Basking concerns, RES  10/17/09
Dear Crew
<Hiya - Darrel here>
I am a fairly new owner of two red eared sliders. They are active, seem to eat well and generally seem to be doing well. I'm concerned that I do not see them out basking and know this is essential to their health. They are in a 55 gallon aquarium set up where they have both water and land, as well as several other areas they can get out of the water to bask. I do have a calcium bone in the water that I can see they are using. I have pellets that I feed them, as well as some dried shrimp occasionally and some soft meaty food. I have tried to give them some romaine lettuce, but they do not eat it.
<Nor should they. Koi pellets or Repto-min turtle sticks (either one) are a completely balanced diet for Red Eared Sliders. That and an occasional earth worm as a treat (maybe one or two a month) is all they need.>
They also will only eat food if I put it in the water, they will not come out to get anything from the dish in the dry area.
<Sliders are water feeders, which is to say that they primarily eat what they find in the water. The will, from time to time, climb up on a bank and snatch something and then drag it back into the water in order to eat it. You should hand feed them>
I have a basking lamp over the dry land area and a UV light over the water area. It's possible they could be out basking when I am not around, as they are still pretty skittish when there's movement around the tank.
<possible>
Should I be concerned and/or is there something else I should be doing to encourage them to come out of the water? Also, I have the basking lamp on a timer and do not use the night heating lamp, is that night lamp necessary?
<You should always be concerned .. just not worried. The first thing to do is make sure you have a temperature gradient. If the water is warm enough they won't feel the need to bask even though they need it. The water should never be above room temperature and the basking area around 85-90 degrees. This way they have clear choices..>
<No lights or heat at night ... let everything cool naturally and then it will all cycle again in the morning. Here's a care guide we have -- check your conditions against the guide and correct anything that's not quite in order: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>

Turtle basking. Sys.  10/11/09
I live in Lahore, Pakistan and I have a Kachuga smithii turtle as a pet. I keep it in a tub and it is a healthy turtle.
<A tub? With a filter? You can't just keep it in a plastic tub of water. It will eventually get sick. Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/redearsliders.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWsubwebindex/RESCareBarton.htm
Kachuga smithii is similar in size and dietary requirements, so everything that holds for Red-ear Sliders holds for Kachuga smithii. It is reported that Kachuga smithii is a very widely sold pet turtle in Pakistan, but the vast majority end up dead because the owners do not know how to look after them! This is not very different to how it was with Red-ear Sliders when they were sold as cheap pets in England. The problem is that just because something is cheap to buy, it doesn't mean it is cheap to keep alive. All turtles -- repeat ALL TURTLES -- are demanding pets. You need a big vivarium, a filter, regular water changes, a balanced diet, and a source of heat and UV-B light. Since you live in Pakistan, room temperature (unless your home is air conditioned) should be warm enough for the turtle, so a heater isn't required.>
I want to know that here in Pakistan, there is a lot of sunlight so I let it bask for fifteen minutes. Is that enough?
<No. Needs a couple of hours per day, at least six hours per week, at least nine months of the year. On the other hand, if you put a water turtle outside without providing it with a place to swim, it can easily overheat and die. So, if you wanted to use sunlight, you would need a safe outdoor CAGE (to keep predators out as well as the turtle in). Put a basin of water inside the cage for the turtle to swim in, and a rock upon which it could bask. Change the water daily, and clean the cage as required.>
I also want to ask that the common tube lights we have in our homes and offices are fluorescent lights. Do they produce UV-B light?
<No, they don't. Must be a very specific UV-B (not UV-A) light. Note than some people might try to sell you a UV-A light, sometimes called an ultraviolet or "black" light. These are the ones that make white fabrics glow purple. UV-A is not what reptiles need. Buy a specific UV-B lamp designed for reptiles. Any decent pet shop specialising in reptiles should sell these. Cheers, Neale.>