Feeding and Nutrition :: my RES is acting strange please help

[speed2187]

hey guys im new to the website and im loving it. anyways i just recently got my hatchling slider from my brother, his had some babies so he gave me one. i bought a 10 gallon aquarium for it and decorated it with lots of rocks and wood on one half and the other half i fulled with a little of water for it to swim. BUT for some reason since i put it in the all it does is stay next the glass on the rocks how do i get to eat or even move. thanks in advance

[steve]

Hi Speed, RES are semi-aquatic, but you should give them way more water than land. Their land only needs to be a dry basking area for them to warm up, dry off and soak in some UV.
Here are some pages that might give you more insight:
www.redearslider.com/hatchling_tips.html
www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

[speed2187]

hey, so if i just just turn on the uv light he will start moving cause someone told me that that might be harmful to hatchlings

[xsavingsaturdayx]

nope. UVB light is not harmful to hatchlings. how do you think they get vitamin d3 in the wild?

[speed2187]

thanks soooo much guys, it started to move its head which is a lot more then what it used to do. it is still in the corner next the glass on land but at least we're making progress thanks soo much, p.s. i really love this site its a life saver no more going from site to site for info

[xsavingsaturdayx]

If you have any questions, dont be afraid to ask us, we're to help But keep in mind turtle keeping is quite expensive and time consuming, you will need to prepared to spend money on vets, large, expensive filters and enclosures, etc. Just a heads up, turtles arent for everyone, so know what you are getting into.

And your welcome, be sure to read as much as you can!

[steve]

Speed2187, what kind of light are you using?

[speed2187]

i lost the box but i remember it being a 60 watt uv light

[steve]

You need to get a light that produces UVB, not just "UV" or "full spectrum". Mercury vapor bulbs, which are too powerful for small tanks, start at 100 watts. Fluorescents usually top out at 26 watts. Fluorescent lighting setups will need an additional heat lamp/bulb since they do not produce significant heat.

[SpotsMama]

One thing that makes turtles sluggish is temperatures that are too cool. A hatchling's water should be about 78 degrees and his basking area (the dry area) should be around 88 degrees.

Do you have a thermometer you could check these temps with?

[speed2187]

no i need to get a thermometer, i just got my res like 3 days ago so im still getting supplies, thanks for the help guys but i need someone to show me a pictures of what lighting i need and how to heat the water quicker please, because i go to the petland discount around my way and the guys that work there know nothing about res or turtles for that matter, if its possible please post pics of the lights i need and any other equipment i need to make it his home comfortable thanks, by the way its eating the red leafs i i put in the but for some reason i never see it eat the reptomin, i dont know if it desolves or if he eats it

[megcornell]

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8864
Here is a set up showing the lights you'll need. The UVA provides heat, and the UVB provides UVB essential for good turtle metabolism. They should both be near the basking dock. You may want to skip on all the stones this person used as that adds a lot of space for dirt to get trapped in the tank.
When you go to petland you'll need to pick up a UVB light (compact or tube... depending on how you want to set it up). I personally recommend the reptisun 5.0 over the 10.0 because a couple of people have had trouble with the 10.0 causing irritation to their turtle's eyes. You'll also need to pick up a basking dock , a thermometer (digital not glass, because turtles can break the glass ones), and a tank heater. If you don't have one already you'll need a filter that is rated 2-3x the size of the tank you'll be using. So if you're using a 20g tank you should look for a filter for a tank that is 40-60 gallons. If you buy a less powerful filter it just won't hold up against how dirty a turtle can make the water and you'll be dealing with very frequent water changes.
Also, if possible, start with the LARGEST tank you can afford, it will save you a lot of time and money in the future in the way of upgrading. Even something as small as a 29 gallon tank is a better start than a 10 or 20 gallon, you can always build an above tank basking area in the future to increase the tank's use.

also: I forgot to mention, don't use tiny stones in the set up because turtles WILL eat anything that can fit in their mouths, and this can lead to impaction and death.

[speed2187]

thanks a lot megcornell, i just have one more question, at night i have to turn the light off so i can sleep and my RES just floats in the water not moving and in the morning i turn the light on and it wakes up and goes to a rock under water i placed there. is this normal? or should i find a way to leave the light on at night??

[N4784N R4613]

No, RES need there sleep just like we do. Most RES owners buy a timer for there lights, and either set it 12 hours on and 12 hours off , or set it to the sun-rise, and sun-set.