I’ve had my turtle for 10 years, I spent so time constantly cleaning and cleaning the water even with the flirters! Just last week my mom put him outside on the gated porch in a kiddie pool with his basking rock- He’s never been happier..or greener, than he is now! I put water conditioner in the pool and honestly he looks so happy! He also eats the mosquitoes that try to breed in the water! I’m thinking of adding some moss balls and other plants to keep him company. (He has a hiding place to protect him from predators dw) 😊

My turtle Leo passed away 4 days after Christmas but he loved all of his decorations. I would get him new decorations for Christmas and birthdays and he always loved seeing what new things he would get. He always rearranged things and and play bit things. He also played with his basking ramp and would slide down and then climb right back up just to slide down again. He was the most playful most interactive turtle and I miss him so much.

Hi, this is Van Gogh’s mom. You reviewed his tank a few months back. He has a lot of natural wood decorations, a natural basking platform, branches and a cave. Those decorations literally cost me almost nothing. I collected the wood (from sycamore trees) as well as rocks and slate from areas near where I live and assembled the decorations with a few screws, silicone and super glue. His tank topper cost $25-$30 for wood and acrylic. He is thriving and when he is not basking spends his time exploring and enjoying his environment. I really appreciate your video’s and this one in particular is right on the mark. So many people get these turtles and just stick them in a tank with some water, feed them , and think they are taking care of them. If you are going to care for one of these creatures please do so responsibly and consider the animals needs first. There is always some expense involved but it does not have to cost a fortune to provide a good home. It does require research, planning and effort and please remember this is a long term commitment. These turtles can live many decades when well cared for. If you are not prepared for that commitment please choose a different pet. If you are committed to providing a proper environment for them they do make amazing and enjoyable pets. And one last note, I often see comments from people saying they found a turtle in their yard or “rescued” one after a storm. Please don’t ever take a turtle from the wild. They are not equipped to live in captivity, they belong in the wild and the wild populations are being lost because of people taking them thinking they are doing the turtle a favor. If you want a pet please get only captive bred turtles. Thank you again for this video.

My brother recently gave me his turtle (against my will) but only now have I realized how madly Larry has been taken care of

Great video. A young lady at the pet store recommended watching you. She was right. You rock. Thank you.

Thank you so much! I am taking care of my friends turtle while she is out of town and making these adjustments has definitely improved his quality of life tremendously! :)

Good points. I use to keep red eared sliders when I was 8. For an 8 year old I actually did a great job. I know keep large snakes after out growing my turtle phase but it would always concern me that people wouldn't have proper lighting and especially basking shots. I don't think i'd get back into turtle keeping again but its good to see experienced keepers pointing people in the right direction.

I really wanted to get a turtle, and I of course did a lot of research! I came across your channel and you taught me so much! Now I've got two turtles that I've had for a month today! The previous owners only fed them dried fish/insects, and because of you, I knew they needed vegetables in their diet too, so now they get pellets with everything they need. If I hadn't done my research or found your channel, they would still only be eating dried instects and fish Thank you so much for making helpful turtle care videos!❤

We should be taking our turtles Out in The Actual Sun ☀️ as much as possible Let them roam around the grass While watching them ofcoarse I take my Diamond Back out the Tank AS MUCH as possible And She’s so active and smart cuddles me and eats watermelon and all😂💜

You've helped my daughter and I a ton with our red eared slider and his setup! Thank you!!!

Thanks for the bit of information about the feeder goldies and rosie reds. I love the passion you have and I appreciate it along with the knowledge you possess. Keep up the hard work. Thanks again!

This information is so useful! We're adopting an adult slider next week and the tips in this video will help improve his quality of life by so much from the moment he will arrive.

