Red Eared Sliders

Bubble&Squeek · #1 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:05 AM

I very recently became the owner of two Red Eared Sliders. A friend went on a trip, bought them and now her parents won't let her keep them. Instead of letting them get thrown out, I took them in, only to realize after I said I'd take them that I had absolutly no idea what I was doing. Some frantic research and redirecting my money towards turtle supplies, I'm still working on getting my guys into the best possible housing I can get.
I have never owned reptiles before, so all of this is very new to me and I'm having to learn it all as fast as I possibly can, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I've been reading a lot of info on red-ears lately and have been getting a few conflicting reports on what temperature they like, for their basking spot and their water.
How quickly do they grow? I know they get to be about a foot long, but how fast do they do that? They are only an inch and half long right now. (I know, it's illegal to sell them that small, but my friend didn't know it was illegal and I didn't know how big they were until I saw them the day I got them.)
The smaller one is appearing sick. Lethargic, not eating, not swimming, open mouth breathing and he's rubbing his eyes a little so I think they might be itching him. He's going to the vet tommorow so hopefully he'll be alright. He's perked up a bit since I've got the heat lamp in their tank, but he's still not eating.
I have a few pictures of the little guys, if anyone's interested I'll be happy to show them.
Any advice you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated. I need all the help I can get for these little guys.

Slithers · #2 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:17 AM

http://www.redtailboa.net/forums/t20...stionaire.html

VenomMike · #3 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:18 AM

I would suggest a RI from too cold an enclosure. What is the water temp now? Open mouth breathing is usually a RI infection. If they are going to the vet tommorow they should be fine....you do have them in water?

CruiserMaiden · #4 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:28 AM

*wave* See... I told you guys I wasnt nuts... here's the other thread I was talking about these guys on - we can use this one though, since they are her turtles

http://redtailboa.net/forums/showthr...945#post265945

Adrya · #5 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:33 AM

Did you get the info I gave to CruiserMaiden about them?

Depending on how they were previously kept, they may have been kept in dirty water and their eyes could be irritated. Possible vitamin A deficiency... you should be able to find some turtle eye drops in a petstore, that has vitamin A in it.

Let us know what the Vet says.

Also, the babies probably have never had the luxury of a basking heat lamp or UV. Room temperature water is fine as long as its not 65 or below. After the vet visit, let them bask under the heat of the spot lamp and they should perk up a bit.

CruiserMaiden · #6 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:34 AM

I printed out the info you gave me and gave it to her - I just took her over a UV light and a 20 gal aquarium and some other misc. stuff for them. I told her that's what the turtle godess says and to do it, and then to join rtb for future reference

Adrya · #7 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CruiserMaiden

I printed out the info you gave me and gave it to her - I just took her over a UV light and a 20 gal aquarium and some other misc. stuff for them. I told her that's what the turtle godess says and to do it, and then to join rtb for future reference

LOL

What exactly are the bulbs that she's using right now? If she's only using flourescent UVA/UVB bulbs, she still needs a basking incandescent spot lamp for the basking dock... that is an absolute must for them and they especially need it right now, especially the little one that is sick. I'm tellin' ya, it will do a great deal for that little turtle having that heat. If he basks in the heat for long periods of time, let him to so.

The one that I had saved a couple years ago was doing the same thing.. the open mouth breathing and all that.. it had never had a direct source of heat or anything. The basking bulb did wonders.

I've been keeping turtles for 15 years, and have brought back many babies from the brink of death, do as I say. LOL

Bubble&Squeek · #8 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:44 AM

Yeah, I was reading over the stuff she gave me a minuet ago.
I have no idea what they lived in before me and I've only had them three days. I know they didn't have enough water to swim in, filter for the non-exsistant water or any form of a basking light. The water temp's probably closer to 74, though I don't have a thermometer in the water.
They're so tiny I don't know how I will be able to administor medicine to them if they are sick.
How serious is this RI and what does RI stand for?

Adrya · #9 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:47 AM

RI stands for respiratory infection.

If the water is around 74 degrees that's perfectly fine... just get a basking lamp set up with heat, get the ZooMed reptispot bulbs like I was talking about or at least just some kind of basking heat bulb, and those will do wonders. Those ZooMed brand ones put off UVA also.

Right now I think all you can do is just set up everything like the info Cruiser gave to you, and give the little guy a bit of time.. just let him bask. The heat and UV from the lamps will definitely help him out.

