red eared sliders.

Question
QUESTION: Hi Mick, I have two red eared sliders, and I saved them from a child, and don't know much about them, but am doing my best, got advice and supplies from an exotic pet store here in vegas, but I have noticed both turtles have some kind of slimey furry looking growth around their shells at the neck line, should I be worried? any help will be great, Thanks Very Much...Paul

ANSWER: If they were caught from the wild, then return to where they came from is the best thing for them honestly. Not sure if any RES have taken up in any of the water sources around Vegas though.

What you should know is that if you intend to keep them, they will get to be the size of a dinner plate within about 5-6 years, and will need an outdoor pond, or a very large indoor aquarium of about 200 gallons with a dry beach type basking area. They are great companions and are very intelligent. They can be taught to respond to you, but they are also quite long lived. I know a lady has had hers for over 20 years now. Release to the wild later, when they are huge, will not be an option for them. So, I encourage you to do plenty of research and decide about this commitment accordingly. As a reptile rescuer, the reptiles that people try to dump on me most often are Red Eared Sliders and Iguanas. I don't have the room to take all the RES and Iguanas that are offered to us, and I have to turn away most. They also have virtually zero chance of being adopted once they grow up and aren't as cute anymore.  

What you describe may be normal pond slime or algae that attaches to them if they came from a pond, or if they were being kept in an unclean aquarium. I can't say for sure without a picture though. You can attach a picture with your question. It can be gently wiped off, or most of it may come off in time in a cleaner situation. Most wild RES turtles live with this at some point, and it is probably not harmful to them if they are not significantly covered in it.


http://redearslider.com/
http://www.anapsid.org/mainchelonians.html
http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
http://www.allturtles.com/setup/indoorWT.php
http://www.geocities.com/margareth100.geo/res.html
http://www.turtlepuddle.org/
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Mick, they are store bought, but the little girl kept them in a small tank with about 2 inches of water, and gravel on the other side for a bask, but of course she had no idea she needed a filter, or even to change the water, so they are in a 30gal tank now with about 12 inches of water, and rocks to bask on, vitamin lamp.and heat lamp, we put them outside while we garden for about an hour a day, so hopefully its just dirty tank slime, i will clean it off, was just worried they were sick, or needed that stuff for their health. Thanks again, you have been very helpful, and we are having a 6foot X 3foot X 3foot tank built custom, got a great deal of $300 with cover, so i am prepaired for the long road...Thanks Paul

Answer
Glad to hear it Paul.

Yes, I recommend power filters be rated for 1 1/2 - 2 times the volume of the aquarium. In other words, I recommend a 30 gallon tank have filters rated for 45-60 gallons.  

Not sure what a "vitamin lamp" is. They do need UVB lighting however. I would encourage you to research the lighting. I recommend a Mega-Ray 100w self ballasted mercury vapor ( reptileuv.com ) or at least a linear fluorescent tube. UVB tubes should be replaced about every 6-9 months however. If the light does not specifically state that it produces "UVB", then it is no good to you except as an ambient light/heat source.

No "compact" or "coil" UV lights. There have been issues of faulty manufacture lately which have caused eye injury and death in many pets. Stick to standard size linear tubes or mercury vapor.

Do not place the turtles in the direct sun when inside an aquarium or other glass or plastic high-walled container. It will quickly overheat and kill them. For outdoors, I use one of those blue plastic hard-sided kiddie pools filled with water, and provide rocks in the middle for them to bask on. I provide at least 1/2 shaded area over the pool, and you should provide more, being in NV. in the summer time. You have to make sure the water stays cool too if outdoors. Water temp should be about 75F. Basking area temps should be in the mid 80s to low 90s.

The links I provided have a lot of excellent information too.