in my tank. That one, the same age as mine, was still the size of a half dollar. In two months, it is now the size of my larger one. Here's my question. Their basking ledge is out of the water and the little one fell off one day. She seems fine, in that she eats and basks and begs, but she doesn't hang out with the larger ones
<Are not really a social species>
and when she swims, she tips to one side. As a result, I don't keep the water too deep because I'm afraid she'll drown.
<Mmm, not likely to drown... and more water may be of benefit in diluting wastes, maintaining stability>
Am I being over protective. Should I fill the tank deeper so they can swim or should I accommodate her
apparent weakness. I appreciate your suggestions.
thanks,
donna
<I'd use more water... Please do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/ressysfaqs.htm
and the linked file above in the series. Bob Fenner>

Red-ear turtle... pond, sys.    6/7/09
Hi,
I just finished having a pond put in my back. I purchased a red-ear slider he is beautiful and makes a great addition to my pond.
<You will need a fence to keep terrapins/turtles in place; they [a] walk about; and [b] like to burrow, so unless the fence goes down a good 15 cm or more below the soil, there's no guarantees the thing won't escape.>
On day two he got out and I found him wondering around the yard, I returned him to the pond the next day I could not find him after two days I gave up. While attending to the fish he popped his head. Anyway I was happy I went ahead and built a wall of rocks that I did not think he could climb because they are straight up I thought if he tried to he would just fall back into the water.
<I see. Terrapins can climb rather well, and in the wild, will clamber onto rocks and wood to bask.>
Well now he is missing again, could it be he is hiding and didn't get out.
<Possibly.>
It has been rainy and cloudy out (no sun for a couple of days) but he hasn't even came out for food. In short my question is could my slider just be hiding under water in the rocks waiting for the sun and heat to come
back.
<Perhaps. Would certainly look about your garden a bit, and be open minded to the possibility of escape.>
Thank You for any help you can offer
Addona
<Cheers, Neale.>

Red Eared Sliders and slime 6/1/2009
Dear turtle crew,
<Hiya, Darrel here>
I have two Red Eared Sliders (about 6-7 inches in length, 2 years old) that I think are sick. Recently they have been covered in white slime and gobs of the slim are on the bottom of the tank. Is this common or does this sound like an illness? Could you offer me some insight on this?
<White slime on a turtle is usually a fungal infection, but "gobs of white slime on the bottom of the tank" sounds like just plain terrible water quality. Turtles shouldn't swim in any water you'd rather not swim in and
it sounds like you have a cesspool going.>
<First, take the turtles out of the tank. Using a bowl of lukewarm tap water and a toothbrush, gently scrub & wipe as much of the slime off of their shells and limbs. Naturally they'll tuck in so you won't be able to
get much off their heads, but do the best you can. Rinse the brush under running water as you go and rinse the turtles by short, quick dips into the bowl. When they're clean, put them in a warm, dry place -- a box or
container with high enough sides that they can't climb out. They'll be here for a few days, so a hanging lamp for heating would be a good idea .. as long as they can move out from underneath it to cool down. Every day, put them in a shallow bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes so they can drink, poop and maybe eat... then a quick scrubbing with the toothbrush and finally back in the warm, dry place.>
<By the way>
<Did y'all know the toothbrush was invented in Arkansas?>
<Yep>
<If it had been invented anywhere else it would have been called the TEETH BRUSH!!!!!!!>
<ahem>
<Meanwhile .. take the tank apart and rinse it out to get as much of the slime out as possible. Wash everything you can reach with dish soap and rinse again. Then put it back together with everything that touches the water ... including the filter running ... Add one cup per gallon of water [approx 75ml per liter] (not the size of your tank, but actual volume of water - including filters). Let the setup run for 24 hours, drain & rinse well with fresh water, then break it down and wash with soap (such as dish detergent) again. Fill again and run the setup for 24 hours, then drain, rinse and refill.>
<This is a long process, but the slime is everywhere and while it's easy to remove enough that you can't SEE it, it's harder to remove enough that it won't simply grow back.>
<Once you have everything set up properly and the bleach has been rinsed away and the tank left running for 24 hours, put the turtles back. Please read this link carefully and adjust any or all of your care to meet the standards.>
< http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>
Thank you,
Stephanie
<Yer welcome!>
[Editors Note: WWM would like to apologize to any and all Arkansans, people with missing teeth, any and all persons meeting or offended by the Ozark/hillbilly stereotype and/or anyone, in general, that is offended by this crewmember's jokes. Obviously we have very low standards ... but we're working on it. Ed.]
<<Darrel... you are a hoot! RMF>>

