My name's Azure, and I've been recently quite interesting in picking up a long time pet. Right now, my thoughts are on turtles as they are far less noisy then parrots. I've been doing a lot of research and I've decided that if they are available in my area, I'd like to get a RES, however I want to be sure that I'm able to get a suitable habit for the turtle to reside in, as I have read a lot of horror stories and I know just how fragile turtles can be if not taking care of properly, as a first time owner I want to do everything as right as possible.
With that in mind, I have a lot of questions. I've heard you're suppose to have roughly 10 gallons per inch of turtle, so with that in mind, as a starting sized tank would it be better to purchase a 60 gallon as the starting tank and increase water as the turtle ages and grows? And buy a larger tank later on? I've also come to understand that a diet cannot simply just be standard pellets, in this case, what kinds of diet supplements are good for them? Romane Lettuce? Bloodworms? And what kind of costs does one look at for vet bills for turtles? I know I have a Herp in my city and if they are unsuitable, I am only 3 hours away from a major city and would be able to make the trip to ensure they receive quality care. What about monthly cost increases due to the lighting and heater? Are they significant?