Common name: Red-Eared Slider 
Latin name: Trachemys scripta elegans 

Native to: Mississippi River valley and tributaries from Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico 

Size: Average adult is 5-8 inches; females are larger than males of same age. 

Life span: 15-25 Years 

General appearance: Young are bright green with yellow markings and a red stripe just behind the eyes. Colors dull with age. 

Housing requirements:   

Enclosure: A 10 Gallon Aquarium is sufficient for hatchling turtles, however a 20 gallon long aquarium is recommended as the minimum enclosure for one turtle to reach its full adult size and health.

Temperature: The water should be 70-75⁰ F and can be maintained with a submersible aquarium heater. The basking area should be 84-88⁰F during the daylight period. This can be maintained with an Exo-Terra Day-Light. 

Substrate: Substrate is not recommended. Frequent water changes make it difficult to clean. If you do choose to use a substrate for looks, Estes Aquarium Gravel is the best.

Diet: Feeding should be daily with all they can eat in 45 minutes. Remove all food remaining after that time, except for greens. Just because they beg for food does not necessarily mean they're hungry, this is a trained condition. Diet should be at least 65-85% meat consisting of commercial turtle food, plankton, krill, beef heart, live fish, live crickets. Meat should be dusted once a week with a good herp vitamin containing D3. Dark green leafy vegetables can be used to fill the rest of the diet. Neptune's Corner offers Tetra's Reptomin floating turtle sticks as well as live crickets, freeze dried as well as frozen plankton & krill.

Maintenance: Water should be clean and clear. Waste should be removed whenever it is found. Filtration, such as the Penn-Plax Cascade 400 Internal Power Filter prolongs the time between water changes, but should not be used as a substitute for water changes. Wastewater should not be emptied into a sink that is used for food preparation or personal hygiene. Hands and any other part of your body that comes in contact with the water should be washed thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap.

Recommended Products:
Neptune's Corner brand Freeze Dried Plankton
Neptune's Corner brand Freeze Dried Krill
San Francisco Bay Brand Frozen Krill
Tetrafauna Reptomin Floating Food Sticks
Tetrafauna ReptoGuard Turtle Health Conditioner
Exo-Terra Biotize Waste Degrader
Exo-Terra Sun Glo Daylight Heat Bulbs
Penn Plax Cascade Internal Power Filter
Hagen Elite Submersible Heater