Hi there. Well, if your friend's turtle is OK, and they wants to keep it long-term, instead of subjecting it too ill-fit conditions, they will need to do five things:

1. Move the turtle to a 20 Long. Even though it's just a newborn, with a larger tank, the waist (turt poop) wouldn decompose and cause the water to cloud up as quickly. Also, 'pending on the species, the 20 Long should support it approx. for about 6 to 12 months until your friend will need to likey upgrade to a larger tank to support the actively level of these reptiles. When kept properly, turtles constantly swim, bask, and swim. Kept into of a small environment, will short the lifespan, when properly kept with correct husbantry, turtles are capable living in capativity for 10-25 years.

2. Likewise with moving the baby turtle to a larger environment (tank size), they should invest in a filter, either submersable or canister type works well. A filter will absorb the access poop/waist also from accidently over-feeding. Thus water changes for this newborn turtle should be needed once a month with a good filter, and more frequent water changes as the turtle growns into maturity.

3. Your friend is not providing the proper heat (so it seems you are aware and concerned) and in addition they are not exposing their "pet" to a UBV bulb in conjunction with the heat. Not knowing the species of the turtle in question, all I can offer is a general guideline for temps. Basking site on top of a rock, etc., (warm spot) must be 84-88F for metabolizing/keeping warm, as reptiles are cold blooded. Water temp: 74-80F. Your friend will HAVE to leave the heat source on for 12 hours. I recommend an incondecent bulb; 100 watts, which you can pick up at a reptile shop. Household bulbs, such as the desk lamp; the reflector inside is poor, thus the heat is minimal. A submersiable thermometer would be an excellent item to pick up and can be placed in the water.

As for a UVB bulb and fixture for the absorbtion of Vit. D3 that allows calcium to be metabolized, any reptile shop should carry such a bulb and fixture for the bulb. ZooMed or Exo Terra are good companies and they manufacture UVB bulbs as well as heat bulbs.

Without a UVB bulb and no access to Vit D3 in general, your friend's turtle will develop a higher risk for a condition called Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), and as a 1 in turtle, it likely will live only a few weeks, less without any heat. A Google search will provide more info on MDB.

4. Your friend should incorperate other items in their turtle's diet other than Reptomin to enhance lifespan and overall enjoyment. Would you want to eat hamburgers for the rest of your life??? Much less, how healthy do you think you would feel eating burgers for a lifetime?? : ) Healthy turtles will except earthworms, live crickets, butterworms, mealworms, as well as romaine, kale, mustard greens, chopped carrots, etc. Yes, turtles are Omnivores! :D

5. Funds. Probably obvious by now, but if your friend truly wants to keep their new friend for its adverage lifespan, about 8 years, the cost to setup for a 20 Long tank for their newborn turtle, will likely range to at least $100-150 dollars.

If your friend is not commited enough to invest, than I would encourage you to care for the turtle since you seem concerned for your friend's pet. If you both choose to leave the turtle in the plastic 2.5 enclosure, it will die, and soon, if it hasn't already. : (

Also, check out turtleforum.com. The website seems to have decent information.

Good luck.


"My friend brought a small turtle (not a red-ear slider) to college. She keeps it in a small 2.5 gallon plastic container with two spots to dry off on rocks and in between is two inches of water. It wasn't until recent that I told her to keep some form of incandescent light over it to keep it warm. She put a desk light on it with a regular 40W bulb. I think she keeps it on for about 4 hours a day. The water is changed at least once a week. She feeds it small pellets by reptomin from tetra. I think she needs advise on the care and setup of this turtle because it doesn't seem to look healthy."

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