Soooo… I rescued a red ear slider today.
I am currently reading up on their care. I picked up some food for the little guy…
But I need to know some more about him, so if you have tips let me know.
My main question right now is do I need to condition the tap water I put him in?
If so, I can’t get the conditioner for a couple days. What do I do till then?
Thanks!
I believe if you boil water that will take the chemicals out? Also you can fill a big pot with water and let it sit for 24 hours and that will take care of the chemicals……
Letting the water sit for 24-48 hours should do fine. Are we talking rescued from someone keeping it improperly or outdoors?
Outdoors. The flooding we had must’ve brought him up from somewhere maybe? Or a bird dropped him. I wasn’t sure what to do with him…there’s not even a pond within a mile of the place I found him, in the middle of a parking lot. It’s tiny
I’d really suggest releasing it back near where you found it, or turning it over to a wildlife rescue. Wild turtles do not do well in captivity. Depending on where you’re located, it may not even be legal for you to keep it.
Edited to add: This is assuming RES are native to your area. If not, I’d still suggest turning it over to someone with more experience, as wild caught animals have a higher risk of parasites, disease, and being hard to acclimate to captivity.
They are native to the area. And it’s perfectly legal to keep rescued RES where I am as long as I’m not breeding/selling.
I guess I’m just worried about his chances of survival, if they’re greater in captivity or out in the world. I’ll do whatever to keep him alive.
I’m going to reach out to a friend and see if he can help, he rescues turtles.
Yeah, find that local pond and let him go. It’s the best thing for him.
Realistically you should put it back. Find a body of water nearby where it was found and release it there, or contact a wildlife facility. Nature needs not be messed with.
Alrighty then, will do! Great advice yall, thanks
Im a wildlife technician and we are always relocating everything (because I cant keep them all 
)
If you do release it, great. Maybe find a local pond or retention pond that has other turtles in it.
If you do decide to keep it, remember lighting is everything. Research UVB lighting approved for RES and also they do require fairly large aquariums. Adult females should be kept in large outdoor ponds (like those big black tubs you see for koi).
Being wild a fecal check for parasites by a vet should be done asap along with any other tests a vet recommends.
Releasing it is always best imo. This little turtle could easily cost you hundreds if not thousands to properly care for to adulthood, so keep that in mind.
Thanks for saving the little guy!
Chloramine takes roughly an hour to boil off, and a handful of days to evaporate. Just pointing this out for future readers.