I have a baby RES that's about the same size as a dollar coin. What's the minimum tank size? Right now he's in a plastic container that a foot long and 4in high. Serious help needed soon please. Also, what kind of lighting do I use?
Here's some information i found which i've modified slightly to relate to your case You can start him out in a 30-50 gallon aquarium... since he's only about 5 cm you'll need to have something that's about 20 to 25 cm in length, the front to back width needs to be 10 to 15 cm wide, and the water area should be 3 to 4 inches deep. These are only the basic minimum space requirements for a young turtle of that size. You'll also want a land area with a basking platform. I'm assuming that you have a water filter and water heater for the tank as well. Filtration is a must between weekly cleanings, and you need to make sure the water is between 80 to 85 F. they will probably bask for a few hours in the morning before feeding time, so make sure you have a UVB and/or basking spot lamp for him. The area closest to the light should be between 85 and 88 F. However let him bask for however long he wants! Hope this is of some help, sorry i'm not really a turtle expert, but i've tried my hardest to find some information to help you for the moment until someone else comes along!
I've raised my six year old red eared slider since he was a hatchling he started out in a 20 gallon aquarium with a heater, filter, and a UVB/UVA combo bulb on one side of the tank and their was a basking site one each end with about 5 inches of water. then he was upscaled to a 29 gallon with the same basic setup and in 2008 he was introduced into a 75 gallon tank with the same basic setup but with the addition of 2 48in uvb bulbs. just remember to keep getting larger scale equipment to match a larger tank when you upgrade. hope this helps and good luck to you!
