Sliders

Question
I have two sliders, and they are the cutest things ever, they're both about 2 inches long and I have them in a ten gallon tank in my room. I went to Petco for advice and the guy there is an idiot, he gave me a filter that wasn't effective and gave me contradicting advice on what to feed them. I was just curious I've had them for about 6 months now, I'd like to keep them, but I don't know what to feed them, what kind of filter to use and how to keep the mosquitos out of their water, because now I'm starting to get mosquitos in my room. I really hope you can help! Thanks so much!

Irene

Answer
Irene,                                                                 I am sorry it took so long to answer your question. There is canister filter by Zoo Med. You can get it at petsmart. I recommend it. To keep the flies away .... you can feed them in another container besides their home. Go get a dishpan from wal mart and feed them in there. Just fill and dechlorinate the water make sure it is deep enough for them to swallow water while they eat. This will keep your tank much cleaner. As far as food.... make sure they get lots of veggies and protein. I make mine a turtle lasagna. I chop romaine or collard greens and layer it with boiled chicken breast chopped and albacore tuna. You can feed fresh fish....You can freeze your lasagna and break pieces off as needed. You still need to feed the sticks to make sure they get the vitamins they need. I also put calcium powder into the lasagna. Make sure you have an under the tank heating pad to keep the water at about 76 degrees. They also have to be able to get all the way out of the water to dry and prevent shell rot. I hope you have a UVA light over that spot so they dry and can create the calcium they need for growing..... Good Luck, Tina....If you have anymore questions feel free to ask. They can live happily for yrs.