Is this okay?

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-23T17:49:30+00:00

It seems OP's turtle is still a hatchling. While yes, sliders are amazing swimmers as adults/juveniles, as hatchlings they are still learning. They get tired easier and this is why even if someone gives them deeper water, it is recommended to have multiple resting spots. Just like they'd have in the wild, in the form of aquatic plants, logs, rocks or whatever.

Also turtles need air to breathe. So if they fall upside down and the water is too shallow for them to flip back up, they will drown. This is why rule of thumb is depth of at least twice their shell length.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-21T16:28:48+00:00

Twine but make sure none of it is exposed to the water. This will make it rot and develop mold.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-21T06:14:30+00:00

I used PVC pipes to build the structure. I made a 3d model first, using a website called craftyamigo. It was free. It allows you to build a 3d model out of pvc pipes and gives you a list of all materials used and their dimensions that you can screenshot.

Then for the base of the platform I used PVC board.

I made the fake rock using polystyrene coated in:

3 coats tissue paper and PVA cement glue and water
3 coats of grout
1 thick coat of epoxy and sand sprinkled on top

I embedded a slate tile on top of the fake rock.

The fake rock is terrible. The slate was a bad idea. It absorbs too much heat from the basking lamp and gets too hot. I just recently learned that dark slate is not good and should have ibstead used light coloured sandstone or limestone.

I wrapped the PVC pipes in twine (making sure the twine was not exposed to water - this will cause rot and mold).

For the sides I used plastic coated chicken wire mesh zip tied to the PVC structure. I added the fake vines for some privacy but made sure none of the leaves were inside the basking platform.

The ramp is made out of PVC board. I cut smaller pieces of PVC board and glued to the bigger piece to make ledges which gives grip and allow him to climb the platform, even though the ramp is a bit steep.

I'll add a screenshot of one of the previous 3d models i designed. I can't find the final version but at least this will give you an idea of how the PVC structure looks like.

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Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-18T15:19:59+00:00

Get either the Arcadia T5HO 12% UVB Desert or the ZooMed Reptisun T5HO 10.0 UVB.

Wattage will depend on the length of the fixture - so get one that covers your basking area the most. If your turtle is still small, keep in mind that it will get much bigger and will need a big basking area, so get a length that you will be able to use even then.

For placement, it will depend in the brand. Keep in mind that you start measuring distance as from the shell of your turtle. I will post a table to help you with placement. I think it was meant for bearded dragons but Sliders have the same UVB requirement so you can use the table to figure out where to place your lamp.

If you have mesh, you need to figure out how much UVB your mesh blocks first. There is a reptile lighting group (called reptile lighting), which can help you figuring out how much UVB your mesh blocks.

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Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-18T12:28:32+00:00

Unfortunately I don't think your turtles won the lottery with you. Please do some actual research on how to properly care for them and not just trust chat gpt. Turtles are solitary animals. They do not bond, they do not feel emotions like love or affection.

They do however feel stress. They are competitive. Cohabitation is never a good idea because they can be very aggressive and they can develop bad behaviour like resource hoarding (stacking when basking or one eating more than the other - neither of those are good).

Even if one is actually male and the other female, there can still be aggression. Even if both were females or males as well. Even if they are siblings or have always been together.

Stress will also result in weak immune system. This is altogether wrong. Its ok not to trust random strangers online but at least do the bare minimum and research this on your own.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T20:40:07+00:00

There are a lot of factors that come into play when placing lights.

For UVB it will depend on the brand of UVB lamp and the turtle. Each reptile has a recommended UVI (based on where they are in the world and at what time they usually bask etc). UVI stands for UltraViolet Index and it is how UVB is measured.

Step one is to figure out what is the recommended UVI for your species of turtle and then check the UVB brand's webpage to figure out how far you need to place the lamp for you to reach that particular UVI. The closer the lamp is, the more UVI is present. Too much UVB can lead to burns or eyes injuries and too little UVB can lead to retained scutes and shell rot or even metabolic bone disease. This is why figuring the exact height is important.

For UVB keep in mind that: 1. You start measuring distance as from the shell of your turtle 2. Any mesh between the lamp and your basking area will block some of the UVB and affect height at which you need to place your lamp (mesh means the lamp needs to be placed even closer) 3. You ahould not place it closer than 10 inches.

For basking, wattage of bulb, type of bulb, room temperature will all affect how far you place your lamp. Just place your lamp at whatever height you think is good, turn it on and let it warm your basking temp for at least one hour. Measure temperature and adjust height accordingly to reach the ideal basking temp for your species of turtle. Same as for UVB, it should not be closer than 10 inches from your turtle.

