Sliders are semi-aquatic species meaning they like to swim for upwards of 12 hours a day and bask out of the water for up to 12 hours a day. They need a sturdy platform in their tanks to accommodate this. UVB/UVA lighting appropriate for turtles should be positioned over the basking area. Many turtle keepers like to use an above tank basking area to maximize the amount of swimming area for their turtles. Sliders should have about 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle. Most will grow to be around 12 inches so 75-120 gallons is optimal for them. Turtles are omnivores so providing them a mix of bugs, leafy greens, pellets, cuttle bone is best for them. Turtles do best with a bare bottom tank, large river rock or sand substrate. External canister filtration is best for managing turtle waste. Turtles should be housed solitary unless they are in a very large pond like enclosure. They can live upwards of 50 years.