Care Of a Slider Turtle

There are several types of slider turtles and one of the common types of the turtle is the red-eared slider. You often see slider turtle piled up in small tanks at homes. These turtles are mostly found in lakes, streams, ponds, marshes and slow-moving rivers with muddy bottoms. The ideal water temperature for turtle is 75 to 82° C and basking temperature is 85° C.

The slider is quite admired as a pet but they require the same amount of care as all other turtles do. Keep in mind that they can grow up to 11 inches in length, therefore your tank should be spacious enough. They require lots of space to swim and rest. A tank of the turtle should contain plenty of small rocks in the bottom so that your turtle can dig in, as they love doing it. Care of a slider is essential if you want it to survive long. Care of a turtle involves choosing the right food, providing the right environment, furniture, heat, and water.

Diet of the Turtle:

Usually, they like to have feeder fish (avoid goldfish), earthworms, tubifex worms, slugs and shrimp with shells. You can also feed trout or catfish chow, turtle brittle and insects to your slider turtle. Occasionally you can add dark leafy vegetables or carrot in their diet.

Environment for red-eared turtle:

Slider requires plenty of space in their tank to bask, swim and hide. A tank of slider should be 4 times longer than the turtle’s upper shell length. The water level of the aquarium should be deep enough so that they can swim properly. They require a basking area in their aquarium to rest.

Furniture for slider turtle

Avoid the use of metal weight or support plants as a turtle can eat them. If you are thinking of keeping the slider turtle in your garden pond, make sure that the pond is covered and safe from predators. One should provide a platform to their turtle so that they can climb out of the water to bask or dry off.

Heat for slider turtle

Use the efficient heater in your slider aquarium. Avoid the use of heat rocks or heating pads in your slider turtle aquarium as they can cause severe burns. The basking area should be kept at 85° C and water to be at 75 to 82° C temperature.

Water quality

One needs to maintain the water quality of their slider aquarium. Aquatic turtles should be provided with an efficient water filtration system. The water of slider needs to be cleaned weekly even if you are using a filtration system.

The above-mentioned points will guide you in keeping the slider as a pet. There’s so much to learn about slider care that it may seem impossible to learn it all. The potential of the slider is dependent on the care and attention are given by humans. The owner should learn about the basic care of a slider before procuring it.