My turtle loves running around my house searching for the sun shine. She hates her tank. She was trapped for 30 years. We even go for walks outside when it's 75 degrees. She is a slider

I can't thank you enough for your vids! I got two res almost fully grown from my dad's coworker (they were moving n my dad remembered I love turtles so walla dumped em on me, with only a small platform n a 20 gallon for two 6 in turts). The last 2 years have been rough trying to accommodate them with little finances but now I'm somewhat stable in my new apartment n got two 75g tanks with canister filters for em, made some turtle topper out of egg crate n cork bark, got sand n wood etc. Your vids have helped a crazy amount n I'm glad to see my turtles thriving way better than when I first got them. ❤

Just want to say thank you so much for all your videos! I tried housing turtles in the past and ended up rehoming them since I didn’t understand the exact needs of the turtle. Since I started following your channel I am now much more confident and with my 40 gal breeder, Fluval fx4, mercury vapor Reptisun bulb, and lots of decorations/live plants will be happy homing a Razor-backed Musk Turtle in a community tank (fish, shrimp, snails, lots and lots of live plants) that has been established for 5 months now. Hope to send a video/pics when you are rating again!

Hey, firstly thank you for making your channel, you have really helped me and my common musk turtle. Anywho the main reason I am commenting is because I ended up adopting a turtle someone left after they moved out. This turtle was in shallow water when we received her and the first day when I replaced the tank I made the water deep not realising that the turtle never developed the muscles to swim and so looked like she was drowning. I removed enough water to keep it deep but high enough if she wanted to get air from standing on her tippy toes she could. So as she got more confident we started to make it deeper and now the tank is two thirds. When we are able to afford it we do upgrade each item to give her a better quality of life. She had a deform at the back of her shell that has grown out and she has grown since we got her. Hopefully this experience will be helpful to others as well.

I have 2 turtles and i try to give them the best of care, so thanks a lot these videos really help 😊

Outstanding and accurate information! Lighting and filtration is so important and as well as correct temperature of the water! I always recommend double rated filtration!

Improper care seems to be a problem for reptiles in general. I wish breeders and places selling animals would screen buyers until they have the proper setup. Also, many UVB bulbs need to be replaced after a few months. Thank you for making this video, Sol. I hope things are well with you?

Every one of your video's always leaves me so much new info. You're my go to for my slider care.Thanks

I love your setups I did not think of adding driftwood, but I do have floats, heating, and, lighting :). we have a smaller filter, but our water changes are weekly, sufficient for our setup. Franklynn and Misheka are very active and we do give them floor time to work those legs. we feed them mostly live food, three times a week, Franklynn is 15 years based on the history the last owner gave me. Franklynn has been in my care for 13 years and has been a learning journey for me. I love your videos I refer your videos to others who I know that have turtles. thank you for looking after my relitives

I suddenly got a turtle (I barely wanted it) so I’ve been trying to figure out how to even take care of one and this was so helpful 😥 I’m trying my best and this really helped out

Thank you so much for this video, I'm one of those who has the water half full and Selmah "my sideneck turtle" the pet shop told me she would drown so today I am making this much needed change and she does have the loft basking area. Thank you again looking forward to seeing many more of your videos.

Thank you so much for this!! I just rescued a turtle and its my first time having one and I've been trying to figure things out and finish setting up his tank. I saw a video you made previously but this one is right on time!!! So that I will know what not to do along with what to do. I would love to join the turtle tribe too, I need to tune in more!!! Thanks again 🥰🩷🐢

I love these videos! I’ve had my two red-eared sliders since I was in 3rd grade (I’m almost 30 now 😂). I will admit that their tank situation was not so great when they were younger (my parents should’ve done the research, but… what can you do), but once I moved out, I did A LOT of research and now they finally have the setup that they need. 🥰 We just need to add more decorations to their tanks!

This specific video came up when i searched for turtle care. My boyfriend and his family are very ... very ... particular about his turtle. Hes had it since he was a small child and his parents wanted it more than he did, but they also ... dont have much in there. Hes been in only water for mostly his entire life. No basking, no decor in the tank, nothing more to eat than the dry food. I bought him some gourmet food like two years ago along with a large rock decor that lets him at least dry out. Its been super hard to try and add things to the tank. Everytime i buy something to add i feel like ive insulted his parents. They try and convince me he needs nothing more than he has and hes been fine for years, and also even tried to get me to return the items i bought but i threw out the reciept so they couldnt. At least he has a massive tank, and a decent filtration system. But im the only one who throws lettuce in for a treat and i feel like everything i try, makes them look at me a certain way. Though, maybe i should be harsher with them about it, i know if this relationship continues to moving in together ill get to take care of the turtle and i look forward to the day in all honesty. Im doing more research right now to see what else i can add to the tank to help the guy, and ill just keep it up. Its hard to convince someone theyve been mistreating a reptile when they dont believe they have been at all since "he seems fine." This turned into a rant, but i did want to let you know most of all that for all the videos of yours ive never seen, this will be the first, but not the last. Thank you. You affect the lives of many a turtle in a tank, and i want you to know you will be affecting this one.