Red worm & UV light question 05/29/09
Hi, I'm Felix from Malaysia.
<Hiya Felix. I'm Darrel here in California>
I have 3 little turtles in my tank for almost 2 months, have a basking spot with a 100W light on it and a filtration system.
<Sounds good. Should I make the general assumption that you have emydid water turtles such as Red Eared Sliders?>
This afternoon I changed my tank's water and wash my filter. I was shocked because there are worms in my filter, and I noticed tat my turtles been eating them, they are small, red and the length of it is about 0.5CM. Are they dangerous to the turtles? Most importantly are they dangerous to us humans?
<There are hundreds of small worms and also worm-like creatures that could be introduced into your tank, Felix. They could be some form of Tubifex that came in as eggs inside a feeder fish or even inside the turtle's gut when you got them. As far as harmful to the turtles, generally no danger except that if left alone they will over populate and pollute the tank.  All creatures like this could potentially be harmful to humans, which is
why it's important to always wash your hands after touching the turtles or any part of their enclosure.>
<The proper course of action is to remove the turtles to a temporary home and sterilize the tank by adding chlorine bleach. One cup per gallon of water [approx 75ml per liter] (not the size of your tank, but actual volume of water - including filters). Let the setup run for 24 hours, drain & rinse well with fresh water, then break it down and wash with soap (such as dish detergent). Fill again and run the setup for 24 hours, then drain, rinse and refill. This is a long process, but you have to kill the worms and any larva and/or eggs that they've left behind. This is why we run the setup with the filter and gravel and basking areas, etc. - every area the contaminated water could touch.>
<Now to prevent this, never introduce wild animals, feeder fish, plants or untreated water into the tank.>
Another question is, my basking area doesn't have a UV bulb/lamp, should I get 1 or is it ok if I bring them out at the sunlight sometimes? How often do I have to bring them out? and for how long?
<they need sunlight or UV light every day, Felix. Twice a day for at least 15 minutes each day -- and during this time you have to watch them closely because if they overheat they will literally cook to death in their shells.  I strongly urge you to purchase a UV fluorescent light -- there are brands out there that are quite inexpensive and work very well.>
Thanks crew, u have a very very nice web page, and it's very very very helpful ^.^
<We appreciate your compliments, Felix!>

Re: UV light question 5/30/09
Thx Darrel for your advice...
<No problem, Felix>
There's another simple question I want to ask, I bought a new Exo-Terra Sun Glow Neodymium Daylight Lamp 60 watt, it says that it creates heat gradients for thermoregulation & Increases ambient air temperature, with another 100 Watt light bulb, will it be too hot for my little red ear slider turtles?
<Yes and no, Felix. Combined, you're putting 160 w of incandescent light on the basking spot. In order to get the basking spot to a constant temperature of 85-95f (29-35c) you'll have to place the bulb(s) so far from the basking area that you lose the benefit of the Sun-Glo bulb.>
The info of the product is :
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/sun_glo_neodymium.php just wanted to know is it safe for my turtles?
<Felix, if you read the site section on lighting products, you see that the one you picked out is UV-A (visual light spectrum) which includes the spectrum of the regular 100W incandescent that you already have. IN THEORY the wider spectrum bulb is providing much more "natural" daylight than a typical soft-white household bulb ... but there are so many factors at play. I don't see on the site there they specify the AMOUNT of output across the spectrum -- in other words, if we could see a graph of the intensity at each wave frequency, I'd bet that the amount of additional output doesn't justify the cost. It's a great incandescent bulb, and if close enough it would work fine IN PLACE OF your existing 100w bulb.  However, when it eventually burns out, you should go back to the cheaper household bulb plus some UV-B bulb, or possibly their SOLAR-GLO bulb, which claims to supply UV-A and UV-B in one bulb. As long as it can be placed far enough away to get the proper heat on the basking area and yet not greater than 30cm (11 inches) it might be a great single solution>
Thank You...
<Yer welcome!>

