Otis the Yellow Belly Slider

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JennaSimpson

JennaSimpson

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
196
Location
Lafayette, La
I just got back from a trip to Destin,Fl and bought my son a yellow belly slider turtle while there . He's just a hatchling so for the time being I have him in a 10 g . His tank is half full with water with anacharis planted and some petrified wood for hideouts . I've had him three days and they tank " carrier " the had him in was pitiful . He seems very cozy in his new home where he likes to bask on his big rock . He has been eating freeze dried meal worms and lettuce . I have no
Experience with turtles but I felt so bad for them I had to bring one home . I've been reading about them but all websites pretty much say the same thing . Any helpful advice ?
 
I'll figure it out when the time comes . It should be ok for another year or at least that's what I've read . My sister has a pond so worst case scenario I'll be relocating Otis ! Would he be ok in a fresh water pond ? I would assume so , there are other turtles in there .
 
freshwater.youll want to put him in a pond,these guys neeed a huge tank(like...100 gallon minimum) when there adults.
 
Of course the pond would be freshwater lol sorry I didn't mean to word that as a question .. We will just enjoy Otis for now and set him free when the time comes . Then I'll have a new fish experiment to start with his tank ! Or who know maybe I'll try some frogs or something :)
 
Do you think ? Hmmm .... There are only fish in the pond and other turtles so he wouldn't have any predators .. Maybe I could do an experiment and paint his shell with an x or something and see how that goes . The fish get fed , and I know he wouldn't just pass up a snack . But I'll do some research and think about he's still very tiny so it'll be a while before any new homes are made for Otis .
 
Here are some picture of Otis on this beautiful morning !
 

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jennagsimpson said:
Do you think ? Hmmm .... There are only fish in the pond and other turtles so he wouldn't have any predators .. Maybe I could do an experiment and paint his shell with an x or something and see how that goes . The fish get fed , and I know he wouldn't just pass up a snack . But I'll do some research and think about he's still very tiny so it'll be a while before any new homes are made for Otis .
Click to expand...

Go to www.turtleforum.com, they have plenty of articles on why you shouldnt set turtles free. If I wasnt on the cell I would posted a link to a good article. When I get home I will. Anyways make and account on there, they are very helpful-Just like the folks here on AA.
 
I have a yellow bellied slider named Juliette and she is almost 2. They can get to be about 6-8" for male and 8-10" for female. So that means that when your turtle gets bigger you need at least a 55 gal which is what mine is in currently. The meal worms and lettuce are good for juvenile and adult turtles but when they're a hatchling like yours you also need some pellet food from your local pet store or even a Walmart. Get the stuff that says 'for hatchlings' on the side. Also make sure you have a basking lamp with an area for them to bask because they are basking turtles. They can live between 25-40 years so be prepared! Any other questions use google or my favorite turtle site is Austin's Turtles! Good luck!!
 
You do not have 1 year or so. They grow very fast. Like others said, you'll need a large tank or a pond with places to get out under a proper basking lamp.
Rather than releasing him into the wild (which you really don't want to do, it's not just about predators, it's about the natural environment too), find an organization around you who might take him.
 
From the pic it's hard for me to tell, but it looks to me like that turtle already has pyramidding of the shell from imporper care and diet. This can be reversed if you being to take proper care of him right away.

I think the attitude that you will just enjoy Otis for now and set him free when the time comes is ridiculously irresponsible and in no way fair to Otis.

No, you can't paint his shell. He'll shed all his shell scutes and the paint will be gone, if the paint doesn't poison him that is.

Also a 10 gallon tank is only suitable for a 1 inch turtle. There's no possible way this is going to work for a year, but I'm guessing Otis is already too large for that tank. They need a bare minimum of 10 gals of water per inch of shell length. They absolute must have both a heat lamp and a uvb lamp. Without a uvb lamp their shell will become soft and will not develop properly. Do not be mistaken and think that UVB rays come through windows or screens...they do not. You must provide a proper UVB bulb for the turt.

I recommend you do some serious research on diet. The age of the turtle determines whether it should be on a primarily veggie diet or primarily protein diet. Feeding too much protein will cause shell pyramidding. Also feed a head sized peice of cuttlebone, with the hard shell backing removed, atleast a couple times a week to help with shell growth and regneration.

Having an aquatic turtle for a pet is a serious undertaking. The filter alone for my turtles tank cost more than most of my complete aquarium set-ups. I hope that you will do tons of research and won't take this lightly.
 
I plan on building a pond for my turt in the future, but unfortunately I don't know enough about the details as of yet to advise you properly. I know it needs to be a soft bottom pond and it must be protected from dogs and other predators. Depending on the weather there it may be too cold in the winter and need to come indoors. I'm pretty sure that's how most folks do it. You should check out redearslider.com. Lots of good info there and very knowledgable folks on the forum..I recommend it :)
 
jennagsimpson said:
Of course the pond would be freshwater lol sorry I didn't mean to word that as a question .. We will just enjoy Otis for now and set him free when the time comes . Then I'll have a new fish experiment to start with his tank ! Or who know maybe I'll try some frogs or something :)
Click to expand...

The worst thing you could do is set a captive animal "free" please do not do this!
 
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