Are you looking for the best tank for a Red Eared Slider? If so, then this post will help you narrow down your options on which turtle tank to get.
On this page, we will go over what makes a good turtle tank, and we’ll also take a look at some of the most popular tanks and give pros and cons on each one.
Finally, we’ll end with our recommendations on what size tank to get based on the age and size of your turtle.
Best Tank for a Red Eared Slider
Best Tank for a Red Eared Slider
Tetra Aquatic Turtle Deluxe Kit 20 Gallons
The Tetra Aquatic Turtle Deluxe Kit (Buy Online) is the perfect red-eared slider tank setup. This kit includes everything you need to build a red-eared slider tank including a decorative ReptoFilter, 2 heat lamp reflectors, an artificial boxwood plant, and a metal screen top to secure your turtle tank.
With this kit, it’s easy to create an environment that will make your pet feel at home. Plus it comes with Tetra turtle food to help you get started, but we recommend you choose a better turtle food for red-eared sliders if you want to improve your turtle’s diet.
And don’t forget about water quality – this tank has got you covered there too! The Waterfall ReptoFilter has a 3-stage filtration system that will keep your turtle tank’s water clean so your turtle remains healthy and active.
Plus, the decorative waterfall filter pulls double duty as a turtle basking platform, which makes it a truly versatile red-eared slider tank decoration
This tank measures 30 inches wide x 12 inches deep x 12 inches tall, which makes it a good choice for small turtles less than 2 to 4 inches in length.
SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Set – 40 Gallon Rectangle
The SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Set (Buy Online) is made of durable acrylic and it has a clean rimless design that will fit nicely into any room. It also includes a 24″ light fixture and reflector that will provide plenty of light for your turtle’s habitat.
The SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Set is one of the best tanks for a red-eared slider. This set includes an aquarium, light fixture, lid, and you can get it with a black, blue, or clear background.
Acrylic tanks are safer than glass tanks because they won’t shatter if your turtle gets a little too rambunctious. Plus, acrylic is lighter than glass so it’s easier to ship to your home, and it’s less likely to break in transit.
With this combo set, you get everything you need to start enjoying your own personal underwater world. Plus, you can choose from three different sizes – 20-gallon, 40-gallon, or 50 gallon – so you can pick one that fits perfectly into any space in your home
The 40-gallon SeaClear Tank measures 36” x 15” x 16” and it’s large enough to house red-eared sliders that are less than 5 years old and have a 4 to 5-inch shell length.
Penn-Plax Water World Luxury Large Bow Front Acrylic Aquarium
The Penn-Plax Water World Bow Front Acrylic Aquarium (Buy Online) is the best large red-eared slider tank. It’s designed to be sleek and modern, with a gloss black stand and cover that are accented with gold trim. The tank is tall enough that it takes up minimal floor space, but it still has plenty of room inside for your turtle to swim around in.
The Filtration System built into the tank means there are no extra parts or equipment needed to keep the water clean and your turtle healthy. There’s also an electrical power strip included so you can plug in all of your electronics without needing multiple outlets.
This aquarium also comes with a remote-controlled multi-color LED light that will change colors at the touch of a button. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s even an integrated tubing system so you don’t have to worry about messy cords and airlines getting tangled up everywhere and becoming an eyesore.
This aquarium also features a drainage hose on the bottom of the tank to make water changes much easier so you won’t have to struggle to keep up with tank maintenance.
Overall this is one of the best all-in-one turtle tanks on the market. It’s a little more expensive than most tanks, but it is one of the most stylish and complete turtle tank kits currently on the market.
Best of all the Penn-Plax Water World Bow Front Acrylic Aquarium is large enough to easily house a sub-adult red-eared slider with a shell length of 5 to 6 inches.
Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit
The Tetra 55 Gallon Aquarium Kit (Buy Online) comes with everything you need to set up your own Red Eared Slider tank. It has all the essentials like an LED light fixture and water conditioner so that your turtle can move into its new environment as soon as possible.
You’ll also get 2 packs of artificial plants and an artificial boxwood plant to make it feel more natural inside the tank. This kit also comes with a way to maintain the 200-watt aquarium heater, digital thermometer, 24″ hinged hood, and a Tetra WPF 60 filter as well.
With its dimensions of 51.90″ L x 24.40″ W x 16.40″, this tank is perfect for a 5 to 6-inch long red-eared slider.
Rubbermaid Commercial Structural Foam Livestock Tank, 150 gal
The Rubbermaid Commercial Structural Foam Livestock Tank (Buy Online) is the best full-grown red-eared slider tank setup. This tank is perfect for housing adult red ear sliders since it can hold a large volume of water.
The Rubbermaid Commercial Structural Foam Livestock Tank, 150 gal is the best choice if you plan on keeping multiple young red-eared sliders, or if you want to create a more natural environment for your red-eared slider.
You can use this tank indoors or outdoors, making it the perfect choice no matter where you live. And with its durable construction, this tank will last through weather extremes without any issues at all. This tank also has a seamless structural foam construction, which means these tanks are built to last, and they won’t leak or break down over time like glass, acrylic, or vinyl.
