red eared slider.

Question
QUESTION: i just bought two red eared slider baby turtles that are 6 weeks old. well i bought an aquariam and got every thing set up. one of them which i havent named is active and all in the water and every thing. the other one is the one i have a question about which i call flipper because he would flip over alot. any ways my question is...well worry is... like i keep trying to put flipper in the water and he just climbs out onto the log and pile of rocks i have in there..and now i see like part of his shell sorta crinkleing up, not sure how to explain it but it looks like its drying out and im really scared because of this. any help? id rather ask u then go to readearslider.com because its still a beta.. and id rather ask an expert on it. thank you hopefully u can reply soon. turtles are my favorite animals =] these are my first two ever i dont wanna lose one alreadyy =[


ANSWER: You do not describe the housing, cares, temps, or diet so I cannot be sure if that is part of the problem. What you are describing can be many things, like overcrowding, soft shell, cold or hot water temps, failure to thrive, a turtle that was already ill, etc.

I recommend reviewing the basic cares at a good site to see if there are things that can be tweaked. If the cares, housing, and diet are rock solid, then it may be that the turtle was already compromised when you bought it or is developing something like a respiratory infection.

The care sites I recommend for Red-ears are
- http://www.austinsturtlepage.com
- http://www.turtleforum.com (the forums part of Austin's site) and
- http://www.redearslider.com (which is in beta for a format redesign but is still good info.)

I love Allexperts.com but the format here does not really allow a good Q&A format. If you have some specific questions after looking at one of the sites, let me know and I will try to help.

If you would rather do it in a more interactive format, try www.turtleforum.com. There are many well-experienced keepers there (including me) who will gladly help!

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

QUESTION: okay well i got help from a knowledgeable person for making whats in the tank there.. well  its got pebbles not small enough for them to eat.. and well there is a log in it witha hole they can go inside and the pebbles slant up so they can get ontop of the rock and well since it slants (the pebbles) the water is a lil deeper at the other side
so they can swim if they want, but its not a big gap of water i raised it slightly enough where they can get up on the other side.. its a 10 Gal. tank and they are like not even big or any thing so they have lots of room in there. and its got a couple of fake plants that i washed off with water in there an a rock on the opposite side of the log where they can go up onto as well.. and i have a lamp there to keep it warm.. the water isnt cold at all.. its fairly warm.. i change it every day of course and not sure what else i can describe... but i know its not over crowding, softshell..is bad? and the water temp is perfect its at 74 degrees..not sure what failure to thrive is..and it might have been ill i hope not.. but if it is ill should i take them to a turtle vet..sorry for not describing this at first. my fault. thanks if u can help agian i gave u all 10's =] u diserve it =]

Answer
A 10 gallon tank 1/2 filled with pebbles, etc. is only 5 to 7 gallons of water- WAY too small for two turtles.

I hate to say that I disagree with your resource person. Your tank does not have anywhere near enough water,and the floating hollow log dock is not really a great choice. Not having a filter means you are always working way too hard to clean the tank and that the temps are changing with every water change.

Here is a quick guide to what Red-ears and other turtles want for happiness and health.

1. Good water. Good water is warm (75-80F), very clean (no 'turtle' smell- this takes a very powerful filter. It is also roomy- turtles LOVE to swim- they want at least 10 gallons of actual water per inch of shell length- 2 1" turtles alone should be in a 30 gallon tank to give them enough room to swim, hunt, hide, avoid each other, etc.

2. Good sun. Turtles LOVE the sun,and indoors cannot get what they need from light in a window. They need safe and easy to climb basking sites- and rocks or pebbles usually do not count. They want the basking sites warmed to about 90F, and the tank lit up nicely- but still with hiding spaces. They also really benefit from UVB lighting.

3. Good food. About 1/2 good quality pellets, 1/2 live or frozen/thawed 'fish foods', like fish, shrimp, krill, worms, insects, etc.

The pellets on the bottom of the tank are also an issue- if you don't need them, they are just trapping food and wastes between them, adding to odors and bacteria in the water.

There is a LOT of old, outdated misinformation out there for turtle care- but the sites I mentioned use good, solid current info.

Get your turtles into a good home, with good temps, good water, and good food and they should do well.

Good luck!