Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Hello All!

[Angella]

Just popping in to say hi. Proud keeper of two hatchling baby sliders that were gifted to me a coupla days ago.

[sonyj]

Welcome to the forum...

[missibsu]

welcome!

[Angella]

You all seem to have a great little site here! Quite the resource for new turtle-lovers. I've learned a lot reading through your forum. I have two res, well one's "ears" are conspicuously yellow and his shell is much lighter than the other, but they're the cutest things. Both are between an inch and an inch and a half in diameter. They seem healthy with clear eyes and handsome shells. No bumps or boo-boos that I can see.

I've had them at home now since Sunday evening, and baby yellow has a much better appetite than red, who seems to be the shy one. I've offered shredded carrots, dandilion greens, smushed up gut-loaded crickets, meal worms, Zoo Med hatchling micro pellets and Wardley turtle flakes, but so far all they've touched are the worms and a few pellets. I keep their water at around 78 to 80 degrees, and it's around 90 in thier basking spot, which they seem to like. When I came home from class yesterday afternoon they were doing an amazing double-stack superman thing with yellow on the bottom, but as soon as I went for the camera they bailed into the water...

For right now, they are in one of those plastic terrarium thingys with the green tops, it's too small, I know now, being about a foot and a half by a foot, with about three and a half inches of water. I'm a broke college student, however, so they'll have to make due until I get my next Pell grant check in a month or so and can get something bigger.

I'm not using a filter right now, since the enclosure is so small, just doing daily water changes and feeding them in a separate, smaller container. I'm leaving a window open when the sun is right, and taking them outside for about half an hour to an hour a day so far to get them some sun, since I'm in southern Cali, and it's still nice out, but will be getting a proper light as it gets closer to winter time. I have pics up at http://angella.longstair.com/ if you guys would like to see them!

Looking forward to hearing more from you all, and becoming a more active member of your forum!

--Angella

[marisa]

Awfully cute--it'll be really good for them when you're able to get a proper tank (20 gallons at least?).

The little one on the rock that has some white areas on the marginal scutes on the left side--is that some sort of residue? Are the scutes shedding there?

[sonyj]

Your turtles are very, very cute.

Just a word of caution with the cat and the turtles, just keep an eye on them when the cat's in the room. Also, it's great that you have a place for them to bask but there shouldn't be any type of covering between the light and the basking area.

You can look into some larger rubbermaid containers at walmart. They aren't as good as an aquarium but larger than what they are in now.

[Angella]

Wow, those were some super-fast replies! I hadn't even finished editing out my typos yet!

Marisa: I noticed those in the pic too, but when I look at the turt now, I can't see anything--the shell is nice and uniform all over with no discoloration... don't know if that was a trick of the light, or some residue or what! I haven't noticed any shedding or anything so far. I just took this one a couple of minutes ago... http://angella.longstair.com/v/red.jpg.html

I did notice sometihng a little wierd with the yellow baby's shell. When he is 100% dry, it looks a little grainy, like he's dusty or something, but when i touch, it's not crumbling off or anything -- take a look and tell me what you think. Is this normal? Is he beginning to shed or is this a fungus or something? It's kinda freaky --
http://angella.longstair.com/v/yellow.jpg.html

Sonyj: There's a removable clear plastic piece (about 6 inches square) that I've taken off so that the area above the basking spot is open. http://angella.longstair.com/v/petsgalo ... a.jpg.html
I keep the lid on when I'm not there, minus the plastic piece, as protection from the cat, who hasn't really shown much interest in the babies or the tank because he once singed his whiskers on a candle, and is terrified of the warm light bulb!

Thanks for the quick replies. I'm grateful for your obviously extensive knowledge base, and feel more confident knowing that I can draw on that knowledge to help me care for these new babies!

[marisa]

Yes, in the first pic the shell looks much better--the little one's adorable.

