revhtree,
I got a red eared slider for free because he had a "growth" on the side of his face, which we were told was scar tissue. That "scar tissue" turned out to be an ear infection which probably cost him hearing on that side, but he's doing great now. He's not one of those small turtles you see in the pet store, but his shell is about 6 inches long and 4 inches wide. I read up a little bit about them, and here is the set up we use. We have "Speedy" in a 29
gal. tank with shallow river rock on the bottom. We got some rocks from Lowe's in the garden center which we pile on top of each other as high as the water level, which is about halfway up the tank. Next to the rocks on the back corner, we have a
powerhead sponge filter which if you are looking at the front of the tank, the rocks are in front of the filter to hide it. Then stuck to the back of the tank near the rocks we have a
landing (mine is different from the picture) where he can climb onto to get out of the water and bask. Instead of a regular hood with lights, we have a screen top to fit the tank and a basking light which sets directly face down on the screen over the basking area. I keep the water cool but not cold (between 70 & 72), and clean his tank about once a week. He is very messy, but as long as the filter is pointed to aim the water so it circulates the flow in a circle around the tank, the filter should pick up most of the waste and leftover food, keeping the water clear.
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