Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have five RES, all about two years old. Three females and two males (based on length of toenails and shelll size), ranging from 10 inches to 6 inches. The two largest are in a 55 gal, and the three smallest in a 40 gal. Each tank has a Zoo Med slider hood with heat lamp, basking lamp and reptisun lamp. They eat Reptomin sticks (and don't like anything else!) daily. They seem to be very healthy--lots of active swimming, eating well, and hard, not deformed shells. Don't see a lot of bulging, either.

I know they're overcrowded--just learned about the 10 gallons per inch of turtle today. We have two main problems: filtration and basking.

Filtration: each tank has a Fluval 404 Plus internal filter, which supposedly moves 240 gal/hr. Doesn't keep the tank even remotely clean--and they knock it off its suction cups, so it ends up on the bottom, further impairing its function. (We feed in the tank--it really seems to upset them to move them out, and then they won't eat.) Water level in both tanks is at least 12 inches.

Basking--We need some sort of island. The heaviest turtle weighs about two pounds--the suction cup islands aren't strong enough, and big rocks collect a red algae, which gives them conjunctivitis. They also need a ramp--the littlest ones can climb up, but Samantha, the biggest, is just too big to climb up without a ramp.

We live in northeast Ohio, where the winter temps can get below zero and (and frequently remain in the 10-20's all winter). People have suggested that we build a pond in our backyard for them, and I'd be happy to do it next summer, but what about winter? Even if they hibernate, is it too cold here?

Any suggestions/advice would be gratefully appreciated! We really enjoy having these turtles and want to give them the best habitat we can.

Try large rubbermaid containers for winter housing. They are cheap, and you can fill them almost to the top. Ditch the internal filters for canister filters, which sit outside of the tank. The Fluval 404 works. Your turtles are enormous for their age, they shouldn't be more than 2-3 inches at 2 years old. They souldn't have reptomin more than 3 times a week, and need to eat their greens and veggies daily.
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i dont know if it would help, but if you put them in the backyard...can you get a toolshed. or maybe build one? when my cousins were 10 yrs old they built a play house...it was a good size, and it didnt seem to hard to build. you can make one and then hook up a heater in there to keep the air warm and just buy a bunch of ceramic lights to keep the area warm. i dont know. i hope everything works out.
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0.0.1 Red Eared Slider

Thanks for the info. Obviously part of our problem is that we're overfeeding--I'd read that juveniles should be fed daily. I knew Samantha was too big, but didn't realize the others were, too. Are they too big to be considered juveniles, even though, age-wise, they are?

dsgnGrl, I didn't understand what you meant about Rubbermaid containers. I'm new to this... did you mean fill them up with water or with dirt? And will the turtles be OK outside to hibernate next winter?

No, big rubbermaid containers- 55 gallons or larger, you fill them with water.
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Feed them every other day and try to incorporate other things into their diet first off.

Next regarding outdoor hibernation. It is possible. You must put in a pond not less then three feet at the deepest point (in your temps I recommend a bit deeper. You will also need to have a pond de-icer and you can even have a bubble system as well (if you like to engage inoverkill like I do). Please understand that their are always risks involved with hibernation. Most of the time they do fine. But there is always the possibility of losing one.

What I do is to leave out everyone who is in good shape for hibernation. Indoors I built an indoor pond that is really neat and fun. I got cinderblocks and make a 3 foot wide by 6 ft long by 12 inch deep rectangle. Then I put a soft pond liner in that rectangle and used some patio blocks to trim off the the edge and hold the liner in place. I put a laguna pond filter in it and a heater just to make sure the water stays warm enough and that's it. Then I built a rock island in the middle of the pond and have a 100 watt mercury vapor bulb suspended over taht for basking purposes. The turtles are doing great and have tons of room to move around in. It literally took me 2 hours to do the whole thing and it really looks great!! The great part is that you can drain it, take it apart and pack it away in a matter of an hour or so. SOOO you can have an outdoor pond for them during Spring, Summer and most of the Fall and set this up for them in the Winter.

Steve

Thanks, Steve. That sounds like a very good idea. I wouldn't want to take the chance of losing one over the winter, but it would be really nice, for them and for us, to have them outside during at least some of the year. We've talked about getting a preformed pond liner for them, but this will work even better.

And this also gives you the option of making it as large as you want.

My husband brought up a good point--I'm assuming this is in your basement--does this increase the humidity in the basement? We already have a moist, but not wet, basement.

Sandy

Actually it is on the ground floor of my house (I have a high ranch and don't have a basement.) It does increase humidity a little but really not much more than having a large fish tank set up. The the pond is 6 ft long 3feet wide and only 12 inches deep which amounts to just roughly 120 gallons of water. For the VERY slight humidity increase is a bonus as I have a pen with some Redfoot tortoises in this room as well and they like the air a little more humid. I have friends with many turtle setups in their basment and it does not get musty smelling or too damp. So I wouldn't worry too much about that.