Baby Yellow Bellied Slider

Question
I have a baby yellow bellied slider turtle not eating well in his new home, he is only the size of a half dollar.  Any tips?  His name is Ben Franklin so I know he is super smart!  My kids are not ready to let him go free yet!  Thank you,

Answer
If he was wild caught, I would release him as soon as is practical. Sadly, wild-caught baby turtles have a tough time adapting to captivity, and the longer it is kept, the worse its chances when released.

Should you decide to keep him, give http://www.redearslider.com a look about the basic cares, etc.

To make a turtle happy takes three things:

- Good water. That is, about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length, heated to 75-80F, and kept crystal clean with a powerful filter and weekly partial water changes.

- Good sun. A safe, accessible basking area (avoid rocks and rough materials) that is warmed to about 90F and is well-lit in a way that also illuminates most of the tank (leaving some shaded hiding areas). When possible, UVB lighting helps.

- Good food. Baby water turtles mostly eat insects. Try 1/2 good brand pellets (Reptomin or Mazuri) and 1/2 live or frozen/thawed fish foods like small fish, worms, krill, insects, shrimp, beef heart, etc. Blood worms are often preferred by young turtles.

In the 60's, water turtles got a reputation as 'easy pets', which sadly was more of a sales gimmick than truth. A decent turtle habitat, designed for the needs of the turtle, will run about $150-200, mostly for the big tank and filter.

You can learn more about turtle-keeping in general at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com