# Help my Yellow Belly Slider..



## DannieB (May 2, 2009)

Hii guys, so here's the thing i've been reading this for a few days as my friend found a turtle in a pond near by.

I went out and brought a Sun simulating lamp and the dock but can't get my hands on a canistor filter until Tuesday so i cleaned the water last night and this morning! He seems to be slightly pealing and hasn't really eaten too much.

Would really appreciate some help as would love to care for him properly. 

Also is there any way you can tell how old they are from looking at them as i've read in a few places it depends on how old they are to what they eat? 

I've booked him into a Vets but they can't see him till Wednesday as thats when a specialist is in.

Im Dannie btw  

Thanks. :help:


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

You can't tell their age by looking at them, other than to say it's a hatchling (less than 1 year), juvenile, or adult.

When you say a "sun simulating lamp" what exactly do you mean, is it a UVB lamp or what? It will need a high output UVB lamp and a spotlamp for heat, or a single Mercury Vapour lamp which provides both heat and UVB.

TBH it would probably have been fine left in the pond for the summer, in fact the best thing you could do for it now is to set up an outdoor pond, it'll really benefit from a few months of summer sunshine, better than any artificial light that you can give it, and you can ensure that it gets a decent diet.

There's a good slider caresheet here which will tell you most of what you need to know The Terrapin Tank • View topic - North American Sliders


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

probably too hot. they dont like to be overheated which is why there are colonies of yellow bellies and red ears thriving in this country.
Its a uvb strip light you want not any thing that heats the water to more than 75. a heater stat in the water and that about it. Oh and a good filter.

vets is a good idea.

P


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> probably too hot


What makes you say that Paul, I can't see anything in the OP that would suggest it's too hot?

A compact UVB is much better than a tube, which is a very inefficient way of providing UV for turts, and a water heater is unneccessary for all but hatchlings.


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

The reference to a lamp rather than a tube. 

I keep a water heater/stat in all my turts just in case but i do agree room temp should be fine for all but the littluns.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

They need a basking temp of 32-35°C which can't be provided by a flourescent tube on it's own, so a spotlamp would be neccessary in addition to a UVB, I'd be concerned if there wasn't a spot as they would almost certainly be too cold.


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