Shell care and exercice! I make it a habit to let my turtle out at least 3-4 times a week to make sure he is comfortable walking on land getting good exercice. This is important for him because his tank is basically filled up all the way and his basking area doesn’t allow for too much walking space. I also rub some shell care on him before I let him go, to dry up while he plays. I let him run about outside for about an hour or more, keeping an eye out for birds, lizards, etc. I have a 6 month old YBS and live in Florida, and he’s thriving :)

thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge about something should be wary. Many kits or other people actually want to have a certain animal, like turtle, to get some fulfillment, but neglect animals healthy.

Your video has been so informative I’m super grateful! I am taking my father’s turtles after I saw how terrible they have been taken care of but I myself am new to this and just want to try my best with caring for them, they’re both 15 and I’m going into this fresh so if anyone see this I’d love some advice! I did try finding rescue places but sadly those are unavailable to me cause of influx so I’m really gonna try to do my best for those two with the limited space I have. NY apartments aren’t the biggest :’)

Great, just what I need for my Red-eared slider! Thanks for sharing

Hi! Do you know what is the best water amount for a painted turtle? I notice that he tends to like being in dry spots more so we only have our tank about half full. is that normal for a turtle tank? I'm just wondering if the filter would work better with more water but then I'm concerned he would have no where to bask unless i add a different one near the top? currently he has a rock and lamp for basking - spends over half the day there and only swims off and on. love your videos helped a ton! LOL

Your videos were a huge help to me when setting up a tank for my foster 3inch turtles. I do have a question though. My tank looks very similar to yours in size and even the basking platform. I keep the water all the way up and make sure to keep it above the min fill line on the platform. My question is that one of my turtles doesn’t bask. She’s a pink belly sideneck and she never basks. My red eared slider basks a lot but the sideneck never does. I can’t find anything on google either. I am worried she’s not getting uvb. She looks really good and has a great appetite aside from that issue.

I have a question do red eared sliders hibernate? I have mine with half water half natural dirt(the brown stuff outside i forgot the name that flower grow with) but idk if i should give her food will shes in the dirt or not or when she hibernates or what (she abt 4 years old) but small ty🤍

Great video! A must-watch for any turtle owner. I must admit, need to do a better job with more frequent water changes!

When do you change the filter media? I bought some "ring" filter media and I stuff my filter cannister with it. Are they washable and can be re used?

I had a yellow belly slider who died after about 10 years. Unfortunately, he was my research/experiment turtle since I bought him on a whim at a store near a beach at the size of a half dollar. I learned quite a bit but learned from my wrongs. I know have a Albino Chinese Softshell turtle and give him all the love I can. Best advice for any turtle owner is scoop out the uneaten food and do water changes 1-3 days. I do feed him 2x a day but he is a very active swimmer and is a healthy weight according to the vet.

Excellent content. I've been rearing turtles for over 60 years. Some of the best care information I've run across. My northern terrapin, "Turtle "...known only by me as Sweetheart. She has always lived outside. Started in a 55 gallon tank, moved into her 8000 gallon condo several years ago. I've had her for 21 years. Even with her pond size, I have a large biofilter and a uv filter with 2 20 watt bulbs. She eats every other day, generally heads on shrimp followed by turtle pellets. Pond is filled with emergent and submerged plants. Many crawl out places...guaranteed no climb out places, I check daily.

thanks for the info! setting up a rescue turtle tank soon :)

I’m adding an above tank basking area, any suggestions for lighting the tank since I’ll be moving the heat bulb and uvb bulb off the tank and to the topper

My musk previously was kept in a shallow tank and a tank too small. Now I have it in a full 55 gallon tank (save space for the water bar on top). However; she never basks and when we have put her in the basking area (even with food) she dives right back into the tank. Her shell looks great and she is very active (rearranges her rocks, wood and plants all night long it seems).