Plus, there’s an oversized drain plug at the bottom of the tank, which makes doing weekly water changes easier than ever before.
BOSWELL Aquarium Pool Pond with Transparent Clear Viewing Panel
The BOSWELL 470-Gallon Above Ground Turtle Pond (Buy Online) will let you create a large red-eared slider outdoor habitat in your backyard, and it can hold up to 4 to 5 fully grown adult red-eared sliders.
The liner is 1.2 mm thick and made from flexible vinyl canvas while the frame is made from stainless steel making it durable and sturdy enough for any environment (indoors or outdoors).
Plus this large red-eared slider tank has a clear viewing panel on the side of the tank so you can watch turtles swim around all day long!
This turtle tank also has a built-in drainage system, which makes it convenient if you need to clean out any debris that may be inside the tank.
As turtles get older, you need to provide them with a bigger habitat so that they can stay healthy and active. But it’s hard to find an affordable tank that is large enough for adult turtles. Most tanks are too small or larger tanks cost hundreds of dollars, and they can be hard to find in stores even if you can afford them.
The Boswell 470-Gallon Above Ground Turtle Pond solves this problem by providing a huge turtle habitat in one package at an unbeatable price point. It includes everything you need to set up the pond (except a water pump & filter), so all you need to do is fill it up to have the turtle tank of your dreams.
Peninsula 4820 Waterbox Aquariums – 108.5 gallons – Black
The Peninsula 4820 Waterbox Aquarium (Buy Online) is the perfect size for an adult red-eared slider turtle, and it also comes with a stylish stand. This aquarium is one of the best freshwater tanks on the market today. It’s made from Opti-White Ultra-Clear Glass that looks beautiful in any setting, and it can hold up to 108.5 gallons of water (enough space for an adult red-eared slider).
Red Eared Slider Tank Size
How big of a tank do red-eared sliders need? An adult red-eared slider needs to be kept in at least a 100-gallon tank. Younger red-eared sliders can be kept in smaller tanks that range from 20 to 55 gallons until they reach 5 to 6 years old.
If you want to learn more about the optimal red-eared slider tank size feel free to try out our Turtle Tank Size Calculator
Can A Red Eared Slider Live in a 10 Gallon Tank?
A 10-gallon tank is not enough to house a red-eared slider. They will need more space within their first year of life as they grow quickly, so it’s best just to be prepared with an aquarium that is at least 20 gallons or larger to accommodate your pet turtle’s future needs.
Can A Red Eared Slider Live in a 20 Gallon Tank?
You can keep a young red-eared slider in a 20-gallon tank until it reaches about 2-years old, or its shell approaches 2 inches in length.
Can A Red Eared Slider Live in a 29 Gallon Tank?
You can keep a young red-eared slider in a 29-gallon tank until it’s about 3-years old, or when its shell exceeds 3 inches in length.
Can A Red Eared Slider Live in a 40 Gallon Tank?
Yes, you can keep a red-eared slider in a 40-gallon tank. A red-eared slider will be able to live comfortably in a 40-gallon tank until they are 5 years old, or when their shell length reaches 4-inches.
Can A Red Eared Slider Live in a 55 Gallon Tank?
Yes, you can keep a red-eared slider in a 55-gallon tank. A red-eared slider will have plenty of room in a 55-gallon tank until they are about 6 years old, or when their shell reaches 6-inches in length.
Can A Red Eared Slider Live in a 75 Gallon Tank?
Yes, you can keep a red-eared slider in a 75-gallon tank. In most cases, a red-eared slider will be able to live out their whole life in a 75-gallon tank, but some female red-eared sliders might still outgrow a 75-gallon tank as they reach their full size at 5 to 6 years of age.
Can A Red Eared Slider Live in a 100 Gallon Tank?
A 100-gallon tank is the optimal red eared slider tank size. A large 100-gallon tank will provide a red-eared slider with plenty of room to swim around and it will easily accommodate an adult male or female red-eared slider with an average shell length of 7 to 12 inches.
How Big Do Red Eared Sliders Get?
A female red-eared slider can grow to be up to 12 inches long while males usually don’t get bigger than 10 inches.
How Many Red Eared Sliders in One Tank
Red-eared sliders are not very territorial and they tend to live together in groups in the wild. So, there is no reason why you can’t keep multiple turtles in a tank. However, since each adult red-eared slider needs to be housed in at least a 100-gallon tank it might be challenging to keep multiple turtles in a single tank unless you want to get a 200+ gallon tank.
In most cases, if you want to keep multiple red-eared sliders it’s better to keep them in a pond, or you should look into getting Rubbermaid Commercial Structural Foam Livestock Tanks, or the BOSWELL 470-Gallon Above Ground Turtle Pond.
Conclusion
Red Eared Sliders can get quite big, so it’s important to make sure the tank you get is large enough to comfortably house them. They also need a lot of plants and turtle tank decorations, both of which will take up space in the tank, and you need to remember that when you calculate how much room they’ll need.
The best way to figure out what size turtle tank you should buy is by using our Turtle Tank Size Calculator–it’s free and easy-to-use! You just need to enter some basic information about your slider (shell-length) to find out exactly how many gallons their new home needs to hold.
