I Just Got 3 Turtles Need Advice

[Ladic]

do turtles eat their own poop? because I am feeding them about 3 pallets each (about 9 total) each day for the baby sliders, but these things poop alot, and then i notice them trying to eath their poop, this couldnt possible be healthy?

 

[~T~]

Your PH must be really high then. I would suggest getting it tested. Most pet stores test it for free OR you can buy a kit and test it yourself.

I think you mean low.

 

[DarrylR]

I went to New York China Town and bought 2 Red Eared Sliders from a vendor. I felt bad seeing it was like 30 of them swimming in a container, so I bought 2. One died , and the other one is as big as my palm. He is in a 20 gallon, and with a turtle dock for him to climb on as long with rocks and gravel. I need to buy him a filter, but at Petsmart it was like $54 bucks and the tank had to be 50% full for it to operate. I clean his tank around every 4 days. He eats Turtle Bites and bloodworms.

As for the poop thing, I see like one turtle turd every few days, never like a pile of turds or the poo just floating around.

 

[candyraver]

I went to New York China Town and bought 2 Red Eared Sliders from a vendor. I felt bad seeing it was like 30 of them swimming in a container, so I bought 2. One died , and the other one is as big as my palm. He is in a 20 gallon, and with a turtle dock for him to climb on as long with rocks and gravel. I need to buy him a filter, but at Petsmart it was like $54 bucks and the tank had to be 50% full for it to operate. I clean his tank around every 4 days. He eats Turtle Bites and bloodworms.

As for the poop thing, I see like one turtle turd every few days, never like a pile of turds or the poo just floating around.

Remember small rocks& gravel can be ingested...it's recommended that you use flat smooth river rocks with turtles.Sharp edges can also irritate their shell.

Also keep in mind that the waste isnt always visible.So you won't be seeing a lot.

 

[Ladic]

I just measured the water that I put in the jumbo swamp, its 9 and 1/2 liters, how much is that in gallons?

 

[fuman_chica]

That's about two and a half gallons....
so not even one gallon per turtle.

 

[promithius]

roughly 2.5 gallons (us). 1 us gallon is 3.7 litre's.

 

[Leahzebelle]

I didn't have time to read the whole five pages, but i do know this much: My dad and i had kept these turltles a few years ago, his got HUGE. He had to let them go in a lake, but mine never got bigger then my palm. I think some get huge and others dont.....I can't remember exactly, but i belive it was the red eyed ones that got quite large. I don't mean to be rude, but that "tank" is not at all suitable. You are going to need a bigger tank if you want to keep them properly, like a few people before me said. Maybe you shouldn't have gotten so many...?

 

[RESGuy]

Oh my god! I am so sorry I have not been on this forum in ages and I didn't get to see this thread in time. Thankfully someone PMed me so that I can help you with your turtle dilema. Ok so you obviously had three Red Eared Sliders (RES). Now each one will grow to about 10-12 inches (depending on sex, females grow up to 12 males to 10 inces). That means that you will need 100-120 gallons per EACH turtle in the long run if you really want to keep them. The rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch of turtle. I am sorry to tell you this but if you can't afford these turtle's expenses please stop there suffering and adopt them out to a more experienced owner, or someone who has done their research. Most people that know about turtles or fish will often tell you NEVER TRUST A PET STORE EMPLOYEE. This is very important, sure their might be the od knowledgeabole staff member but you never know. My advice is never to make impluse purchases with animals, especially aquatic ones and even more so for reptiles! The needs of your turtles far exceed the tank size. You also need UVB lighting, proper basking area, heater, strong filter because they are very messy eaters, etc. I will attach a guide I have put together on Red Eared Sliders.

This is my site that just gives the BASIC information that you need to know:
http/tankparadise.tripod.com/id1.html
If you click on 'My Tanks' on the navigation bar to your left, you will see a picture of my 55 gallon taank that my 4 inch RES will soon grow out of. I spent about $350 on the whole setup and have spend a lot more if you factor in food expenses and the electricity bill as well as other random things I need to buy now and then.

Also, I made a site that is dedicated to Red-Eared Slders a long time ago which has some excellent information for you:
http/res87.tripod.com/


After reading a lot of the information you will come to the conclusion that turtles are simply not for you. But if you do decide that you want to keep ONE Red Eared Slider, then please visit this forum: www.turtletimes.com/forums it is great and that is the one site that taught me everything I know about turtles today. I just want to let you know that I researched every possible detail about turtles for over A YEAR before purchasing my turtle. These turtles are a great responsibility as they can live 20-30 years. Please remove them from the lagoon tub or 'death bowl' as us turtle owners call them as soon as possible. Please do not return it to the store but rather try and find a suitable home for them online or something. I hope that next time you want to buy something you make an educated purchase. That is all I have to say for now. Good luck

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I totally agree with RESGuy, i know what he is saying may come off as a bit blunt, but what he is telling you is 100% true.
I looked into getting turtles about a year or so ago myself, and decided that they were not for me, keeping turtles is perhaps on the same level or more of commitment as keeping a large catfish like an RTC i.e. they need a lot of space, their accomodation costs a lot of money and takes up a lot of space, they need a lot of dedication and will live for many decades etc .

 

[RESGuy]

I totally agree with RESGuy, i know what he is saying may come off as a bit blunt, but what he is telling you is 100% true.
I looked into getting turtles about a year or so ago myself, and decided that they were not for me, keeping turtles is perhaps on the same level or more of commitment as keeping a large catfish like an RTC i.e. they need a lot of space, their accomodation costs a lot of money and takes up a lot of space, they need a lot of dedication and will live for many decades etc .

Yes, indeed! One turtle takes enough time, space, and money. I couldn't imagine keeping three! Thank you for agreeing with me, and sorry if I came off a bit blunt, but I am tired of hearing these stories of people buying turtles (and other reptiles and pets) and not knowing a thing about them. Some people don't even know whether or not it is aquatic for Christ's sake! And most of the places that sell these turtles (usually RES) keep them in very poor conditions (100 hundred babies in a 10 gallon tank with a small plastic 'basking area') and most if not all of them are sick, dead, or dying. Worst thing is that no matter how many attempts PETA has made to stop them it continues. They sell babies for 'scientific' and 'educational' purposes to get around the law that states no turtle under the length of 4 inches (maturity size) may be sold as a pet due to the salmonella outbreak back in th day due to people with no knowledge of the disease and how to properly handle and care for a turtle. [/rant]

 

[poopsydrew]

Thanks for posting the info RESguy, I have alway wondered about turtles as I have many fish but after reading your thread and links def not for me. Not that I would get them without researching anyway but yea....Thanks for the good links and tips. Ill stick to my fish tanks for now lol.

Until next time,
Drew

 

[Ladic]

 

[fuman_chica]

Are you getting them a bigger, correct home anytime soon?

 

[Ladic]

yes in a couple more weeks I should be buying a 30 gallong long fish tank.