I acquired my painted turtle from my SIL last year. She had her for 8 or 9 years. She was in a ten gallon tank. It was full of rocks and maybe 4 inches of water. No water heater. No heat lamp. No UVB. The tank was just in a window (which doesn’t allow UVB through). For EIGHT YEARS. I got her a 55gallon tank and a nice basking area with a heat lamp and a UVB lamp and guppies and ghost shrimp to chase. She grew at least an inch and a half in the first six months I had her. I want to get her a bigger tank when I can find one!

Thank You! I’m Learning! A lot of work Indeed!😊

😢 🙏🏼 had no idea. I'm fixing everything now. I worked at Cajun restaurant and during crawfish season baby turtles sometimes we're in the bags. I've tried to save and give away them for fear of other things happening... thank you for you video🙏🏼🌹🫰

Hey ! I would like to ask if a 55 gallon tank with a large no water area on top of the tank ( with basking lights ) with no filter ( I do regular water changes every 2 days ,I also feed my turtles in a different tank during feeding time cause they are messy eaters ) is an OK environment for two male southern painted turtles . Thank You !

I enjoy your videos I’ve learned so much!! You are amazing!! Question: I have a red eared slider, for 11 years but I always feed him in the tank, if I start feeding him in a tub will he learn or should I still keep feeding him in the tank?

I found this video randomly / on accident(?) / while scrolling. It's a nice video and you have a lot of great information, but I will say it's a LOT to digest. If you make similar videos in the future (videos with a lot of info), then I highly suggest you also add the summarized info in bullet points. You recognize yourself that you're talk fast - and that's fine! KZfaq's CC is just... Eh. It was hard for me to stay focused at times, especially since I'm hard of hearing and to really focus on reading both you and the CC to know what you were saying. So yeah. I highly recommend also adding the info visually, in the video itself, which is most easily done by just writing the most important stuff in bullet points. Good luck with your future videos, and stay passionate about the turtles! ♥ You're sharing a lot of great information - now you just have to make it more accessible and easier to digest. :)

Hi! I’m a new terrapin owner, are basking light for heat necessary if I’m living in Singapore when it’s hot all year round? I’m worried about overheating.

I am glad I found your site BEFORE I get a turtle! I didn't know about the duel lights. I will watch more of you videos. I can't thank you enough for your help. Priceless. Thank you-

Another great video. Is a UV tank light ok and then just provide a heat bulb in the basking area?

This is my first time and I need all the information I can get . So thank you so much .

I set up my basking area the way you have yours and the lights melted teh plastic on top of the basking area. How did you keep your from doing the same?

I am setting up a new turtle tank and you mentioned black diamond blasting media. Could you please provide link. There are several variations and I want to make sure to get the correct one. Medium or Fine. Thanks in advance

Hey, i have a red eared slider turtle which is one year old. I dont have any filteration system since i keep it in a big tub but i change the water twice or thrice every single day and for the heat and light, the tub is next to a window where it gets sunlight. Is that okay??

I definitely agree with the filter part

i needed this reminder. i definetly over feed my turtle. im so scared shes starving lol i was feeding greens and a table spoon of pellets everyday.. she grew fast in the year and a half that we've had her and it makes sense now lol i needed the reminder to chill on the food.

I have a Western pond turtle. I found her outside in an area where the nearest water source was a very shallow canal that drains once a year. I didn't think her survivability was great so I brought her home and I ever in a 15x6 ft area in the backyard, with a kiddie pool, rocks, plants and sticks galore. Plus plenty of space to burrow and a large umbrella. Would this type of setup be okay for my slider? As a matter of fact is it okay for my pond turtle? Keep in mind the pond turtle I found in the wild but I don't know if she was abandoned or not

What bottom materials do you recommend? Love the videos!!

These are great tips! Even if I don't have turtles anymore, these will be great tips for future caretakers and present caretakers of turtles. Thank you!

I am keeping my hatchling painted turtle in a 40 gallon breeder with heat and uvb and basking etc etc filters wood floats but the issue I have is eating. I have only had him barely a day so ig that is expected. But I do use those whisper filters. So should I get a different one or what

Im about to be rescuing a baby Res thats not even 1.5-2.5 inchs and definitely not even a year old and she hasnt had much water yet so would it be ok if i did half a tank for now to see how she is swimming and then add more water if she's swimming pretty good?

