Red-Eared Slider

Adults need a large aquatic enclosure following roughly 40 litres of water per centimetre of shell, meaning a big female needs on the order of 400 litres or more, with water deep enough to swim and turn over. Provide powerful filtration (over-rated for the tank size) because sliders are heavy waste producers, plus a large dry basking platform they can fully climb onto and dry off on. Keep water clean with regular changes and a good filter; a bare bottom or large smooth river stones are easiest to keep hygienic. Ensure a secure basking dock directly under the heat and UVB lamps.

Omnivore whose balance shifts with age. Juveniles are more carnivorous and eat more protein, while adults shift toward plant matter; base the diet on a quality aquatic turtle pellet plus leafy greens and aquatic plants such as dandelion, collard, water lettuce and duckweed. Offer protein such as earthworms, insects and occasional lean fish or shrimp, using feeder fish sparingly because they carry parasites and thiaminase. Provide a cuttlebone for calcium, feed juveniles daily and adults every two to three days, and avoid overfeeding.

This diurnal turtle needs both warm water and a hot basking spot with strong UVB. Keep water at 24 to 27 C using a guarded aquarium heater (cooler for healthy adults, warmer for hatchlings), and provide a dry basking surface of 29 to 35 C directly under a heat lamp. UVB is essential for shell and bone health: fit a proper UVB tube over the basking area (nothing blocking it, as glass and plastic filter UVB) giving a basking UVI around 2.0 to 4.0. Run heat, basking and UVB on a 12-hour cycle, turning heat and light off at night.

Best kept alone or in carefully matched groups with ample space. Males harass females and each other and can bite limbs and tails, so cohousing needs a very large setup and close monitoring. They are not cuddly pets and dislike frequent handling, which stresses them and risks Salmonella transmission, so interact mainly through feeding and observation.

Provide varied swimming depth, submerged logs and plants to explore, and a spacious basking dock, plus scatter or float food to encourage natural foraging. Live aquatic plants, current from the filter and occasional supervised access to a larger tub add environmental variety for these curious, active turtles.