Discussions with Zharphyn

Too many people purchase those adorable baby turtles at their pet shop without any knowledge of the species. People do not seem to realize that baby turtles will grow up to be adult turtles, with a corresponding size increase. One of the more common species of pet turtles, the Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) will grow to be up to 12″ in diameter. These elegant creatures are relatively easy to care for, if you know what you are doing.

Unfortunately, too many people do no research before purchasing one, relying instead upon the knowledge of the pet store staff. Do people not realize that pet store staff are underpaid, and typically possess little knowledge beyond their own experiences. I was at a local pet store recently where I saw “Turtle Starter Kits” for sale. The kit was a ten gallon aquarium with filter and heater, and included a baby Red-Eared Slider. As I was laughing to myself about the stupidity of this package, a man and his son picked one up with the intention of purchasing for the eight year old boy to raise. I quickly asked the man what he knew about how to care for the turtle, and he implied that he assumed it was similar to a fish. When I informed him that while the ten gallon aquarium would be an adequate sized house for the turtle today, it would very quickly outgrow its environment and require a much bigger aquarium very soon. He asked how long I thought the ten gallon would be big enough, and I responded “less than a year”. I told him that the turtle requires sufficient swimming space in relation to its size, and as the turtle grows, its space requirements will increase. He wound up putting the kit back on the shelf, and suggested to his son that they find a different animal. I found the nearest salesperson, and I asked who had put together the kit. He told me that it was the store owner that had assembled the kit. I asked if he knew how big the turtles would grow, and he responded that the kit is supposed to be just to get you started, and that you would need to purchase larger capacity equipment over time.

It is attitudes like this that have led many places to change and create laws to deal with the sale of turtles. In 1975, U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of turtle eggs and turtles with a carapace length of less than 4 inches, although a loophole in the FDA regulation allows turtles under 4 inches to be sold “for bona fide scientific, educational, or exhibitional purposes, other than use as pets. The State of Maine just changed their laws to specifically ban the sale of Red-Eared Sliders. Too many people release their turtle into the wild when they outgrow their homes. Most ponds and lakes near where I live have a population of Red-Eared Sliders, and they are not an indigenous species to this area. They are becoming viewed as an invasive species. The Red-eared Slider is banned in Australia because of the threat the species poses to wildlife. Anyone that keeps or breeds Red-eared Sliders could face fines of more than $100,000 or five years’ jail.

Remember, pets are forever. You should never accept an animal that you do not know how to care for through its entire lifespan.

There is much belief that turtles are difficult to care for, and will kill you with Salmonella poisoning if you touch the outside of their habitat. These beliefs are not true. In the 60s and 70s, people would keep their little pet turtles in small bowls with unfiltered water. These bowls were too small for the turtle, yet the turtles had to live in, swim in and eat in the same water that they use as a bathroom. If this water is not cleaned regularly, naturally it will lead to health problems. Imagine that you lived in a small room; you ate off of the floor, and you used the same floor as your bathroom. How long would it take for you to contract serious health problems? Turtles are no different. The turtle will become ill, and the turtle’s shell will become a haven for bacteria. It is recommended that you always wash your hands immediately after handling your turtles or touching their environment. Putting your hands into their water can be as dirty as cleaning your cat litter box with your bare hands.
While a little turtle in the store can be very cute, it is much the same as any other animal. The baby animal will grow into a larger animal. A baby Red Eared Slider can be 1″ or smaller, yet full grown they can be up to 12″ in length. To determine what size you need for your turtle, you can use the following guidelines. The length of the water area should be at least 5 times the length of the turtle, the width should be at least 3 times the length of the turtle, and the water should be at least 1.5 to 2 times as deep as your turtle is long. A 12″ long turtle would need a tank 5′ long, 3′ wide, and 18″-24″ water depth. Which calculates to a 225 US gallon aquarium. When you factor in the weight of water, you are in excess of one tonne. This can be a daunting concept for some people, but when you consider the beauty of watching happy, healthy turtles, it is well worth the investment. Also, you do not need to jump right in to the large tank, my turtles are five years old, and are happily living in my 108 gallon tank.
Your turtles will need somewhere that they can get out of the water and bask. The basking area can be provided by stacking smooth rocks, sloping smooth large gravel to one side to make a land area, using wood, or a plastic “turtle dock.” Whatever you choose to construct a basking spot, make sure your turtle can climb onto it easily, and that it allows your turtle to completely dry off. Turtles are strong swimmers and tend to push their way through obstacles, so make certain that, however you design the basking area, it is very secure and stable. The basking area will need to have a basking light. You can use a reptile bulb/heat lamp in a reflective cover, but make certain that there is no way the turtles are able to touch the light or that the light can fall into the water. The basking light will help heat the air in the tank, as well. In addition to the basking light, you need to have a full spectrum reptile UVA/UVB light. Turtles need UVA/UVB light to maintain overall health such as improving appetite. When the weather is sunny and warm, you should bring your turtles outside where they can benefit from natural sunlight.
The temperature of both the water and the air is very important. Try to maintain a water temperature of 23-26 C (75-78 F), and a general air temperature of 24-27 C (75-80 F) with the basking spot at 32-35 C (90-95 F). If you have hatchlings, increase the water temp approximately one degree over the top of the normal range. If you use a submersible heater to maintain water temperature, be aware that the turtles will beat it up and knock it around. Try to position the heater in a way that the turtles will not come into contact with it. Have a good thermometer to monitor water temperature, but avoid the stick on strip style, they can be influenced by the temperature in the room.
Turtles are very messy creatures, so extra filtration is necessary. As a rough guideline, when you are choosing your filters, cut in half the estimated tank size that the filter claims to maintain. You will also need to use a gravel cleaner regularly, and maintain a weekly 25% water change. Some people try to feed their turtles in separate containers to minimize the mess made in the main aquarium.
With the correct care and conditions, a healthy Red Eared Slider can live a very long time. I have heard estimates of between 20 and 50 years. Which means that unlike that rodent which will quickly teach your children about death, a turtle will become a member of the family and can watch your children be born, grow up, get married and have children of their own.

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