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. i have an outdoor tank with my turtle in it. it is under a frosted glass roof, but around the afternoon, the sun can reach his basking platform and i have noticed him sitting there. Do i still need to put in UV/Heat lamp? Even if he gets natural light around the afternoon? And also, my turtle is in the tropics, and is used to these conditions. However, in the night, i do notice temps going down to around 20 C/68 f, so do i need a heater to be running through the night/early morning? Please do make sure to like this as i reallyy need an answer for this question. Thanks :) @The Turtle Girl please answer if you can

I currently have an african sideneck and i currently have no filter getting ine soon as possible, but i clean the tank once a week loke deep clean empty and then sweep and then fill the tank does that sound good for now

I have a red ear sliders don't know the age. For the heat I've been using a space heater next to the tank. Could that work for the heat.

I keep a Male Yellowbelly Slider , he is in a 100 gal aquarium,and a 400 gal pond with a 27 pound common snapping turtle in my Florida room. He is a Beast. He broke my hand in april . It was the second time he bit me but not when he was this big. It was like getting my hand slammed in a metal door when I wasn't paying attention. He was hugging the round rock that used to be in his pond.

Hi. Is it okay to use regualar wood and rocks for your 🐢 tank?

Hey, we are adopting a common musk and have also heard about only having the tank half full... how would we know if it was too full for him without putting him in danger?

As a kid I always wanted a turtle, never got one, but since it’s still ok my mind I’m thinking of buying one, following your advice

never heard about the goldfish/minnows thing either!! im so glad, 5 years of occasional snacking on those for her hopefully didn't push her back too much 😥

Hi your videos are awesome thank you so much for all the information you are a great person I've had my slider turtle for almost 15 years she's a little bit overweight so I take her out to get some sun she walks that she likes to do I live in an apartment but sometimes I take her out on the grass downstairs am I doing the right thing any information thank you so much

I have a question about uva/uvb bulbs so I could buy one for instance that says it’s a uva/uvb bulb and that would be okay? I found one that says full spectrum would that be good for my red ear slider turtle?

My turtle 🐢 donatella is 20 years old , and your videos are very helpful lot of amazing info. Keep it up girl 💯

Hi just subscribed..glad ur here just rescued a baby red ear..i had a LED light well my room mate shut the light off accidentally but my turtle water was cold now he is just sluggish and the water was only couple inch deep 8.5 w and like 13 L so it can be deeper?? IM STRESSED..i cant lose Louie..

this video helped me a lot thanks

Hi you mentioned changing out the water little by littel, but how often do we need to do a full empty and clean the rocks, the tank, the decorations etc?

Thanks, very good advice.

Thank you so much, those tips that you give are very helpful. I have two cumberland turtles they are almost a year that we have them and they are big babies now.

5years keeping turtles and youre an Expert😂😂😂🤦🏿‍♂️

Hi can you please share few links, to which heater you recommend for a 20 gallon tank? I have a red eared slider!

Thank you for everything u are truly a hero in me eyes! I made a deccision to take a turtle. Its a reeves, it has been sheeding for a month now non stop. I got it a big filter , i change waters once a week. I feed it once every twice a day. The reeves is atleast 10 years old. Had only one heating lamp for all this time. In februari when I got it I boght a lamp that was both UVB and UVA in one. ( Am looking into upograding to seperate lamps). For the past two weeks it's barly on its basking spot. Everything seems good, its active, it eats, whenver am close to it it hides... but the shedding. What could I do?

My household spilts taking care of some aquatic turtles (3 in total, don't know if it's OK that all 3 are in the tank together.). I'm looking to improve the tank setup. What is the filter that is setup in the video? That looks perfect.

Hey mam I have a doubt : I have recently bought a red eared slider, however when I place it in a water tank it will always go to an high altitude place, because it is trying to escape from the tank, and it is not even going to stay in water. It is preferring to stay in dark place, like under table, is it is good for my turtle or I have to place it in water tank ?

