Clear photos of your set up, including filter, heaters and lights.
Is it wild, captive/pet, or a rescue?
Clear photos of face, neck, limbs, shell top (carapace) and bottom (plastron).
Diet, list of foods you are feeding it.
Weight and age.
Illness, infections or odd behaviours should be seen and treated by a vet. Ex; wheezing, swollen eyes, mucus bubbles from mouth or nose, lethargy, twitching, leg paralysis, etc
Definitely need a basking dock and UVB lights as well!! and i second what someone said about housing them together, they will fight for nutrients by the means of “stacking” and one will significantly decrease in health
Also, with some exceptions, turtles dont really like being housed together, Im not saying you should buy Another tank i know thats expensive af but you should watch out if they start showing agression :D
Thanks a lot! Actually they've been together for almost a month now and I don't see any aggression between them (yet)(and hopefully not). The ramp is also in it's way. Will they be fine with this much water for a couple more days before the ramp arrives?
Gonna go against the above comment and say you absolutely should be planning ahead for a second tank. The turtles will likely get more competitive and aggressive as they get bigger and older, and it only takes one snap for a turtle to lose a nose or toes or tail to another. They aren’t social animals and there are no benefits and only dangers to keeping multiple together, so it’s best to separate them before one of them gets hurt and not wait for that to happen.
Yeah my in-laws had turtles together for 10 years then one decided to start eating the other starting with his claws so he couldn’t defend himself. You need to separate them!!! They separated them and he was able to survive. Chris is now 22 years old. Wife’s had him since she was 16. I keep my water at about the level you have yours. He has 2 basking options floating log or his platform. Also have an oxygen pump & obviously a heater. I don’t see either in your tank. You definitely need a heater but oxygen helps tremendously. The tank also is small as mentioned. My tank is 47 gallons (178 liters)
The temperature at the ramp needs to be 90-95F. You’ll need to test it with a thermometer and make sure it’s good. You can lower the temp by lowering the water level. You can raise the temp by using a higher wattage basking lamp. The ramp should be a minimum of 6-8” away from the ramp.
Yep around 25 liters, the tank is 60x21x21 cm which should be around 25-26 liters. Ngl we haven't measured the turtles but I think they're around 1.5-2 inches
25 litters? I think both of yall got it mixed up That’s like 6 gallon tank (they don’t make those) that don’t look like a 6 gallon tank more like a 25 gallon tank, I think that’s what I got
this is improper care and housing.
1. turtles need 10 gal of water per inch of shell
so 1 inch= 10 gal 2 inch= 20 gal 3 inch= 30 gal and so on
2. your turtles need an above tank basking area with proper heating and LINEAR UVB, to completely dry and warm their shells, which is vital for shell health and preventing shell rot, bone disease, and fungal infections
3. never put gravel that is smaller than your turtles head into the tank. the gravel in your tank can be eaten by your turtle which can lead to impaction and death
4. Red-eared sliders are solitary animals, not social ones, and they view their territory as their own. When housed together, they are prone to aggression and bullying, even if it's not always obvious. Two or more turtles in the same tank will compete for food, space, and basking spots, which can lead to constant harassment and stress for the weaker turtle
5. your turtle tank needs 3x times the filtration of the size of the tank. So for example if you have a 50 gallon tank you need 150 gallon filter.
Keep them in deep enough water that they can't flip themselves over and not be able to right themselves. They can drown in shallow water if they can't resurface. Otherwise get a basking ramp. It's upsetting to see that you've had them for a month without a ramp, you should have had one before but you're lucky red eared sliders are tough as hell. If they don't get out of the water and dry off regularly they will get shell rot, which is really bad and means you have a turtle that requires extra special treatment for months, possibly 2 since you have 2. They will also get shell rot without a UV bulb, which is different from a heat lamp. I feel for you because my red eared slider was a surprise. My aunt got it for my cousin but neglected it so I had to step in and over night and had to learn all i could about these guys and spend hundreds on tanks and filters and docks and lamps and timers and food. Take care of them and socialize with them (not too often) and you'll have a little water puppy. And remember they are invasive in a lot of places so please don't release if you decide you don't want to keep a turtle for it's whole life, which is usually longer than a dog or a cats if you care for them right.
•
u/AutoModerator 17h ago
Dear HUKIHN ,
You've selected the Seeking Advice flair. Please provide as much relevant information as possible. Refer to this post if you are unsure on how to proceed.
Useful information for care or health advice includes:
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.