What is the best tank for a yellow-bellied slider?
There isn't a specific tank that's the best since it should suit where you are and provide good conditions for the terrapin.A normal prefabricated plastic pond will work so long as it's the correct size. As a rule of thumb for the slider terrapins 10gallons per inch of terrapin starting from a 20 gallon tank. There should be a land basking area with a heat spot as well. I have moved a few times since I obtained my reptiles and each time I've created a new differently designed outside pen for my cheledonia (Tortoises turtles and terrapins) using locally sourced materials.The best setup fits into your situation. I have changed my tortoise enclosure up four times this year just trying to figure out the best fit for them at my new place.
Safe to get another Yellow Belly Slider turtle?
What most likely happened is the sick one died and then the healthy one acted on his predatory instincts and ate him. Turtles do eat carrion... I have seen this happen a few times... Rather heart-breaking. You certainly can get another yellow-bellied slider. However, you need to be sure that the new turtle is relatively the same size as this one. Also, please realize that there are individuals and some individual turtles simply will NOT get along and you may end up having to keep them in separate tanks. This is especially true if your two turn out to be males--they will get territorial. Sometimes you can keep two territorial turtles together by providing two basking areas (sometimes what I do is make a sort of fake wall in the middle of the basking area so the two turtles can be on it at the same time without seeing each other). But sometimes they just won't live together, period. So you'll need to be prepared for that. I'm also betting that you were feeding them both at the same time in their tank. That would be your biggest mistake ever in keeping turtles... When you do that, one turtle will pig up all the best food and continue to grow bigger and stronger quickly while the other one can't get as much and continues to grow slower and weaker and may eventually give up trying to eat at all. Also any leftover food will dissolve and dirty up their water... If you keep two or more turtles together in the same tank, they should always be fed separately in a separate bowl. This greatly reduces aggression because turtles mostly use feeding time to display their dominance and because both turtles will grow big and strong and will be able to fend for himself if the other one gets cranky. You can keep greens and feeder minnows in the tank at all times--they don't seem to fight over those since they're always available. But pellet food and occasional treats like worms and crickets should always, without exception, be fed in a separate bowl of water. I personally prefer to keep my turtles in groups. They are social in a sense... But now you know the one you still have is a dominant turtle, so take care to match him to another of about the same size and make sure it gets enough to eat. Would you consider adopting a RES rather than buying a yellow-bellied slider? They go well together and RES are so plentiful there are too many older ones in rescues. Just a thought...
What size tank for Yellow Belly Slider?
For a female 110 gallons or larger. For a male 80 gallons or larger. Growth rate depends on too many factors for us to estimate for you.
How do you care for a baby Yellow Belly Slider turtle? What should their tank include?
Yellow Belly Sliders have several requirements you need to address…they are not cheap pets…Size: These large turtles require an aquarium that holds 100 gallons or more as they can grow up to 12″ across.Water: Yellow Belly Sliders are aquatic turtles and need enough water to swim around in.Dry Land: They must be able to get out of the water and dry off so their shells don’t rot.Life Span: They can live in captivity for 40 years, but I have heard of them living to 70…and we had a few that didn’t live past a year…Food: Yellow Belly Sliders need a varied diet and are messy eaters, meaning lots of filtration. We catch bugs, grow our own food and use store bought pellets.Temperature: As cold blooded creatures, your yellow belly slider will need a heat lamp and water heater to stay warm.Air Temperature: 75-85°FBasking Temperature: 85-90°FWater Temperature: 75-80°FHere is an example of our setup, a 160 gallon tank and this is what we feed our yellow belly slider.
What is the minimum tank size for a yellow belly slider?
The general rule is for every 1 inch your turtle is, there should be 10 gallons of water. People in petstores really have no idea how to take care of turtles. That is why so many are sick there and die all the time. They also don't want to spend money to give them the proper care that they need. Yellow bellied- sliders can grow up to 13" if they are female and 10" if they are male. That means the minimum tank you should have is at least a 100 gallon.
Can i put fish in with my yellow bellied slider?
I didn't think that you could have fish in your turtle tank unless you want them as food for the turtle but i have seen several youtube clips of turtle tank setups with them quite happily swimming aside other fish!!??? My turtle is a female yellow bellied slider, on her own, she is roughly 5" in size. She seems very placid. If i can put fish in her tank what kind and size are best? I have a filter, heater in the tank also. I have even seen Pleco fish on youtube with yellow bellied sliders but i thought water quality had to be quite good for pleco's.....? Obviously i try and keep her as clean as poss but you know how dirty turtles are!
How deep should the water be in a tank if i have a yellow belly slider turtle?
Deep enough that when he slides in off his basking platform, he doesn't hit the bottom of the tank.