Habitat - Indoor :: I am new and need help

[wendyj44]

I am not sure I will know how to check this but, below is a picture of my son's turtle tank. All he has is a floating dock. That is what he was told he needed. He is a red eared slider about 3 years old we believe. I don't know how much you can see in the picture but, there is a filter on the left. I had a submersible heater but, I don't think it was working so I took it out.

First question, what kind of heater is good. This is about a 30 gallon tank but, we were told to only fill it about 1/4 of the way, just enough to cover his shell. He does have a black light that goes over the turtle dock. He does swim and he can get on the dock but, won't. My son takes him out for about an hour a day to let him dry and bask in front of the lamp. He seems to like being out of the tank. When we put him back in, its like he does not like being in there. He scratches at the sides of the tank like he wants out.

I need to know what kind of lighting and heater I should have for this tank and is my water level correct. We have been told so many different things about the water level.
I have tried to upload the picture but, it won't let me. No matter how small I make it, it says it is too big. I can email a picture to anyone who wants to see it.

Please help!!!

[VeipaCray]

Here's a link to the heater FAQ: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=31234

We suggest 10 gallons of water per inch of shell. So a 4 inch turtle would need to be in 40 gallons of water. Turtles are avid swimmers and need the swim space and the volume of water to help dissipate the waste to a safe level until the filter can deal with it.

Here's some info on lighting: http://www.redearslider.com/index_lighting_basking.html

Floating docs are OK. Your turtle may not bask right away. It may take a few days for him/her to get used to the new environment. If the temps are wrong the turtle may not want to bask either. Your water should be 77-ish degrees and your basking area should be near 90. If the water is too warm your turtle may not want to get out of the bath. Also if you're standing there watching the turtle it may be shy. They are fantastic swimmers (given enough water) and feel safer in the water. Put a pellet or two of food on the doc and see if it's there when you come back. The food will help encourage them to explore the dock and you can tell if he/she has been up there.

Welcome to the forum!

[steve]

If you need assistance with posting pics, let me know or email it me and I'll help post it for you. Please do not use a black light w/turtles. At 3 years old, you should be able to sex him or her… http://www.redearslider.com/determining_sex.html