warmwatersurf2

Are there any toys for red-ear turtles? Ours seem so bored in the tank

dfm

Our read-eared slider has loved a ceramic frog for years and never gets
tired of tickling its rear with his claws (mating behavior). I'm sure he may
be "frustrated", but it gives him something to do. I've also placed a few
distracter fish in the tank as well. He doesn't pay them much attention, but
perhaps he "likes" them. Um, I'd suggest NOT placing any artificial plants
in there. Our large slider just ate a bunch of fake leaves off a plant and
we took him to the vet. See "turtle vomit" post above. I'd say go with some
sort of aquarium safe ceramic animal with no loose or sharp points that
looks vaguely turtle like and see what happens. Oh also a bubble want might
be vaguely amusing, our turtle sometimes briefly attends to bubbles. Last
suggestion, we were feeding turtle food only for a while until we read of
the importance of feeding vegetable matter as well. Check for advice
regarding what is best for red ears. We've been tossing in some romaine
lettuce and a cu***ber wedge occasionally. These seem to provide some
amu*****t. Good luck, let us know what you try.

warmwatersurf2

Thanks for the advise. What kind of fish do you put in there? As for
food, the guys at the pet store told me to feed my turtles dry dog
food. I like the idea of the vegetables, but we they are always
blocking the filter. Do you find that you need massive filtration to
keep the tank clean?

buslady

Do not feel dry dog food, they're not dogs, they're TURTLES! Too much
protein in dog food. WAY too much.
A good pellet food is Mazuri, Petsmart carries it. Leafy greens should
float at the top, not clog a filter. Mine never get clogged.
What filter do you use? Ultimately you need a huge tank & largest
canister filter; I use an XP3 which is popular within the turtle
fandom. Keeps my tank pretty. No matter what filter, you still have to
**** out the poo at the bottom though.