Turtle Substrate

[kimberlina]

I've had two red eared slider turtles for about 6 months now. i got them when they were tiny babies. they're in a large tank and i used gravel for the substrate because with them being so small they wouldnt be able to eat it by mistake. they also have some large rocks which make a platform and act as a hidey hole for them and some river bed pebbles making a kind of ramp out of the water.
now they are a bit bigger i know i have to ge rid of the gravel before they get too much bigger and may eat it by accident.
i've been doing some reading and i've read that some people use sand, but i have also read conflicting things that say that sand while it looks nice houses bacteria and can cause problems. is this true? if not what sand is best? i dont really want to leave the bottom of the tank bare if i can get away with it. i was thinking of maybe getting some more of the river bed pebbles to cover the bottom of the tank instead of sand.

can anyone give me an idea of what would be best please?

thankyou

 

[jgilley84]

i have a yellow belly slider and i have small river stone in there and he cant eat them or he dont! hope that helps

 

[Buslady]

sand is best with softshells and pig nose turtles really. Many keepers use nothing on the bottom but you might be like me and want something nice to look as and an interesting home for your turtles. You can put a layer of smooth river stones along the gravel - the gravle cushioning the stones so they dont break glass.it'll keep the turtles from getting at the gravel plus adding to it's decor.

 

[kelseybelsey1013]

Large rocks are best. I am a red-eared-slider whizz! Gravel can make them choke, they try to eat it. Msg me if u have any questions!

 

[motch2008]

Large rocks are best. I am a red-eared-slider whizz! Gravel can make them choke, they try to eat it. Msg me if u have any questions!

hi, i have 2 yellow belly sliders and use a sand and large rocks. seems to work well 4 them!! do you have any advice or info on their breeding habits? also life expectancy?

 

[3ndl3r]

large pebbles, or sand are the best. anything they wont be able to swallow is suitable.

 

[AngelOfDeath]

large pebbles, or sand are the best. anything they wont be able to swallow is suitable.

surely they would swallow sand?

also, would sand be very messy? like when i first add it would it make my water super cloudy?

is it hard to clean, as the shpyon would surely suck loads up right? thanks

 

[ollyhtafc]

It makes water cloudy yeah.For a few days.

And it's not that hard to clean really.You just put the syphon an inch or so above the sand.

 

[3ndl3r]

sand wont cause any harm, he may even spit it out. yeah it goes cloudy for a day or two. Yeah hold the syphon an inch above. will be fine

regards

 

[Buslady]

hi, i have 2 yellow belly sliders and use a sand and large rocks. seems to work well 4 them!! do you have any advice or info on their breeding habits? also life expectancy?

sliders can live well up to their 50s, maybe even longer. the average is 30. there is one red ear claimed to be 80 or so.

First off, breeding - you should be able to tell by the time they are 4"SCL who's male or female. Males typically have longer claws and a longer thick tail. Females complete opposite and grow twice the size of a male to carry all those eggs.
Males will usually court by fluttering his long claws in her face, getting her attention. She may bite back if she doesn't like him or she may just swim off with him in pursuit. If things go peaceful, he'll get his way. If not, it can become dangerous for both. He can become aggressive and injure her. OR in his case, if lets himself hang out, she could come along and bite off his tool. Always be prepared to separate them. Some live well together later, some grow to hate each other. There is no "breeding season"...they'll do it all year long!