My sister bought me a baby red eared slider from Chinatown, NY while I was away on vacation after I had mentioned that I wanted a pet turtle. (I know that it’s illegal however I was not the one who bought the turtle and I can afford to take care of him, I’m also very responsible and work at a nature and science center that deals with some turtle species) I just got back today and my turtle is only the size of a half-dollar. He is currently in a very small tank, maybe 5 gallons? And my sister has been feeding him reptomin floating sticks twice a day. I wanted to know if that is feeding him too much or not? He currently has a little spot to bask and is only in a few inches of water. Tomorrow I plan on going to a pet store like petco or petsmart to buy him everything he needs. I know he needs a bigger tank and UVB lighting, a heater, and filter. I also wanted to know how many watts his UVB light should be and how do I keep my turtle from burning himself on the heater? Also, what temperature should the basking spot be and what temperature should I put the heater on? Also, what should I be feeding him other then the reptomin pellets and how often? Is he too young to be eating feeder fish and will he eat those can o’ crickets and other products like that? Lastly, is it ok to handle him and how much handling is too much? I picked him up a few times since I got home and my mother told me that if I handle him too much I will stress him out and he will die. Is this true? I know I had a lot of questions but I thank anyone who answers! I just want to provide the absolute best care possible for my little guy!
they are illegal to sell if they are under 4 inches because they have a risk of carrying salmonella and little kids and babies would stick the turtles in their mouths when they are small which would give them salmonella in some cases. Thats why they need to be above 4 inches, so you can’t fit them in your mouth as easily!