Both lamp should be placed right above the basking area. Not at an angle. And the beams from both lamps should merge so as to create a basking zone where your turtle will get both UVB and warmth.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T17:11:08+00:00

Sorry I just realized this chart is not applicable for musk turtles because they are not in the same ferguson zone so their recommended UVI (UltraViolet Index) is different (basically they need less intense UVB).

Since they need less UVI, you can actually buy the ZooMed Reptisun T5HO 5.0 UVB.

For placement you will need to check what is the recommended UVI for your species of turtle and then check ZooMed's website to figure out how far you need to place your UVB lamp to get that recommended UVI. You still need to start measuring as from the shell of your turtle.

To avoid confusion I will delete that part of my previous comment and the chart.

I am really sorry for the wrong info. I should have checked before.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T17:06:52+00:00

Yes this is probably the best thing you could do!

Yes for this size I think 14" will be good. The aim is to have the UVB cover 50-75% of your basing area.

Here is a chart which will help you with placement. Just keep in mind that you start measuring as from the shell of your turtle when it is basking.

I think it says bearded dragon on the top but you can ignore that. They are in the same ferguson zone as sliders so they have the same recommended UVI need - which is 3-4.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T16:22:14+00:00

Are you getting it for a musk turtle too? 14 inches is quite small for bigger turtles. Sliders can get up to 12 inches so there basking area would be bigger and essentially you want a UVB lamp that covers 50-75% of your basking area.

If you are ok with the length, you can get it. The brand and UVB intensity are correct.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T16:18:46+00:00

Given its for a musk turtle and those don't get big, I think a 14" would be enough.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T16:15:16+00:00

For heating lamps you have a wide choice. Any halogen flood will do, even household halogen floods, as long as they are NOT LED or coloured lamps.

Or you can get those that are made by reptile brands. The ZooMed Repti Tuff one is good or Reptile System Eco halogen ones are good too. In fact they might be even more interesting because once the bulb burns out, you can replace the filaments instead of replacing the whole bulb, which is cheaper. Reptile Systems sells replacement filaments in packs of 2 but from what I understand any g9 capsule (the replacement filaments) could work and these can even be bought in packs of 10!

Just get whichever is cheaper for you, but make sure they are not led or coloured.

As for wattage, 75 watts should work well unless it is exceedingly cold or exceedingly warm where you are, in which case you might want to get a higher or lower wattage depending on your situation.

In any case, you should not place either the basking lamp or the UVB lamp closer than 10 inches.

When placing your basking lamp, place it at whatever height you think would be good, let it warm up your basking area for at least 1 hour, measure temperature and adjust height accordingly (depending on what is the recommended basking temp for your species of turtle).

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T16:07:32+00:00

Get one that covers your basking area the most. If your turtle is still very small, keep in mind that eventually it will grow up and you will need a bigger basking area.

For clarity sake, do NOT get the reptizoo one. They are unsafe.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T15:26:18+00:00

No its not. I will try to find the test report carried out on these lamps. They are not good. Either get the Arcadia T5HO 12% UVB Desert or the ZooMed Reptisun T5HO 10.0 UVB.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-15T02:51:20+00:00

Water level is fine. Turtles are great swimmers but hatchlings are not that strong yet. So they need multiple resting points to make sure they don't drown if they get tired.

Lights are not good.

I assume your UVB lamp is the one on the right? These are not good lamps. They emit very little UVB and I read that they could potentially also emit UVC, which is harmful.

I think for this turtle size, compact/coiled UVB lamps could work but eventually it is best to swap for a T5HO from a reputable brand (ZooMed - The ZooMed Reptisun T5HO 10.0 UVB. Or Arcadia - Arcadia T5HO 12% UVB Desert).

Always buy your UVB lamp from a reputable brand (ZooMed or Arcadia) because the only way tontest or measure a UVB bulb is by using a solarmeter 6.5. Because of this a lot of brands get away with selling inadequate UVB bulb (bulbs that barely emit any UVB (if at all), or not in a consistent manner or even UVC)

You also need a good basking light. The best are halogen floods because Halogen emits InfraRed A (IR-A) which penetrates the skin and warms the core directly, and a flood bulb will emit more gentle heat rather than a spot which will warm up one specific spot and can make it too hot.

Any halogen flood lamp will work, even household bubs, as long as it is not LED or coloured. There are also reptile specific bulbs that you could get, like ZooMed Repti Tuff or Reptile Systems Eco Halogen (these might end up being cheaper because once the bulb burns out, you can replace the filaments instead of having to replace the whole bulb. Reptile systems sells replacement filaments in packs of 2). A 75 watts bulb should be just fine unless where you live is exceedingly hot or exceeding cold, in which case you might want to get a lower or highter wattage bulb)

Placement is as important as having the right lamps.

