Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all : )

I am waiting for my new red ear slider turtle hatchlings to arrive. I just have a few questions. My turtles are going to be between 1-10 months old, so they are still going to be very small.

I have been reading many different sites on care of the turtles.
Some sites say to feed every day, some say every 2-3 days.
what is the best thing to feed them?

Can other fish be in the tank with them? I heard that putting goldfish in the tank is fine. Will the turtles try to eat the goldfish?

Also, can bottom feeder fish be put in the tank? or another type of fish that can help "clean" the tank?

Thanks for any help or tips you can give me : )

Robyn

Hatchlings can be fed everyday a small amount, about the size of their heads. At about 2 inches you can cut back to every other day. Goldfish just make the water dirtier, a catfish or algae eater may be helpful at controlling algae at least until the turtle eats them.
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i have had great results keeping both corydoras catfish(larger species may be better)and fast moving fish like giant danios in w/my baby turts.

Just out of curiosity, from where are you buying them? Are they being shipped to you? This is a very dangerous time of year to be shipping reptiles. Watch them closely for signs of illness, such as listlessness, constant basking, lilting to one side in the water, and so on. I don't want to sound like the harbinger of doom, but it's just so risky to ship right now (unless the turtles are going from one end of FL to the other). Don't expect them to eat for the first day or two.

Katrina

I adopted them off of artsofnature.com

They say they ship them overnight with 48 hour heating pads.

Robyn

Good luck with them. Arts of Nature isn't an adoption service, though. It's a for-profit company. If they were an adoption service, they would have more than babies for adoption.

Do you have a UVB light and heat light ready? I recommend feeding every day, enough to equal the size of thier head, for the first few weeks at least. As the turtles grow you can change to every other day. Sometimes hatchlings will start on live foods first before pellets, or near live foods, such as frozen blood worms, pieces of earthworms, or small crickets. Most pet stores have frozen blood worms, if the turtles won't eat pellets for you.

When they arrive put them in very shallow water for a couple of hours, only an inch or two, then gradually add more water if they act normally. They will be disoriented from shipping, and possibly exposed to the cold, so keep the water shallow for a little while so they can adjust. Just don't let the water overheat if it's shallow. A water thermometer is a must.

Katrina

Thank you sooooo much for your help : )

I wanted small hatchlings when I got turtles, and in my state, you can't find them under about 6 inches or so big, so I had to order them.

I found some in Florida when I was just there on vacation, but I couldn't bring them home on the plane, and they wouldn't ship them.

I got a complete starter kit from arts of nature. It comes with the tank, and lighting, filters, food and everything.

I did buy a shallow little tank today that I planned on using to feed them in, once they got accusomed to the tank. Don't want to shock them all at once.

Robyn

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/

You might find this website worth a look. You said that you're getting the aquarium kit. You'll still need a UVB light. I recommend Reptisun 5.0, if the light fixture that comes with the tank is the kind that takes a florescent bulb. Most pet stores sell Reptisun, or you can order one from http://www.drsfostersmith.com - for a ten gallon tank you usually need an 18" light.

I see that Arts of Nature says you will only need to change the water every two months. You'll likely have to change it more often than that.

Once the turtles are eating, might I recommend hatchling turtle food from Walkabout Farms? http://www.speakeasy.org/~dervish/herpnutrition/catalog.htm

Katrina

Hi Katrina,

I really do appreciate all your help and tips you have given me. I thought I was getting my hatchlings from a good place, and guess I just have to hope for the best when I do receive them.

If things don't work out from there, where do you suggest I can get some hatchlings shipped from? Even if I have to wait for the summer time for warmer weather.

Robyn

Well, there are a lot of rescues and herpetological societies out there. Visit www.anapsid.org or check out the adoption or organization section here on Kingsnake to find one. Some might have hatchlings, but almost all will have sliders for adoption. I usually recommend a male slider for beginners, because they stay smaller than females. You can also do a search on www.petfinder.com

Katrina