Loading…
Loading…
Red-Eared Slider
Classic basking turtle — a 30-year pond in your living room
The famous pet-shop turtle that grows to dinner-plate size and lives 30+ years. Needs a huge filtered tank with basking lamps as a juvenile and ideally a pond as an adult — never release it into the wild.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0
Care guide last reviewed: · Care requirements referenced from veterinary and humane standards.
75–120 gallon filtered tank with basking dock; adults need ponds.
Virtually silent (1/5)
Highly independent — comfortable alone 8+ hours
Prefers to live alone
Curated starter supplies researched for this companion's specific anatomy and needs
Aquatic turtles produce 3 to 4 times the biological waste of fish; a high-flow external canister filter rated for 100+ gallons keeps water safe and clear.
Red-eared sliders must dry their plastron and carapace completely under heat to prevent fungal shell rot; a submerged ramp allows easy climbing as water levels fluctuate.
Sliders require intense heat (90°F) to digest food paired with UVB rays to metabolize calcium; a dual dome fixture focuses both essential rays onto the basking dock.
As an Amazon Associate, WhatPetSuitsYou earns from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate at Amazon and subject to change.
Take our 15-question lifestyle assessment to get a personalized compatibility score and see how they match your living environment.
Take the Lifestyle Assessment
