Urgent Care :: Can you all help a newbie with red eared slider turtle

[xsavingsaturdayx]

haha,yeah but dont worry it gets easy once you have everything.if you have anything to ask id suggest you ask here or even the moderators who know alot.

[karbay]

thanks i am new so i am surfing the site etc . trying to find some tanks set ups so i will know what to do . Do vets really treat a turtle i know that sounds DUmb but i just cant see me bringing in a turtle ok so i am a newbie got lots to learn i guess

[xsavingsaturdayx]

yes,vets do see them.most people see them as disposable pets but they arent,if your turtle ever gets sick it is YOUR responsibility to take him to a vet a herp vet (they specialize in reptiles) hatchlings are prone to diseases,water thats too cold can cause him to have pnemonia(repiratory infection) which is the number one killer of turtles who live in those little bowls they sell at the pet shops,dont thinkim mad at you or anything im mad at the lousy lady who sold the turtle to you,because of people like her poor inocent turtles die in those tiny filthy containers with cold water,they live longer than a dog theyre life span is 60 years at the most.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

by the way they reach to be atleast 12 inches at maximum,which then requires atleast a 120 gallon tank.so keep that in mind!

[megcornell]

I saw you said you were getting the tank this coming weekend. You may want to move that petstore visit up to tomorrow or as soon as possible. Your turtle may not survive a week in that small bowl, you can't regulate temperatures well enough in it, and there isn't enough water for him to eat it. Young turtles can get ill very quickly.
When you do buy a tank, buy the largest one you can. When my turtle was a hatchling I bought a 10 gallon tank to start with and he outgrew it in a few weeks so it's best to buy the equipment for a larger tank so you don't have to upgrade as quickly. One semi expensive 30 or 40 gallon tank now is better than a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon etc.
Good luck with your new turtle!

[karbay]

it was at market i paid 15.00 for the whole thing and given food in a bag with a sheet on takig care of it guess it was just cheap earning but we are animal lovers so we will be at the stores first thing on sat . how do you know if they are sick ? is there something i need to look for?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

yes,if he's swimming lopsided gasping for air or just being realy sluggish,then you should have him checked out by a vet it could be a RI(repiratory infection)which doesnt go away by itself,its highly fatal if not treated.

[megcornell]

Since your tank is inadequate to show normal behaviors there's not a good way to see abnormal behaviors. You need to get a tank sooner unfortunately. Take a look on the website to see what it will need: lights (UVA and UVB), heater, dock, filter, etc....

[Hoooneylynn]

Karbay, look at the photo gallery. There are LOTS of pics of tanks.. and karbay? You can touch your turt! just wash your hands good because they can carry salmonela... and dont touch the water for 6 months? ridiculous! you need to clean the water every week or so! do you know about the proper lighting yet? Theres a lot of people on this site that are VERY helpful. Being a new turt owner is confusing, and a lot of people who sell turts dont know much about them... by the way, did you buy your turt from a pet store? Its illegal in the united states to sell turts under 4 inches.. I would like the get hatchlings if I got another setup, but I wouldnt know where to find them.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

like megcornell said the sooner you get his stuff the better,he can get REALY ill from the water fluctuating.

[karbay]

well my story is my husband lost the check book this weekend so our account is being dealt with earliest i can go is thurs but i am hoping he will be tough and get warm under stove light until i can get to store i might find a bigger contaier clean it out and put him in there for temporary at least i am trying

[xsavingsaturdayx]

as long as your going to get everything you need for him,and your going to take the best possible for care for him.then its ok.but thursday make sure to get his stuff.

[karbay]

hi hooony thanks i got it at a traders village (like a big market type place) all i know they said it was a red eared slider turtle ) i paid 5.00 for him and feed him every other day with one pellet and that was it . so sounds like i got the wrong information .

[xsavingsaturdayx]

yeah,you got the wrong info...but hey you're learning! its a start!

[karbay]

ok so give me a list of what to look for god help if the folks at store give me wrong stuff lol WOW i dont think me and my hubby knew what we were getting ourselfs in but sounds great once we learn how to care for him .