yellow bellied slider baby

Question
Hi! I'm getting a yellow bellied slider from the pet center in warrington town market in august. They sell the YBS with a tank (with lid) a heater that you put inside the tank to heat up the water, shrimp food, a thermometer and  a few pieces of slate for a land area. but i did my research as i do for any pet I'm getting and i discovered that they need a basking light for heat, a UV lamp that emits uva and uvb rays and a light source to help its bone and shell structure grow which they don't sell in the pet shop. so i looked for sites that sold those things and i came across swellreptiles.co.uk. They have this powersun bulb thing which is a basking light, a light source and it emits uva and uvb rays but its a 100w bulb so will it be safe if i position it far out from the tank on a lamp stand inside a clamp lamp?

Answer
I think it is funny that you mention the town market. I am in Nebraska USA, and have no idea where you are, but it is SO easy to forget that the Internet is a global thing, isn't it?

Most of the time, 'starter kits' at pet shops really don't meet the needs of the keeper or the animal, they are just a way to sell stuff. That is pretty much true of most 'kits', whether it is a set of knives, or a stamp collecting starter kit. We are almost ALWAYS better off doing it piece by piece.

Now- the thing is, there are things we KNOW they need, things we THINK they need, things that make their and our lives better or easier, and all sorts of junk to fill in the spaces.

Your turtle NEEDS:
- Good Water. Aim for about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length, and plan ahead- YBTs will hit 9-12" when full grown. The water should be very clean (a canister filter about 2-3 times the tank rating is best), and warmed to about 75-80F with in-water heaters with guards.

- Good Sun. They need to bask on a warm (90F or so), safe (no rocks, etc. although smooth slate is not bad), easy to climb site that ideally overhangs the water. The basking site should also be lit for about 12-14 hours a day. Light the entire tank in a way that allows shadows and hiding places.

(You'll notice I did not say they NEED the UV bulbs, A or B. They do NEED Vitamin D, which they can get from light or food- and the pellets contain it. Studies have shown that sliders grow just as well with or without it, as long as they get vitamin D in their diet. UVB bulbs are nice, but not critical.)

- Good Food. Figure a diet of about 1/2 name-brand pellets and 1/2 live or frozen/thawed 'fish foods' like shrimp, small fish, worms, insects, krill, beef heart, etc. Avoid most flake foods and freeze-dried foods, like shrimp.




My dream set-up for a baby pond turtle is...

A 50 gallon tub or tank with either no substrate, or with flat pieces of slate on the bottom (less to collect crud, easier to clean). There are several potted water plants in the tank, along with some water surface plants (duckweek in small tanks, lily pads in bigger tanks for example). An attractive driftwood basking area lets the turtle get totally out of the water. As the turtle gets bigger this may become a homemade plastic ramp with wood trim.

In the tank, I also have a couple snails (for baby turtles, I use a couple bigger snails that do not reproduce. For larger turtles, I use the ones that DO reproduce and let the turtle eat them. I also have a medium-large armored catfish and a small group of plain guppys- both for decoration, and as a snack.

A large Fluval or similar filter with an intake guard runs outside the tank, positioned so the vibration does not go to the water. An in-water heater with guard keeps the water pleasantly warm and is positioned far from the filter intake or output. A few cheap thermometers scattered in the tank- low in a front corner, high in the opposite back corner, and basking area help me monitor the temps.

A clamp light with a porcelain socket holds a lamp that gives off heat and light about 12-15" over the basking area. The lamp is plugged into a simple timer. A compact fluorescent bulb-style UVB lamp is pointed about 18" over the basking site as well, on a different timer, running about a 8 hour day. I prefer using different bulbs because it gives me more control, and if one burns out, I can still take care of their needs. Like I said- they don't NEED it, but there seem to be other benefits of it.

Nearby, I have a record book to record weight, length, notes, etc. and a siphon cleaner to suck off the rocks and bottom, and change about a 4th of the water weekly. Water test kits are available so I can check the pH, ammonia, etc. periodically.

My typical meal for a baby is a few pellets of Reptomin Baby Turtle Pellets and about the same size of 'something else'. I rotate between what I can find- red worms, bloodworms, live small shrimp, gut-loaded crickets, Superworms or calcium-loaded worms (if I could find silk worms, Phoenix worms, etc., I would use them), etc. A chunk of frozen beefheart serves as a backup when I cannot find anything else. As insurance, I also float a cuttlebone for reptiles in the tank- but some turtles never nibble on them!

This is a DREAM set-up, because I don't keep aquatic turtles, but I have discussed this set-up with several experienced keepers, so i know it will work nicely.