The second pic with the grainy shell--is the shell itself firm without any obvious discolored areas? No areas that appear to have been injured in the past?(Didn't seem to really look like there were any from the pic.) Difficult to say--Sometimes, the general living conditions they were in after being hatched can cause the shell to be rough and dried out looking (and the nutrition they had as they were forming also plays a part). I once had a baby RES that had a really sorry looking shell until he shed for the first time--then he looked like a different turtle. A proper habitat, lighting, diet, etc., can all work wonders over time if he's basically healthy. It would be good to get them out of the set-up they're in into something more appropriate (with a UVB light in addition to that heat light) as soon as you can. It's extremely hard for them to thermoregulate (control their temperatures) in such a small enclosure. What are you feeding them?

[JessicaTS]

Welcome to Turtle Talk

[Angella]

It would be good to get them out of the set-up they're in into something more appropriate (with a UVB light in addition to that heat light) as soon as you can. It's extremely hard for them to thermoregulate (control their temperatures) in such a small enclosure. What are you feeding them?

For now, I'm just taking them outside for half an hour to an hour each day, in a smaller enclosure with plenty of water (or as much as i can manage anyway) to get some sun. I do plan on buying a UVB light and a bigger tank ASAP!

I've offered shredded carrots, dandilion greens, smushed up gut-loaded crickets, meal worms, Zoo Med hatchling micro pellets and Wardley turtle flakes, but so far all they've touched are the worms and a few pellets. I'm happy about this though, because I've only had them since
Sunday night, and am glad they're eating anything at this stage!

The water temp is about 78 degrees in the water farthest from the light, about 80 degrees closer to the basking area. The temp at turtle height on the basking rock is about 90 degrees.

I don't see any injured looking places on Baby Yellow's shell, it seems firm and uniform all over, just looks dirty, like he has sand on his back or something.

[marisa]

Yes, eating so quickly is a really positive sign. I recently got a newly-hatched eastern painted hatchling and it took 10 days before he finally ate.

In addition to the Zoo-Med micro pellets you also might get some Reptomin Baby (better than the Wardleys and has a bit extra calcium which is good for growing bones/shells) and alternate them for variety along with other foods.

[sonyj]

Keep offering a variety of food like you are doing and make sure it does include veggie/plant matter. They may not take to it right away but it's important in their diet. Usually it takes a few days for turtles to adjust after being moved/bought, or just getting a new setup so it sounds like things are going good for them...

Please let us know if we can help anymore. Babies are so so so cute!

[tini]

Welcome!
You sound like you are on the right track!!

[Angella]

Thanks all for the advice. Time for another question, or five--

After doing some pretty extensive reading, I've decided that I'd enjoy growing some food for these little guys (I am studying life sciences at school, focusing on botany). I ordered some duckweed and some ramshorn snails from petfishtrader.com and was wondering if you all have had any experience with the snails or aquatic plants?

Eventually, I'd like to get my hands on some anachris, and maybe some hyacinths or water lettuce as space allows, as those seem to be the most highly recommended aquatic plants for the res to munch. These would be grown in a separate aquarium(s) with maybe some guppies or other feeder-type fish, and given to the turts in moderation as treats or greens. My b-friend has several red-eared sliders, a yellow-bellied slider and an eastern painted turtle who range in ages from 12 to 18 years old (he's had some of them since he was 7!), so no worries about excess production of snails or plant material, really. I'd rather get advice from you guys, though, so I can appear as if I've done all the research on my own -- brownie points, you know

I'm reading through the nutrition forum now, but would appreciate any ideas, suggestions, comments or advice on the whole aquatic plant/snail/feeder fish scene!

[missibsu]

I have my guppies right in the tank with my two hatchlings. The guppies breed fast enough that the population stays pretty well balanced. If anything, the guppies will take over. They have plenty of places to hide in the rocks, and are faster than the turts at this point. They make the tank fun to watch, I'll give them that.

As for the plants, I don't have any. I have heard others talk about their turts destroying the plants though, and so I prefer to stick with the carrots and dandelions, etc.