I have a yellowbelly slider that I swear can't swim.. he acts like he's drowning if too high. Also, can you link the filter you suggest from your affiliate? Thank you fir your videos

I was unsure of my turtles age when I got him but I’ve had him for about little more than a year now and he’s about 3 inches, would you still recommend feeding him once a day or every other day

have a 40 gallon tank, thinking of getting a turtle (i plan on building a pond when they get bigger) however i'm on the fence on which turtle, i want a terrpin, or a yellow belly, maybe a type of map turtle..idk i'm still reading up on it, worst comes to worst i make it for a small type of snake or lizard. thank you for the video it helps.

I agree with everything she said except Tank decorations. I have a full grown RES that I've had for 14 years & every time I put decorations in her tank she completely destroys them & if it's something big, she keeps playing with it & banging it against the tank walls to the point it may break the glass. Once, I put new suction cups in her tank to hold the air hoses & she realized something new was in her tank & she kept biting it off the glass. Maybe my RES is just destructive, but I keep my turtle tank clear of any decorations. If you can suggest something else I haven't tried, I'm all ears. I'm never too old to learn something new.

I’m thirteen years old I really wanna get a pet turtle this is really helping me on what I should do thank you so much!!

My tortoise has a 40 gallon because the person I got her from said I should get a 40 gallon tank so we got one. I did not know that I had to have a 75 gallon one. Will a 40 gallon tank be good?

is there anyway you can make a video about yellow belly slider turtles. i just had three of them givin to me from an elderly lady that cant take care of them any more and ive been looking every where on how to take of them but no where can i find anything about yellow bellys.

I have a 3 month snapper at home. How much water should be in the tank do you think?

I just rescused a logger head musk turtle and poor thing seems to have a small chunk missing from his or her back end i set up the best i could for the little thing but its been days and it refuses to eat anything im trying turtle pellets mil worms minnows im sure its stressed but what should i do it seems to bobb its head like its breathing hard alot and it bask quite a bit

What brand of filter do you recommend?

I’m just now getting a turtle so this is very helpful. Thank you.

Red slider help! Help I have 2 red sliders each in separate 50gal tanks. One has clear water and the other I have been battling with cloudy water for about 3 months. The one with cloudy water has a canister filter rated for 120gal tank. I change at least 50% of the water every other week. I have done water test strips and everything seems normal. Help!

You should be called The TURTLE QUEEN. Thanks for all the help and info you've given over the years. I have an Australian Murray short neck turtle. Cheers.

I have 2 indoor ponds... 1 is for my 4 baby turtles, which 2 of them are red ear and 2 of them are yellow bellies.... They are babies ... Their names are kloe, jasper, star and little.... I don't have any live fish in with them at all ... I only feed them their floating food sticks, blood worms and shrimp.... I have offered them fruit and veggies, but they didn't want anything to do with it , lol.... Also my other indoor pond, is my goldfish and my 1 black Moore and my aquatic plants of course.... I also use house plants in my goldfish pond but I only have the roots submerged! Anyway, thought I would do a little share !😁

Hi i have reeves turtle in my tank his usually ok with me i got a toothbrush & rubed on his shell now his scared of me & runs what can i do?

I had to take in my b.d turtle cause he got it for our kid and they lost their apt. So now i gotta learn everything there is to know about turtles asap cause this poor thing has nothing but a couple of rocks and pellets.. no heat lamp, no bulbs no nothing. And for some reason everyone fights me when i tell them this turtle needs these items. They all argue with me about it and i just dont get why people can be so careless over an animal they chose to get. Its really sad.

Is it a good idea to keep fish in with my red ear slider. The only reason I ask is because she likes to eat the fish food so what I do is feed Skeeter at the sametime which means I am over feeding

My turtle is a bred turtle and wasnt from the wild...he's very small and is a turtle found commonly..idk what soze aquarium i should get it as i dont want him to stay in the tiny bowl i got him in ( today ).. there arent many huge aquariums and bulbs i can get,do u have any ideas on which aquarium i should get? I dont want it to be too big and i found a medium sized ones that i think would be big enough,what should i do? I've never kept a reptile before and im trying to learn and research as much as i can about them so he lives a long,healthy and happy life.

I have a red eared slider, she is about 6 inches but i don’t know how old she is. I started to feed her every other day. Is she an adult or a juvenile?