URGENT: My red eared slider water temperature problem 4/16/09
Dear Crew
<Hiya Wicky -- Darrel here>
Okay, I need to a solution and some information , I have a Red Eared Slider who is 2 inches . He/she eats daily. I feed him pellets which he/she loves to eat and is always begging for more but the problem is I read on various sites that Red Eared Slider need 80F temperature but its so hot here that my water temperature is 86F now is that dangerous for my turtle?
<It's not the best, but it may be a bit much to say "dangerous." Typically I like the water in the low to mid 70's and the basking area in the mid to high 80's and let the turtle choose which temperature is best at any given time. 86 degrees is quite high for the water temperature, but not necessarily life threatening>
And how can I prevent this?
<Prevention depends on cause! Is the basking lamp so powerful and so close to the water that it heats it? Is the air temperature actually 86 degrees or is there sun hitting the tank and heating the water? Can the tank be moved into the shade? Or a cooler room? Even in Canada, people have been known to keep Sliders in large plastic tubs in their service porches (sealed from the weather, but not heated) as long as the basking lamp is on. Look around for ALL the factors leading to the high water temperature and write back so we can consider each one.>
And another problem is when my turtle basks I notice his skin gets dry like on his nose and face I can see some dry white patches like we humans get on her skin in winters when we don't use lotion. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say here I don't have any VET here and I really love my turtle and am doing everything I can for him.
<You sound very concerned and I hope we're able to help. The whitish coloration can be a fungus, usually due to poor water quality and VERY possible given the high water temperature, so search this site (we have a Google Search Bar on the home page) for Turtle and Fungus and you'll see lot's of possible solutions. Two things: 1) If the water temperature is really that high, the water QUALITY needs to be perfect. Make sure the filter is good, changed frequently and do a 50% water change every week.
Remember, if it's just your turtle, you don't need any kind of water conditioner ... just old water OUT & new water IN. Now, remember I said TWO things? The other thing is this: Sometimes the white is nothing more than water spots!! Just mineral deposits from the water that show white when the skin or shell is dry. For the moment, focus on the reasons for the water temperature and what we can do about that.>
He is in a 15-20 gallon aquarium please reply me ASAP! Will be highly appreciated!
<Hope this helps>
<read here for other care info:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm >
with best regards
Wicky

Turtle tank smells 12/01/08
Hi Neale,
I have two red ear sliders, and I just cleaned out my turtle tank a day and a half ago. Last night I noticed that my tank smells sour. What could this be? This has never happened before. Thanks Christine
<Do a 100% water change and give the filter a quick rinse. If the smell goes away, you're fine, and it's just dirty water. Turtle tanks need as much filtration as you can afford, and as many water changes as you have time! If the smell is on the turtles though, might be Shell Rot (rotting shells smell fungusy). Cheers, Neale.>

Re: turtle tank smells 12/01/08
Thanks Neale,
I have two eheim filters with a 75 gallon tank. The water is a little more then a half full. Last week I cleaned out the filters and changed the water. Two days ago I cleaned almost 100% of the water. The water that was left was just the water in the filters. I did find the water is constantly turning green. Could this be it? And how do I get rid of it?
Thanks Christine
<Hello Christine! Hmm... I'd change all the water, even the water in the filter. Put the turtles aside in a bucket or box. Give the mechanical media a really good clean in running water, and then clean the biological media in room temperature, ideally dechlorinated water in a bucket until all the silt is squeezed out. Give the gravel a really good clean, until it's spotless. Put the tank back together again, but don't feed the turtles anything but pondweed! See if that improves things. If the tank gets smelly again within, say, a week, get back in touch. Cheers, Neale.>