Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: New Terrapin Momma to this site.....

[Anmarie Mercedes]

Hey ladies, n fellers! My name is Anmarie,22, n I have 3 beautiful princess RES. I just turtlenapped my neighbors'... there is an explanation trust me.. she did not even have somewhere to put ':cry:' them n she was scared to even handle them, so i had to! I have not named her 2 yet, their owner did not even name them..... any suggestions? Then I have had MIKEE for a year exactly. (I thought she was a boy when i bought her so i named her MichealAngelo.... TMNT, when i learned she was a girl i kept the same nickname,MIKEE, but changed her name to Mikaela).

[Sgt. Pepper]

Welcome! Sounds like you've got quite a handful. You're gonna have fun housing all of them once they're grown, haha. If you haven't already check out the main part of the site (redearslider.com) for lots of good information on tanks and feeding. Basically everything you need to know.

How big are the new pair? Can you tell genders yet? I'd go for something unisex maybe...I named mine after a song/album, haha. What's your favorite band? Favorite artist? Favorite color?

[Anmarie Mercedes]

Hey Sgt... thanx 4 the welcome, i have had mikee for 1 year(she is about an inch and 1/2) and the other two are about the same size one is a tad bit bigger and the other is a tad smaller. I can't wait for them to grow.... is it true that if i give them a bigger roaming area they will grow more or faster?

[Anmarie Mercedes]

should i get a boy if i know all 3 are girls? will they want to mate at any point? I learned from a book and this site how to tell genders. when i found this site i became obsessed with wanting to register.

[BullDog]

Welcome!

should i get a boy if i know all 3 are girls? will they want to mate at any point? I learned from a book and this site how to tell genders. when i found this site i became obsessed with wanting to register.

Mixing Male/females usually isn't too good of idea, because once they reach maturity, the male will constantly pester the female, which could result in one (probably the male) getting hurt. Besides, sounds like you have your hands full with 3 RES already!!!

is it true that if i give them a bigger roaming area they will grow more or faster?

No, that's a myth. A turtle's size is not affected by habitat size. Rather, it is affected by genetics and nutrition. For nutrition, the foods and amounts outlined on both the main site and the forums here are great guidelines.

If it turns out you have three females, you will need tank at least 300 gal, that is, if they all get along. If you end up needing to separating them, you'll need three complete setups.
So if you got one more, you'd be in the 400 gallon range. Still interested in getting a 4th?

[Anmarie Mercedes]

i really do want more turtles... and i know they are work, but with the dedication i have i wish i could adopt more. Besides, i do want to see my babies have babies.

[TheComputerGremlin]

I wouldn't recommend babies. It's irresponsible because there are already thousands of RES that have bad homes (as you said your neighbor was giving ...) If you are truly a turtle lover, I'd give your kids a few months at least for you to get comfy with raising multiple turtles, and if you can obtain multiple setups (there are people who have a couple tanks scattered about their house), I'd look into adopting needy turtles. Babies are cute, but they grow up fast, and then you need to have setups for as many as 20 babies per clutch. And then the babies have babies ... And then the state is coming in because you have too many turtles! Depending on where you live (like somewhere warm outside year round versus snowy), you could set up a pond outdoors and take in strays! RES are very difficult to get adopted because there are just so many RES and just not enough owners. So, I'd recommend saving turtles and not breeding your own.

[Anmarie Mercedes]

i have been a good caretaker so far. i adopted the 2 girl RES 5 months ago, but i have had mine for more than a year now... when do you think i should look into adopting one? and should i look for one specifically around their size? They are all between 3/4 to 1n1/2 inches.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Well, you'd be needing a new setup if you wanted another, for nothing else than your should quarantine the new turtle for 90 days to be sure it won't pass anything to your existing turtles. Also, I don't think they make 400 gallon aquariums, so you would either need multiple tanks or a real pond. A good adoption place that always has RES needing adopted is at http://turtlehomes.org/. Also, there is another turtle forum at http://www.turtletimes.com/forums/index.php?. Just remember, for every turtle that is housed together, male or female, eventually aggression may arise. And the aggression can lead to death or serious injury. And just because you haven't seen any aggression yet doesn't mean you're in the clear. It can happen without any warning and boom, one of your turtles may be missing a leg or something. That's the trade-off for having many turtles, you need a spare tank ready for moving a turtle to. Also, since you have girls, you'll need a nesting area for them eventually. They will lay eggs without a male present (like chickens).

[TurtleLove]

They are all between 3/4 to 1n1/2 inches.

At that size you can't be sure of the gender of a turtle. You have to wait until they are about 4 inches before you can tell for certain if they are girls or boys.

And if you do end up with all girls, they may get large! I have a female and she is about 8 1/2 inches now, and I know many people have females that reach 10 inches or more. Buuuuuttt, I wouldn't trade my girl for the world You also could always get some rubbermaid containers from wal-mart (or similar store) to house them, they are much cheaper than glass tanks. I've seen 50 gallon rubbermaids at the wal-mart near me, which could comfortably house your current 3 (for awhile at least!).

Good luck with your babies!

[Anmarie Mercedes]

awesome! thanQ very much... how long have u had her? i just assumed they were girls because at the petshop i picked up the tiniest one they had and it had a huge indentation. and his nails and tail was just as big as my turtles' except he was about half their size.

[TurtleLove]

I have had Gil for almost 8 years, since she was just a tiny hatchling. She started out in a 20 gallon long and now is in a 75 gallon. I actually need to upgrade her again pretty soon, working on saving up the money! I wish I had found a site like this when she was a hatchling, things would have gone much smoother, haha.

[Anmarie Mercedes]

im pretty sure... i like this site alot. i cant wait for them to grow... so for now i have them in a 20 gallon... when should i upgrade them? now?

[TurtleLove]

The best thing to do (wish I had known this!) is to buy the biggest you can afford right away, b/c it costs more to upgrade a million times as they grow. Or, buy a rubbermaid while you save for an aquarium. The general rule of thumb is 10 gallons of water for every inch of your turtle, so with 3 turtles in one tank you should think about upgrading soon. Like I said though, if you need to save up to get a bigger enclosure, or need time to scope out craigslist, just buy a rubbermaid for $15-20 for the time being.

[Anmarie Mercedes]

thanx turtle love! much love to all turtle owners!!!!