Red-Eared Slider Care Sheet
Snake
8 - 12 inches long
50+ years
Omnivore
Diet & Nutrition
Red-Eared Sliders are omnivores. As juveniles their diet is higher protein and more vegetation based as adults. Red-Eared Slider diets should consist of pelleted turtle foods, minnows, worms, and vegetables such as zucchini, squash, collard greens, beet leaves, endive, kale, escarole, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers/greens and some fruits.
Feeding Schedule
Feeding should be daily with all they can eat in 15 minutes. Remove all food remaining after that time, except for greens.
Housing & Habitat
Red-Eared Sliders are native to North America. They live in and near ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. Red-Eared Sliders are communal and can be kept together in an adequately sized enclosure. Red-Eared Sliders are common carriers of Salmonella. Always wash hands thoroughly after handling.
Enclosure Size
Red-Eared Sliders are aquatic turtles. Hatchling turtles can be kept in 20-gallon tanks with an adult requiring a 50 - 75-gallon tank. The tank should be 80% water and 20% land. The land area is required to allow the turtle to dry its shell completely.
Substrate
On the water portion, no substrate is required. Most keepers prefer rocks or large gravel to help keep feces from floating. The land portion can be a latch-on style turtle dock. Serious keeper prefer to use sand or coconut fiber on the land portion to allow natural burrowing and digging.
Temperature & Lighting
Temperature
Red-Eared Sliders need a basking spot of 85° - 90°F and a water temperature of 70° - 75°F.
Lighting
Since this is a diurnal species, it requires two light bulbs. One is the heat lamp which also emits UVA. The second is a UVB lamp. The UVB lamp will specifically say UVB on the box. If the box doesn't say UVB, it's not UVB.
Plant and Fish bulbs are not UVB bulbs.
Humidity & Watering
Watering
It is recommended to use a filter that is twice as strong as the tank size. When running an adequate size filter, tank water should be changed weekly. When using an under-sized filter or no filter, water should be changed every other day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do Red-Eared Sliders eat?
Red-Eared Sliders are omnivores. As juveniles their diet is higher protein and more vegetation based as adults. Red-Eared Slider diets should consist of pelleted turtle foods, minnows, worms, and vegetables such as zucchini, squash, collard greens, beet leaves, endive, kale, escarole, mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion flowers/greens and some fruits.
What size enclosure does a Red-Eared Slider need?
Red-Eared Sliders are native to North America. They live in and near ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. Red-Eared Sliders are communal and can be kept together in an adequately sized enclosure. Red-Eared Sliders are common carriers of Salmonella. Always wash hands thoroughly after handling. Red-Eared Sliders are aquatic turtles. Hatchling turtles can be kept in 20-gallon tanks with an adult requiring a 50 - 75-gallon tank. The tank should be 80% water and 20% land. The land area is required t...
What temperature and lighting does a Red-Eared Slider need?
Red-Eared Sliders need a basking spot of 85° - 90°F and a water temperature of 70° - 75°F. Since this is a diurnal species, it requires two light bulbs. One is the heat lamp which also emits UVA. The second is a UVB lamp. The UVB lamp will specifically say UVB on the box. If the box doesn't say UVB, it's not UVB. Plant and Fish bulbs are not UVB bulbs.