How do I care for my baby painted pond turtle?

I have a baby painted pond turtle and I want to know how much water he needs and what to feed him. I have pond pellets and he likes rocks to sit on. What other information can you give me? Please respond a.s.a.p. Thank you.

I had a pond turtle called Tippy. Tippy died, so I'm not the best person from whom to seek advice.I'm writing this because I miss Tippy.

Make sure you use a fresh baby when you paint him. Old stale babies are no good.

turn him loose in a pond and he might outlive you.

Get a book. Books have to be fact checked while any idiot can write anything on the internet. The information will be more complete too.

It needs food, sun to baske in (very important), enough water to submerge itself in so it can swallow it's food, and a rock or log so they can get out of the water to baske in the sun.They spend the better part of their day basking in the sun. This is important to maintain a healthy shell.Baby turtles need all the necessary vitamins (some from food, some from the sun), otherwise they get soft-shell and die. Older/bigger turtles fare better in captivity.Artificial light may be sufficient as long as it's both UVA and UVB light (not just UVA, very important for reptiles). I wouldn't use pre-packaged food from the pet store. Buy crickets or mealworms from your pet shop, catch flies and/or worms on your own, and give them seaweed, lettuce, or other kinds of plant/vegetable matter as well. The more variety the better chances of him getting his vitamins and staying healthy. But...Good Luck. You're still going to need it.

I don't have one, they told me it was illegal in this area becuase they're so small, so you can't have it as a pet.I'm only writing becuase I've wanted one since I was 17!Sorry, don't have any answers for you. My ex boyfriend's tortoise (?SP) used to like to eat lettuce. Nothing in his tank but tiny gravel and a heat lamp. He liked his space. Maybe check with your local pet smart, or check out the library for books.

i got an eastern painted turtle an i feed it turtle food an an i keep it in a cage with alot of water an a lil rock to get its head outta the water every know an then

I have 2 painted pond turtles...sometimes I think they are called yellow bellied sliders. Your turtle probably needs a large tank at least 55 gallons. Get a 55 gallon Rubbermaid tub. Those are the best, and cheapest.He needs some rocks to sun on....ummm...you need to get him a heat lamp he will get shell rot if you don't they need some way to get dry. It might take him a while but he will eat reptile sticks...you can get those at wal-mart, as with the tub. If you have cats or dogs sometimes they will eat cat and dog food for a snack. They like bugs to. Mine have fish in there tank but they never eat them. I hope that helps they are not the easiest pet to own, but once you get the hang of it they are really fun to watch.

http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/tour8.htm

The site below has a lot of good info.You need at least 10 gallons per inch of shell length. You need to rig it for good cleaning, good heating (80 or so water temps), lighting that includes UV-B, and a basking area that gets to 90.Diet- good turtle pellets or things like trout chow are OK. You can add variety later.Be aware that turtles are not easy pets- they take a lot of work to get set up, and daily cares. Baby turtles are tougher yet.You can get more info below:

Koolbreeze, loving_life and madkins007 all got it right.