Habitat of the Red-Eared Slider Turtle

Red-eared sliders (RES) are a friendly species of reptile offering added interest to your aquatic set-up. Perhaps you are interested in keeping RES as indoor pets, or maybe you would like to add a couple to your backyard pond. Let's take a look at how you can recreate a RES habitat of your own.

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    • A tiny RES hatchling can grow as large as a dinner plate in only a few years. For outdoor turtles, bigger ponds are always better. As for indoor aquariums, buy the largest tank you can afford for your RES even if it is still a hatchling. The rule of thumb for tank size is 10 gallons for every inch of RES shell length, for every turtle. This means if you have a 1-inch RES hatchling it will require at least a 10-gallon aquarium, but two 1-inch hatchlings will need a 20-gallon aquarium, and so on.

    Basking Platforms

    • RES spend most of the day basking in the sun. In a backyard pond, your RES will be perfectly happy with the sun as his source of light. For indoor enclosures, you can provide a basking platform. Turtle docks can be purchased in pet stores, are easily attached to the tank (usually with a suction cup), and leave plenty of space for swimming. A good full-spectrum lamp can also be purchased in pet stores and will ensure proper UVA/UVB light exposure the sun provides outside.

    Temperature

    • Adult RES require a water temperature between 75 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit while hatchlings require 78 to 80 degrees. The basking platform needs to be around 10 degrees warmer than the water temperature. In an outdoor set-up, the sun takes care of the temperature, however, RES in a pond need to be brought indoors for the winter in cooler climates. A full-spectrum lamp will heat the basking platform and an aquarium heater will heat the water in an aquarium. Aquarium heaters can be purchased in pet stores and are designed for specific tank sizes (i.e. 10 gallons, 25 gallons).

    Water

    • RES are aquatic turtles and need water for swimming, drinking, and eating. .(RES eat food they catch in the water.) The water in your pond or tank needs to be at least as deep as your RES shell is long, to help prevent accidents. If your turtle fell onto his back in the water, he would need it to be deep enough to turn himself over again or he could drown. Consider that if the tank is filled to capacity ,your RES can use the basking platform, filter, or heater to escape from the tank. The water level must be high enough for your RES to safely avoid accidents, but not so high that he can climb out and get hurt from the fall.

    Filtration

    • A good filtration system in your tank or pond keeps the tank clean and healthy. There are plenty of filter options from which to choose. You can purchase a pond filtration system for your outdoor pond to clean the water for your outdoor turtles. For indoor turtles, submerged filters clean water while resting in the water of the tank; power filters can go on the side of the tank; and canister filters sit outside the tank and filter the water with a system of hoses that run from the filter to the tank itself. Any of these are good choices and can be purchased in your local pet store.