Red Eared Slider Turtle Behaviour and Temperament

Red eared slider turtle make good pets because they are active and like to swim and dive. Red-eared sliders born in captivity tend to be friendlier and less shy than those born in the wild. In fact, wild turtles usually hide in their shells or go underwater when they hear or see something (or someone) coming toward them. Sliders that were raised in captivity, on the other hand, might swim up to you expecting a treat. Don’t buy wild turtles that end up in the pet trade. The stress of the change in lifestyle can cause them to get sick or even die before their time.

When you pick up a red-eared slider, you might find one that wants to play with you. However, it’s more likely that your pet will feel scared and either hide in its shell or nip. Most of the time, it’s best to give your turtle space and just watch it instead of touching it.

Housing the Red-Eared Slider Turtle

A proper habitat for a red eared slider turtle won’t come cheap, so be ready to spend a couple hundred dollars on it. No matter what a salesperson at a pet store tells you, your baby turtle will not do well in a small plastic container. Get an aquarium, even if the hatchlings are very small. You can start with a 10-gallon tank, but a 20-gallon tank is better. Keep in mind, though, that your turtle will grow quickly and need a bigger tank soon.

You will also need to have full-spectrum UV lighting, a basking heat light, and a place for the fish to dry off. The docking area should have a ramp that makes getting out of the water easy and a stable spot where the turtle can lie in the sun to soak up heat and UV rays.

In warm places, some red-eared slider turtles can live outside in a pond all year long. But you still need to make sure that your pond is healthy and that your turtle is safe from predators, cold weather, and pesticides.

Heat

Turtles can get sick if they don’t stay warm enough, so it’s important to keep the temperature around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The turtle should be able to bask at a temperature between 85 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to keep track of how hot or cold the water is. If it gets too low, you can add a basking light or something else to heat it up.

Light

Full-spectrum To give your turtle the same benefits as natural sunlight, you need to put UV lighting over its aquarium. Leave the light on for 10 to 12 hours a day.

Substrate

Substrate is the material at the bottom of the tank where your turtle lives. Not only is it pretty and often looks like the animal’s natural habitat, but it can also give your pet a place to burrow. If you want to make cleaning the water easier, you can leave the bottom of your tank empty. But if you want to line the bottom of the tank with something, choose gravel or rocks that are too big for the turtle to eat.

Food and Water

Red eared slider Turtle eat both plant and animal foods. They eat leafy greens, dried shrimp, krill, and crickets, among other things. It’s fine to feed your pet turtle a brand of turtle food made by a company. Most of these foods are made to provide a complete diet. Follow your vet’s advice about how much to feed your turtle to keep it at a healthy weight for its size. There is no need to add water to the aquarium besides what is already there.

Many people who own red eared slider turtle choose to feed them in a bowl of water outside of their main tank. Along with good filtration, this can help keep the water clean.