General terrapin supplies

Question

My terrapin's tank   Hi, I just need some general advice on some things for my yellow bellied slider terrapin, Atlas. I'm 16 and from the UK by the way.

I've attached an image of my terrapin's tank so you can see where everything is. The dimensions of the tank are 60cm(L), 30CM(W), 14in high (with lid off) & about 40cm high (with lid on). Atlas is about 5 inches from his head to the tip of his tail. I'm not sure if that's how you measure the length of a turtle though, I think it's probably the shell length isn't it? Well, if it is, he's 4 inches long & he's 3 years, 4 months old.

Basically, the tank top that you can see in the picture, the bulb inside of it doesn't work. It stopped working a few months ago and that area gets quite a bit of condensation anyway but it shouldn't have broke the electrical circuit that makes the bulb work with it being a tropical fish tank. I've always used an Exo Terra Repti Glo Tube inside the light fixture so Atlas can get the UV he needs for his shell growth etc. but since the whole circuit in the lid has broken, I've not been able to give him any UV and I'm just kind of worried at the moment because I don't know how I can find a replacement lid for the tank because I doubt they're sold separately, are they? Is this okay for a basking light by the way? Or should I have just a clamp lamp positioned over the dock area?

I also want to change the dock aswell because Atlas is getting a bit too big for it now. I'm trying to look for something like the turtle topper but not as massive as that. I've looked at the turtle pier as well but that's got bad reviews. :/ Could I just make my own dock out of something if I wanted? If so, what could/should I make one with and how can I make sure it'd be safe to put into my terrapin's tank?

Finally, I feed Atlas 2 bloodworm cubes every day, is this enough/right? Because I'm just going off what the pet shop I bought Atlas from and the Pet supply retailer have told me. And, I don't know if this is to do with anything but Atlas always seems to swim against the glass when I'm in the room like you can see him doing in the picture, I've thought sometimes if this is because he's hungry but he does it all the time so I don't really know...if you have an answer for this, I'd appreciate it.

If you can see anything else in the picture I've provided that needs changing or could/should be changed, please let me know.

Thanks, hope you can help.

Answer
Hi Adam,

I'm sorry to be slow in answering your question.  I'm usually quite prompt, but with the holidays everything is a little hectic here!

First, I'd like to compliment you on your interest in doing the best you can for your turtle.  I'm always happy to see someone who wants to do the best they can.

You measure the length of a turtle straight down the shell; that's called the SCL (straight carapace length).  The easiest way to do this is to lay a ruler on the floor perpendicular to the wall, then put the turtle on top of the ruler and gently push it up against the wall so it pulls its head in.  Then read the measurement.

Atlas' tank is adequate for now, but keep in mind that sliders get quite large and need a lot of room, so at some point you should plan on providing him with a fairly large tank (possible up to 100 gallons if Atlas turns out to be a female).  A large tank is necessary not only for exercise and adequate basking space, but also because a larger tank is easier to maintain in terms of water quality and cleanliness.  A really good filter is also important.

I wouldn't try to find a replacement lid for the tank.  It's much better for Atlas to not have a lid, as he needs air circulation.  But you do need to provide both basking heat and UVB (not UV!).  There should be a basking spot of about 88-90 degrees.  For UVB (necessary to metabolize calcium properly), you can use either a tube (fluorescent) bulb or a combination heat/UVB bulb.  Unfortunately, I wouldn't trust the SolarGlo to provide UVB.  I have friends who have solar meters for testing UVB, and their tests on the SolarGlo show that it has very poor UVB output that degrades almost instantly.  So don't waste your money.  Since you're in the UK, I'm not certain what you can get there, but my recommendation would be for either a ZooMed Reptisun  10.0 (tube) or a ZooMed Powersun (heat/UVB).  Both provide a good amount of UVB:  http://russiantortoise.org/uvb.htm.  The tube bulbs are cheaper, but need to be replaced every six months, while the combo bulbs should be replaced yearly.  Keep in mind that if you use a tube bulb, you'll need to provide a separate heat bulb.  The fixtures can be suspended above the tank and don't need to be used with a tank lid.  

You can make your own dock out of just about anything that's non-toxic.  If you use something like cork bark or driftwood, it would be a good idea to bake it in an oven at the lowest temperature for about 20 minutes first, but keep a good eye on it to make sure there's no fire risk (you can also soak in water to minimize that).  Aquarium cement is safe to use for gluing anything together.

I wouldn't follow advice given by a pet shop.  Sad to say, they're usually wrong or at best misinformed.  No turtle should be eating just one thing, day in and day out.  A varied diet is one of the best way to insure the health of your turtle.  So no, Atlas shouldn't be eating just bloodworms.  You want to provide a variety of both animal protein AND greens (with a little fruit once in a while).  Bloodworms are fine, along with earthworms, crickets, guppies, silkworms, superworms, etc.  Greens can include dandelion, turnip, mustard, collards, kale, romaine, etc., along with various vegetables.  Duckweed is great if you can find it, and they usually love it.  You should also offer a good pelleted diet as well.  Read the links I'll post below and you'll get more ideas on foods to offer.  Since Atlas isn't a hatchling any longer, I would feed him every other day and offer something different each time.  You may find that as he grows he prefers greens, but he should still be offered animal protein once or twice a week.  If you put a cuttlebone in the water or on the dock he can also nibble that for extra calcium as he wants.

Sliders tend to be greedy, so he may be swimming against the glass when you come in the room because he's begging.  It's important not to overfeed him, though, so don't worry that you're starving him!

Here is some detailed care information for you.  If anything isn't clear, or if you have questions, post back and I'll do my best to help.

http://www.chelonia.org/articles/trachemyscare.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-yellowbelly.htm
www.redearslider.com (for RES, but has good information that applies to YBS)
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/waterquality.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/housing.htm