redearslider.com

Hi All,

I am new to the forum and to turtle ownership. I found 2 red eared sliders that had been abandoned in a very very small container - they were about 1 inch each. So without knowing anyting I adopted them. My brother gave me a 10gal tank and off I went. I bought a heater, UVA/UVB light and basic filter. So it was only about 2 weeks before I figured out this would NEVER work. So I upgraded to a 30 gallon wide tank and a Fluval U4 filter. So far this has been working well. Water is clear and turtles are very happy. So now about 6 months later the turltes are now about 2 1/2-3 inches. I can see that the tank is getting to small very quickly. I am not sure what to do next. Clearly I need a bigger tank. I found one on craigs list 185Gal with a stand for $350 which seems like a good deal.

That being said I have read that maybe I should not go all the way to the big tank because they may not get along. But I do not want to keep buying tanks and filters. So I am looking for some guidance. Should I go ahead and get the giant tank and do the setup? Or should I go with maybe a 75 gallon just to see how this goes. I do not want to have to keep buying tanks and filters etc, but I do not want to take the big plunge if it will not work.

What should I do?


Thanks!

Adrienne

You should get a 120 gallon or up. They will be fine. You should also get a bigger dock and better filter. Red eared sliders grow big from 6" to 12".

You could go for the big set-up and if they don't get along, put a divider in place.

You are close to being able to sex them. Once you figure out their genders, do you can upgrade accordingly. If you want a large tank that you can divide like ataraxiamb mentions, then you'll be looking at 120-200 gallons.

Does the tank come with anything besides the stand? What are the dimensions? Was this used as a salt water tank before?

The tank comes with a stand but no filter -so I may hold off a bit to see if I can get a more complete setup.So are the less likely to get along if they are different sexes? So far they are diong great togeher both are the same size and they seems to do fine an feeding time.

Here is a picture of their tank. How much longer can they stay in here??

Thanks!
Adrienne

Until they get 6 inches or more.

rykasimba wrote:Here is a picture of their tank. How much longer can they stay in here??

Thanks!
Adrienne

How long do you think it will be before you could afford a very large tank (i.e. their permanent home)? Ideally they should be in a 65-75 gallon now, but as you know, they will continue to grow. If you're thinking a matter of months before you can get that 120+ gallon tank, then they should be fine, if a little cramped until then. If it's going to be quite some time before you can do a full upgrade, I'd think about doing an in between upgrade as soon as possible.

They should ideally have at least 10 gallons per inch per turtle. If they get too cramped, they're more likely to get aggressive/territorial.