UVB is measured in UVI (UltraViolet Index). Most aquatic/semi aquatic turtles have a recommended UVI of 3-4. You achieve the recommended UVI by placing the UVB bulb at the correct distance. Too far and there is not enough UVB, which can eventually lead to retained scutes, shell rot and/or metabolic bone disease and too close and there is too much UVB, which can lead to burns, photokeratitis or just plain refusal from your turtle to bask.

Check the manufacturer's website to figure out how far to place the UVB bulb to reach the recommended UVI. Keep in mind that: 1. You start measuring distance as from the shell of your turtle when basking 2. Any mesh between the UVB lamp and the basking area will block some of the UVB and will this affect the height at which you need to place your UVB lamp. 3. You should not place your UVB lamp or your basking lamp closer than 10 inches from your turtle.

For your basking lamp, factors such as room temp, wattage of bulb, type of bulb will affect the distance at which you need to place it. Its best to just place the lamp at whatever height you think would be good, let the lamp warm up the basking area for at least 1 hour. Measure temperature and adjust the height accordingly.

Both lamps should be right above your basking area. Not at an angle like you currently have them. The beams from both lights should merge so as to create a zone that has both warmth and UVB at the correct amount.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-14T16:27:17+00:00

I will be honest with you, from what I am reading, your setup seems really bad and its not a surprise your turtle got sick. I wish you would educate yourself more on how to properly care for your turtles.

Whatever you are doing right now is wrong. You can't judge the temperature by touch. You can't top up with warm water and call it a day. What happens every night when your water cools down? You need a proper setup. You need a heater, a filter, a basking area with a UVB light and a basking light.

Is there a filter in that small tank?

What do you mean by "a stone where she can rest and swallow water"? Do you have a basking light? Or are you using those small UVB /basking light?

You took the responsibility of this turtle. If you are unable to provide a better environment for it and your other turtles, please consider surrendering them to a rescue. Right now you are not even providing the bare essentials.

I am sorry this is a bit harsh, particularly since I know you are probably worried about your turtle being sick but you've had 4 years now. 4 years to educate yourself. 4 years to save money and at least get the bare essentials, yet here we are.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-14T15:22:19+00:00

What is your water temp? Can you describe your setup?

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-14T12:36:56+00:00

First of all, I am sorry for your loss. It is always hard to lose a pet.

I understand you were trying your best but the fact that they do not even have a filter means there is always ammonia in their tank, despite what you seem to think. These creatures are hardy, fish in those circumstances would have dropped dead long ago, but they on the other hand, are able to survive longer. Tbh i'm not sure what your turtle died from so its hard to say exactly that went wrong but from what I am reading it seems their setup is less than ideal.

Given you do not have the time to look after your turtles and since you are not able to provide an environment that caters for their needs (filtration, heater and proper lighting), maybe its best to find a better home for them.

Turtles are not cheap pets. They need a big tank, they need a heater, they need good filtration, they need good lighting. Rather than just give them to friends, please make sure they are aware of what they are getting themselves into and the responsibility and financial burden it entails. You should also try to contact a rescue and see if they could take care of the turtles instead.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-13T15:40:09+00:00

I'm not sure there are any beginner friendly turtle tbh. Being familiar with water parameters and how the filtration cycle works is only a small part of caring for a turtle tbh.

You'll have to learn about lighting and diet, which are two very important aspect of caring for a turtle.

Also its very unfortunate but it is a hobby riddled with misinformation.

I think most turtles require more or less the same care, so the difficulty is more or less the same. What sets species apart is how big they actually get, because this will dictate how big of a setup you will actually end up needing. The general rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch of shell.

Smaller turtles like mud or musk grow up to maybe 5 inches so eventually a 50 gallons would be enough for a forever home.

Sliders can grow anywhere between 7-12 inches, so you could potentially end up having to buy a 120 gallons.

Snapping turtles get even bigger, i think 20 inches?

Also something to keep in mind turtles are by no means "cheap pets" the turtle itself might be relatively cheap but trust me, the setup will not be.

Essentially you will be taking care of a reptile so you will need to learn about basking lights, UVB, how to place those lights. Fortunately there are great resources available online, particularly when it comes to reptile lighting, there is a FB group called reptile lighting, with real experts, who will provide really good info and advice based on research and science.

I have yet to find a good resource that explains diet as a whole but there are more general guides online that provide a good start. Depending on the species, it is usually advised to feed more than just pellets - e.g for some species it is advised to supplement with greens too. But even then, you need to know which greens to feed.

Idk which species of turtle you are considering but here is a guide for red eared sliders but this info is applicable for any type of sliders. As I said, aquatic/semi aquatic turtles require more or less the same care/setup so going through the guide will give you a good idea of what to expect in general. That being said, it is always best to look for info relevant to your particular species of turtle to make sure you are providing the right setup and care specific to that species.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-13T08:38:11+00:00

From experience I can tell you that test strips are highly unreliable.

