Hey guys. Its Seeker and I'm not dead! At least I hope you guys don't think I am. Just talking a break until it feels right for me to come back on completely.
Anyways, I've been seeing people from the reptile communities to Instagram have a Red Eared Slider and they're new to reptile owning. I'm here to say why they're not the best pets for a beginner -or others- to have.
Disclaimer:This is my experience as a turtle owner. There might be more or less reasons but please take this with a grain of salt
Some might be wondering what a Red eared slider is. RES are semi-aquatic turtles that are a part of the Emydidae family best known/recognized for the red streaks on the both sides of their face that's on/near their ears. They're very common. My turtles' vet describes them as “Being as common as gold fish”.
1. Their big size
New owners usually go for baby turtles and don't for how big they'll get in the future.
RES grow to be a foot (as big as a dinner plate). New owners that discover this usually try to rehome them or release their turtles into the wild. This is highly not recommended since RES are aggressive and will easily take over a territory of a wild turtle and mess up an ecosystem.
2. Tank sizes
Since they do get big, they will request a big tank so they can swim around and remain healthy. The rule of thumbs is for every inch of shell length, provide 10 gallons of water. This means you could have a tank that's 20-75 gallons. Too small of a tank can led to health problems, stress in a turtle and in extreme cases, death.
3. The many health problems (written and unwritten)
RES have many health problems that new owners are not aware of. From the infamous ear infection to the less known pink skin (not much of a health problem). New owners will either not understand what's wrong with their turtle or have to rush their turtle to the vet. This is the result of owners not researching or have done little research to fully prepare them or help them to prevent a situation from happening.
4. They're costly pets
People do have to spend money to help insure the health of themselves and their pets but trying to insure the health of a RES can be tricky. Not only do you have to buy a large tank for your turtle but you also have to buy their supplies and food too. This means buying new filter cartridges when you run out, replacing broken fixtures, getting new lights and more.
5. They're not as simple
RES-like any reptile or exotic pet- are complicated animals and not many know about them like cats and dogs. They need certain conditions, diets and care to remain happy and healthy. Few take the time to research this pet and see if its the right fit for them.
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I hope this helped informed people. I don't mean to make people to completely steer clear of this turtle. In fact, in the right care, they can be fun to watch and have shocking personalities you never thought you would get from a turtle. Its important to understand these turtles so everyone can be stress free and if you think your ready then make sure you have everything in order before getting your new pet.
This is also inspired by a GoHerping video. Its here if you want to watch it. I encourage you do since it might have some reasons I didn't talk about
Comments (4)
We do have a red eared slider, but we have a 115 gallon tank for him to live in with 3 working filters and since the tank is near a window, we have a basking place. And we are financially able to afford one :green_heart: :turtle: and he lives by himself, so he has no one to fight with. Please tell me if I'm doing anything wrong!
ful! (Lol, I am WingsFinsFur XD)
Yes! There's a similar problem in the parrot community, its heartbreaking to see people impulse buy any animal without doing research
I agree wholeheartedly my turtle stays in a 75 and I still feel like its too small. I don't know how much I've spent on him but I know its more than any of my others ultimately the best begginer turtle is the musk turtle