>>Housing
Choosing an aquarium/tank:
If you are living in a flat or hardly have any outdoor space, red-eared sliders can easily adapt to indoor environment. Of course provided that you set up a suitable aquarium for it or them. If you start keeping sliders from young, don't just buy a container that they can fit in now, buy one that they can fit in comfortably even if they grow 5 times or more larger in size. With proper feeding, they can grow pretty fast, but don't worry, they are not giant tortoises. By buying a larger container, you can save the money and hassle looking for another one next time when your sliders can't move in their old one.
Material:
Materials can be glass or plastic. Glass will look nicer and you can see through it if you put it on a stand or somewhere high. But plastic will cost less and less breakable. Before buying, check that there's no crack lines or you will find that water leaking out.
Size of tank:
The length of a container for an adult slider should be about 3 times the length of it's shell and not too narrow or shallow. About 20 gallons and above is good.
Where to place it:
Before filling the aquarium with anything, you have to find a suitable place to put it. Preferably near the window where sunlight is available to the sliders and without passing through the glass or plastic wall, it must be direct (UV is loss when passed through material). The aquarium need not be fully in the direction of sunlight, but partially be in the sunlight and partially shady. If not, then you will have to get a full spectrum light with UVB and secure it over the basking area. Do not put the light too near though, because you wouldn't want the your slider burnt or get overheated. Sliders need sunlight for healthy growth of shell.
Cleaning the tank:
After a nice place is found, you will have to decide if you want to clean the aquarium manually or with filter. Of course manually will save more money. If you want to do it manually (plastic tub is easier for that because of the weight), then have it near a toilet. I suggest kitchen is a good place, near the window for aeration so it won't stink up the place and the toilet. Flush the dirty water directly into the drainage area or toilet bowl, after taking away anything that might clog the drain. Never pour dirty water into the sink, that is very unhygienic. You have to clean the aquarium (for bigger turtles) almost daily or at least once every two days or the water will turn murky and this will cause your turtles to get sick easily. For smaller turtles, clean the water as frequently as you deem fit. If you see the water starts to turn murky it is time.
If you find that manual cleaning is a hassle, then you will have to spend on a filter. Don't scrimp on filter, buy one that is worth it's price. Some filter will only work in fish tank while others may not be strong enough. From my research, it was found that canister filter (it is place outside the aquarium, with inflow and outflow tubes) is the best for turtles. Do not put electric filter or any other elctrical appliances in the water as that might cause electric shock. Turtles are very curious and might get killed by them.
The basking area:
Placing the aquarium near light source will mean that a basking area must also be available for the sliders to climb on to rest and bask. Basking is good for your turtle's health. The basking area will be the main part where the light source should shine at. The basking area can be lesser than that of water, maybe about 1/3. The water should be the cooler area so that when your sliders feel too hot, it can always go to the water for a swim before it turns into roast turtle. For basking area, it can be an accumulation of big pebbles, a piece a big enough rock (not too rough or the turtle might scratch and injure itself) or floating bark fixed to the side of the aquarium, make sure that the turtle can climb on it without trouble. Do not put small pebbles, the slider may attempt to swallow them or mess them up. The basking area cannot be as high as or about the same height as the aquarium or it will make an easy escape route for the slider. Sometimes the sliders will crawl on each others' back to escape!
Depth of water:
Water depth must at least cover the shell of the slider. But do not make it as deep as the water in fish tank, as smaller sliders may have difficulties swimming back to the surface. When the sliders mate under water, the female at the bottom of the aquarium may suffocate.
Aesthetic Environment:
If you want to create a nicer environment for them, you can also keep a couple of guppies in their aquarium (they might clean up some algae and can also serve as food for the sliders) or some real water plants for the sliders to munch on. Examples: arrowhead, java fern, water hyacinth, water lettuce, eel grass, cyrstalwort or hair grass.
Temperature:
Never put your turtle's home in an air-conditioned room! They prefer warm area, not cold or hot. Around 80F is just right, or 25°C. At 50F or 10°C, the turtles will think its time to hibernate. It is best to keep the temperature constant and not fluctuate too much like 25°C in the day and 10°C at night, this weakens the turtles. It should be fine if you live in the tropical region. If your area have inconsistent temperature, I suggest you install a heat tape, incandescent light or ceramic bulb. The lighting couples for basking too. Another device is submersible aquarium heater for heating up water in a tank. If the devices are not with a thermostat, you may want to invest in one or use a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
Internal leaks and breakage can happen in aquarium heater. Turtles might be electrocuted. This can be prevented by putting the GFI protection device between the wall outlet and the electrical cord that supplies power to the heaters. It is a foot long extention cord with a GFI (Ground Fault Interupt) breaker built into the cord. Putting the heater in a plexiglass/plastic tube with slits will also protect turtles from banging into it and breaking it. Information credited to http://www.turtlecare.net/heating.htm
It must be of almost the same condition as the indoor
aquarium, with light source available and also shady areas. You can make
a pool or pond for it and some land areas around it for the turtle to explore.
The bigger the better, it depends on how much land area you can spare and
how much effort you can put in.
In the pond, put some water plants as mentioned above
or maybe some guppies or water snails which can help clean the pond.
There must be shady areas, so perhaps you can put it near
a tree to get some shade or have small caves (read below). There must be fencing
all around the area with no gaps at all. I think more commonly wire fencing.
Did you know that they can climb as well as dig their way out? I think the
fence have to be more than 3 or 4 times the height of the sliders. The fencing
must also extends deep into the ground and be as firm as possible to prevent
adult sliders from knocking it over. The sliders are fantastic diggers, they
can claw their way through the earth, sometimes they might even get stuck
in their own burrow and get suffocated, so check regularly for burrows made
and fill them in again.
Make simple shelter for the sliders to get out of the rain
on stormy days. Or just bring them indoor when it storms.
I suggest that you keep babies sliders less than 4 inches
in size indoors, you wouldn't know if the crows fancy baby sliders and cats
and dogs aren't very friendly to turtles either. To play safe for the rest
of the sliders that you keep outdoor, you can cover the top of the fencing
with some sort of netting. I personally don't keep my sliders outdoor because
I live in flats, but my friend used to keep her sliders outdoor.
Remember to remove any plants around or in the fenced area
that might poise danger to the sliders, especially poisonous plants that the
sliders might nibble on.
Okay, now you pet turtles have a nice home sweet home~!
In winter period you may want to bring your turtles indoor
if you are unsure of hibernation outdoor. I am not too sure about hibernation
outdoor for turtles.