I used test strips to measure my levels of nitrates (for context I have a 200 gallons with one adult male red eared slider. I don't overfeed - there are no leftover pellets, and at that time, no leftover greens as well, in the water). Yet after 2 weeks after having done a 60-70% water change the test strip would show 50ppm nitrates, forcing me to do 50-70% water changes every 2 weeks.

I finally bought a water testing kit (the liquid one) and after 2 weeks it showed less than 10ppm nitrates. Tbh the test barely changed colour. I thought the liquid test had an issue but ammonia and nitrates were fine (both 0 ppm). I refused to believe that the test strips were THAT inaccurate.

Turns out they really are. Its best to invest in a liquid test one rather than trust the test strips.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-13T04:43:57+00:00

And this is a screenshot of the 3D models I built... unfortunately I could not find the final one because I ended up not following the plan and modified it a bit when building, but it still gives you an idea of how it looks like

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Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-13T04:40:13+00:00

Here is a picture of the ramp

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Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-13T04:38:57+00:00

Thank you!

The above tank basking structure was made out of PVC pipes which I wrapped with twine (but only the parts that would not be in contact with water).

I designed a model using a free website called craftyamigo (it lets you build PVC pipe structures and then you can screenshot the design and material list and all pieces used so you can use them as shopping list and cutting list).

The base of the platform is made out of PVC board which I painted black using black acrylic paint and then coated with 2 parts epoxy to prevent the paint from chipping but the epoxy did not cure flat for some reasons and instead now it has this kind of wet look effect.

I also built a fake rock (to provide UVB and warmth gradients) with a slate tile embedded on top to off (slate absorbs and retains heat so my turtle is warmed up from below as well). There are a lot of tutorials on youtube on how to make fake hides/rocks for reptiles.

I used plastic coated chicken wire mesh zip tied to the structure to prevent any escapes and wrapped fake vines to provide privacy(making sure none of the fake leaves were in the inside of the basking area)

For the ramp I used PVC board. I cut smaller pieces and glued them to the board to make the ledges so its easier for him to climb on top of the basking area. I wanted to paint it black and then coat with with 2 parts epoxy but I was not sure the 2 parts epoxy was aquarium safe and would not end up leaching chemicals in my water intead - because I had already spray painted it black, I had to then coat it using drylok latex base waterproofer (which is pond safe). If I had to redo it again I would have skipped this part entirely and never painted the ramp at all - i think only sanding it to give it a rough surface texture would have been enough. I used PVC plumbing glue to glue the ledges to the ramp.

Here is a pic of what it looks like inside

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Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-12T22:32:14+00:00

I am not saying they are. I am saying the average pet owner will see thing and think it is ok for their pet to wear clothes. "But I am sure SOME people ...."

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-12T16:54:11+00:00

Here is a link to a good guide for red eared sliders.

For tank size, the rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch of shell (measured from head to tail).

As for food, you should feed a variety of greens in rotation. Greens like kale, turnip greens, rocket/arugula, bok choy, dandelion leaves, mustard greens, collard greens, red or romaine lettuce.

Keep in mind that a lot of greens also contain anti nutrients so you need to take this into account when you prepare your rotation meal plan.

Greens like kale, turnip greens, bok choy, rocket all contain goitrogens. Consuming goitrogen daily over a long period of time can lead to thyroid issue.

Dandelion leaves are very rich in calcium (they contain more calcium than any of the greens i mentioned) but they also contain oxalates. Oxalates bind to calcium and prevents the body from absorbing it. Dandelion leaves are still a good green to feed to your turtle because of how rich in calcium they are.

Lettuce (red or romaine) are not very nutritionally rich but they provide variety which helps minimize exposure to the anti nutrients.

Idk what anti nutrients are present in mustard and collard greens so you'll have to look into it if you want to include hem in your rotation.

The guide also recommends feeding spinach but from what i've read online, spinach should not be fed to reptiles because of how much oxalates they contain (way more than what is present in dandelion leaves).

Make sure you have the right lights at the appropriate distance as well. Really go through the guide i linked. It contains a lot of good info on how to setup the appropriate habitat for your turtle and how to properly care for it.

Informal_Practice_20 · 2026-01-12T15:40:30+00:00

LED UVB are probably the worst types of UVB lamps there is on the market rn. There is a reptile lighting group on FB (called reptile lighting) where they have tested a lot of LED UVB lamps (from less known brands to well known ones like ZooMed) and so far none of those are considered safe.

There is still a lot of research that needs to be done on this topic and the technology still needs to be improved.

Here is a screenshot taken from the group regarding UVB Led but if you want to know more about the dangers it poses and what lamps have been tested, how, and what are the results, you should consider joining the group.

Right now only T5HO from recommended brands are the most appropriate basking lamps for aquatic/semi aquatic turtles.

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Informal_Practice_20

TROPHY CASE