Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys!
I live near a pond that has lots of turtles in it and i thought it would make a good pet!
I found a nice adult one 8 inches long and I caught it yesterday!
I think it is a red eared slider cuz it matches a pic on the internet.
I have it in a 20 gallon with just enough water to cover its shell!
What elce do i need?

I would honestly suggest you return it to the wild. Turtles that are taken from the wild to be kept as pets usually get sick and die or just don't do well after being taken from the wild. If you want a turtle as a pet go to a local pet store or shelter near you and get one from there. They are a lot of turtles that need homes out there. Please return the turtle to the wild or else you very well could kill it.

Also if you were thinking of keeping that 8 inch turtle in a 20 gallon tank you need to do a little bit of research. an 8 inch turtle should have around 75 gallons of water for swimming, atleast 50 gallons. They also need special UV lights, water filters, and water heaters.

I agree let it go a 20 gallon tank is tiny for a turtle plus you need uv light ,etc.

Lots of turtles around here but I would never keep one they do best wild and free

i hope by now you have returned that poor turtle to its natural environment. a slider set up and continued are is extremely difficult and even costly. i have four and while i love them dearly, they are a LOT of work and require daily attention and interaction.

JCK9, where do you live, and could this turtle possibly be ferral?

If so, you could keep it, and would probably be doing the environment, and turtle, a favor. Yet consider the options.

It's mid-winter. Wherever you live it's cold. Letting it go now would do more harm than good, as it would get the turtle sick, make other turtles sick, and it probably won't be able to hibernate properly. Even if you live in the southern U.S., it's not a good time to release it.

Meanwhile, see if it's native to your area. If not, keep it. If so, let it go come spring. But take the advice here. Put it in a larger tank, give it proper lighting/heating, a place to get out of the water, and make sure you have a strong filter.

Feed it a steady diet of ReptoMin, too.

Where are you located? Can you post a picture?

You need a 75 gallon aquarium or a Rubbermaid stock tank for an 8" turtle. It needs a basking spot and deeper water. Don't forget hide spots - artificial silk plants from a craft store, Wal-Mart, or even the dollar store work well as hide spots. Rinse well before putting them in the tank.

Katrina