Red Eared Slider question

[DAVIDFBT]

What's the minimum size of an aquarium that a RES can be in?

I saw about 5-6 of them at a man-made pond yesterday, and it looks like someone had released them into the wild thinking it is a native species (Even though it does not live in southern oregon) after outgrowing their five-year old son's ten gallon tank. :angryfire:

So I was thinking of saving one from the tough winters here, so that's why I'm asking.
The turtles at the pond look like they are about a foot long and at least 10 years old. (I sneaked up on one and picked him up to count the rings on his carapace.)

Can you also suggest what I can do for the other turtles?

EDIT: I also washed my hands with soap as soon as I got home to protect from salmonella

[wwg]

75 gallon tank for a single one i think

[SchizotypalVamp]

I would suggest a 150 rubbermaid, but you may be able to get away with 75 for one if they aren't very active.

[wwg]

i agree with schizotypal try and get a rubbermaid they cheaper and lighter than a glass aquarium, 75 is the smallest tank for one

[duke33]

If you do the rubbermaid, get one designed for water. The blue ones will bow.

[Vicious_Fish]

Just to let you know that males and females differ in size. If you get a female then go for the biggest size rubbermaid tub you can afford. Males stay smaller but can still max out at 8-9 inches in shell length. You could probably get away with keeping a male in a 75 gallon aquarium. Here's a good link to Red-Eared Slider care and info.

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm

[Notophthalmus]

It's probably too late to save Oregon from sliders; I believe they're well-established in many places there. It's a shame; they out-compete the native painted and pond turtles.

As everyone else said, 75 gallons plus is the way to go. Rubbermaid works; if you're handy you could also build a large plywood box and seal it with epoxy or line it with a durable pond liner. Provide a basking spot, UVB source, and powerful filtration (rated for a much larger tank); turtles are far messier than fish.

Sliders are easy to sex. Adult male sliders have a long thick tail base, with the vent near the end of the tail; have long claws on the forefeet; and are prone to melanism (excess dark pigment development) as they age. Females are larger; have a small tail with the vent near the base; short claws; and are seldom melanistic.

Here's an old melanistic male:
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z161/Newt1453/Trachemysscriptaelegans3.jpg

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z161/Newt1453/Trachemysscriptaelegans2.jpg

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z161/Newt1453/Trachemysscriptaelegans1.jpg

[wwg]

never knew about the melanism,what does the shell look like under all those algae?

[Notophthalmus]

Mottled gray and black. I'll try to get a good photo of my captive melanistic male this afternoon and put it up.

[Vicious_Fish]

I've worked with and kept many different native turtle species here in the US. But the RES is one I've never really had any real experience with. I find that funny because they're so common. I prefer Chrysemys picta myself.

[Notophthalmus]

Heh, RES are sort of the goldfish of turtles. They're common, tough, frequently abused, and have become invasive pests. It's easy to forget that they're also excellent pets.

[Vicious_Fish]

Heh, RES are sort of the goldfish of turtles. They're common, tough, frequently abused, and have become invasive pests. It's easy to forget that they're also excellent pets.

Can't argue with you there. I was going to take in a pair of RES last fall but my friend found them another home which is fine with me. My personal favorite Slider is Trachemys scripta scripta. I'd like to get a pair of them someday. I saw loads of these guys when I was in North Carolina last year. Unfortunately I didn't catch any.

[Notophthalmus]

Yellowbellies are nice. They have a kind of 'inflated' look compared to redears. I like their little blond 'mustaches'.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z161/Newt1453/Trachemysscriptascripta.jpg

[DAVIDFBT]

I think I might go for building a wooden tank for the guy. I think its a great project for me and my dad to work on so we can put it at his house.
How wide, deep, and long should the tank be? Also how thick should the wood be, so he can't bust open the tank. We're trying to go for an under 300 dollar budget here. Is it easy waterproofing and building a wooden tank? Whats the minimum for 2 of them?

[Notophthalmus]

2' X 2' X 6' is a nice size, and you can build it with a single sheet of plywood. 3/4" pine plywood should be adequate; reinforce the corners with 2X4s. Probably the best thing to seal it with is the epoxy used to line concrete pools; it's kind of pricey though. I'm not sure what other epoxies are suitable.

I think this would be adequate for two adults.

[Sploke]

I used epoxy resin from www.masepoxies.com and really liked it. Get the slow curing stuff with the longest pot life. It was the cheapest I could find.

[Notophthalmus]

I'll have to try that, Sploke. Thanks! Does it resist scratching? That can become a problem with turtles.

Also, I realize now that you can only build a 2' X 2' X 6' box from a single sheet if you make the front panel with glass and dimensional lumber; if all panels are plywood you would need part of a second sheet. Sorry!

[SchizotypalVamp]

I forgetted, if you guys find it to be too expensive, a $150 stock tank is like $150 bucks, lol. We're buying one soon for our little guys.

[DAVIDFBT]

Cool. I know that epoxy from Sploke is scratch proof because he has a turtle tank for a snapping turtle. How much would a plywood turtle tank cost if it were 3.5' x 3.5' x 2'? and also how many adults can that hold in it?

EDIT: We don't plan on having one side glass or anything, all sides are going to be plywood. I'll have to read Sploke's turtle tank project to see how to build it.

[Notophthalmus]

The plywood itself would probably run you about $45 for one and a half sheets. Maybe another $5 for 2X4s to reinforce the corners, and $7 for screws and glue. Gravel, rocks, and driftwood could run from free to quite a bit, depending where you get 'em; let's say $20.


That's $77 so far. You can probably add the basking light too before you break $100.

I don't know how much for epoxy; maybe Sploke can tell you that. And then you have a wide range of filtration options. Still, I think you can have the whole thing built and furnished for under $250. Not too shabby!

That size container would be fine for a single adult. I think it would be a little cramped for two. If you could upgrade to 4' X 4' X 2', or 3.5' X 5' X 2', that would be a big improvement. A huge increase in water volume, and essentially the same cost in materials.

[DAVIDFBT]

I think I'll go for 4' X 5' X 2' one. For such a big tank, (300 Gallons) that price is pretty low. Since my dad really loves turtles, this is one project that I won't have to buy everything myself and I won't have to beg and plead with my parents for one more animal. :grinyes:

[Vicious_Fish]

I used epoxy resin from www.masepoxies.com (http://www.masepoxies.com) and really liked it. Get the slow curing stuff with the longest pot life. It was the cheapest I could find.


Ah...sploke, I was hoping you'd chime in. You should post your link to your very nice home made Alligator Snapper tank.

[Sploke]

Here's the link:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=578

The epoxy is generally the most expensive single thing for the plywood tank, even more than glass possibly. I used the half-gallon kit from MAS and it was just enough, and I think it ran me about 65-70 bucks, maybe a little less. My tank is 4'x5'x18", and it has a false wall that had to be sealed as well. I also used fiberglass cloth in the seams, which used a lot of resin as well. So far, it has resisted scratching very well, between the turtle's claws and sliding rocks around during tank cleanings.