Making A Red Eared Slider Tank

The first thing you'll want to decide in building a red eared slider tank is whether or not you want your turtle to be an indoor turtle or an outdoor turtle. Left in their natural environment, turtles will hibernate in the winter. Left inside in an aquarium, they will not. Some people like to try and artificially re-create this environment by putting the turtle in a refrigerator during the winter months and allowing them to hibernate that way. This can be dangerous if not done properly. Hibernation for turtles is the result of hundreds of millions of years of evolution and trying to re-create it in you refrigerator is the last thing you should do. Bottom line, if you want your turtle to hibernate, make them an outdoor turtle. If you want your turtle to be an indoor turtle, then you will need to do your best to create the optimum indoor environment for them.

When putting together your red eared slider tank, you should know what is required. It's tank, or aquarium, should be anywhere from 20 to 55 gallons, depending upon its size and needs. There should be both water and "land". The water should ideally be deep enough for your turtle to submerse itself completely. Remember that red eared sliders are aquatic turtles, so they spend a great deal of time in the water. However, remember that they CANNOT breathe under water, so it is important for them to have "land" to rest on. The land should consist of non-organic material such as rocks. Also, avoid putting wood chips in the tank, as the turtle may ingest them (very bad) or they may rot or grow fungus.

A side note regarding size. As a rule of thumb, it's actually best to have about ten gallons of water per inch of turtle. For instance, an eight inch turtle should be in an eighty gallon tank. This is the best size for the optimum health of your red eared slider.

It is important to have the right temperature inside your red eared slider tank. One thing that is important for your indoor pet turtle is to try to keep it warm. Ideally, their surroundings should be kept at 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. You can lower the temperature 5-10 degrees at night. You should use a heat lamp to keep the tank at an ideal temperature.

As a side note, you should be careful about sudden shifts in temperature for your red eared slider. This is normally the result of moving the turtle from indoor to outdoor, or vice versa. Turtles are cold-blooded reptiles and can be very sensitive to sudden shifts in their environment.

For more information on preparing your red eared slider tank, or other valuable information on pet turtle care in general, check out some of the other lenses I've linked to below. For a comprehensive, low cost guide that covers every aspect or raising and caring for your pet turtle, go to www.turtlecaresite.com. I highly recommend their guide and I think you'll find it will be a constant source of reference in helping you to own a happy and healthy pet turtle.