Adrya · #10 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 03:51 AM

if you want to keep the water extra clean and easy to clean, don't use gravel in the bottom unless you have an undergravel filtration system... gravel just collects all kinds of poop and debris and gets the water all nasty very quickly. Just leave the bottom bare, but you can put a few small to medium or large size flat rocks on the bottom.. something they can grip on while they walk along the bottom of the tank looking for stuff... that is when the little one gets better.

Bubble&Squeek · #11 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 04:00 AM

Here's pictures, my boyfriend's loves photography so he starts snapping away.

First off, here's Squeek, doing what he always does, sit there under the heating lamp.

and then Bubble, who's day consists of jumping in the water, swimming around, climbing back on the dock, then jumping off again

CruiserMaiden · #12 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 04:01 AM

Umm you forgot half of bubble's day - eating!

Bubble&Squeek · #13 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 04:07 AM

That reminds me, how much should they be eating in one day normally? I get the feeling Bubble would just eat until he was a little round ball stuffed in a shell if I let him. What amount would be a good for him to be eating in one day?

Adrya · #14 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 04:16 AM

They look pretty healthy to me. Just keep offering them pellet food... feed them as much as they will eat in 5-10 minutes, twice a day, every day. Once they get to be around 5 inches they can be fed every other day. Any leftover food just scoop and toss out.

As long as the sick one is basking, that's good. The little one will eat in time, just give him a few days. The heat from the basking lamp will really help him.

Oh and by the way, they grow fairly quickly when they're babies and eating good, but they also grow kinda slow. My adult females aren't completely full grown yet, but they're around 8-9 inches and probably 9-10 years old. My males are around 5-6 inches and 5 years old.

They also won't eat out of the water, they must eat in the water. So any greens or pellet foods you offer them must be in the water.. just drop the stuff in there and leave them be for a bit. If they do pick up any food on land, they'll take it to the water to eat. If either of them are shy, they won't want to eat if you're hanging around. Eventually when they get to be bigger they're be more friendly and curious and want food from you.

Bubble&Squeek · #15 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 04:29 AM

I'm glad they look healthy. What I read said a person can tell which is male and female by looking at them, can you tell if they're male or female?

Adrya · #16 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bubble&Squeek

I'm glad they look healthy. What I read said a person can tell which is male and female by looking at them, can you tell if they're male or female?

At this young of age it's difficult to tell... more around 2 1/2 - 4 inches I could probably tell a lot easier.

here's a link to some recent pics I just took of my turtles this year.

http://redtailboa.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23716

Let me know if you have any more concerns or questions, I'll be glad to help.

Bubble&Squeek · #17 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 04:57 AM

Thank you so much for answering all my questions so fast!

One more though. What's the proper way to handle these guys? Do I pick them up holding the sides of their shells? Or by their stomach and back? Can I pick them up at all?

Edit: My god your turtles are huge...and that's a beautiful pond

Adrya · #18 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 05:15 AM

You're welcome.

Holding them by their stomach and back is better.. when you hold them by the edges of the shells they can easily be dropped that way. I never hold any of my turtles though unless I need to help them get some shedding scales off, or when I'm moving them indoors for the winter or outdoors for the summer. Turtles in general just don't care to be held and it kind of stresses them out. You can hold them sparingly, but I wouldn't make it a habit.. It's tempting, I know, but I find it more fun to watch them. They definitely are the most active reptile in my opinion and very interesting to watch.

Turtles shed their shell scales a couple times a year, so when you see your little ones shed their scales, it's definitely a good sign of growth. It usually takes a while for them all to come off.

Hehe, glad you like my turtles and their pond. I built that myself 2 years ago. A lot of hard work, the digging the most difficult part, but it was well worth it.

My biggest turtle is 11 inches in shell length and I've had her for about 10 years now, along with a few others.

Here's another pic of her. I absolutely love her.

Bubble&Squeek · #19 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 05:22 AM

That's not a red-ear is it?

They are definatly more active than I expected! It's a pleasant suprise considering I had no idea what I got myself into. At least I'm not regretting it.

Adrya · #20 (**permalink**) 06-22-2006, 05:42 AM

No, that one is a Northern Red-Bellied Cooter.... they can grow up to 15 inches in length.

You can always tell the Red-Eared sliders are what they are because they are usually always green with yellow striping on the shell, and they always have the broad red stripes on the sides of their heads... they are called "red-eared" because the red striping is where their ears are.

Here's pics of all my red-eareds
Male

Male

Female

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