Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Just Signed Up Hello ALL Some ? 4 All

[Turd]

Hello. just signed up after looking at a few of your forums. glad to find your site. I have a 9" RES named Turd. So the ? I have are as follows that I need help with.

How do I load pictures to help id gender. I think female.

Need some feedback on the shell. seems to shed a lot. The shell pieces curl up and then fall off into the 125 gallon tank. or would it be shell rot. Not a green color shell more brown.

He basks all the time swims seems to be healthy. Sheds skin as well.

Thank you for helping this newcomer on pics and questions.

[steve]

It's normal to shed thin layers of scutes. Can you post a picture of those scutes you are concerned about? Turd is definitely a female. The shell issues probably occurred as she was growing. Lack of calcium, UVB, too much protein, irregular feedings could have contributed to it. It's not the worse we've seen, though it also won't get much better.

[Turd]

Well now I know to call Turd a her. So she is okay since she does bask often with feet stretched out and all. Seems to be fine swimming and such. In a 125 Gallon tank now with large basking area. Gets fed the turtle pellets daily. feeder goldfish on occasion.

She has never laid eggs so that is not a concern? Some of my pictures say they are too large to post. how do I make them fit so I can post them? I have pics of tank build/refinish and new basking area to post.

How long will she get?

[steve]

When they stick out their limbs and head, they're regulating their temperatures, so it's fine. Feet and head out is called the Superman pose. Not laying eggs is normal.

If you use pellets everyday, make sure it's a small amount. Does she have veggies in her diet? As for size, it could be around the 8-12" range.

[Turd]

no veggies. feeder goldfish at times. mostly pellets daily. what veggiesn are best for them. on occassion I find a worm when it rains and she tears it up right away. what can fix the shell if anything? she didn't have the light to bask when little and we got her from some people my wife knew. She took care of turd until I hit my mid life crisis (PER WIFE) and starter looking into how to take care of turd. so went from a tiny bowl to 125 gallon tank.

[steve]

Skip goldfish, go with minnows if you must use live feeders. Check out this page for ideas: http://www.redearslider.com/plants.html

I usually use red leaf lettuce everyday. Earthworms are OK. It won't get much better since she almost fully grown, but it can smooth out a bit with regular sheds. Plenty of basking, UVB, calcium and a good diet should help.

[Turd]

No chutes lately. will wait until she sheds again and grab a pic. minnows huh. will need to see where I can get them around here. red lettuce here she comes. calcium?

[steve]

Feeder minnows (Rosey Reds) are found in most pet stores. Red leaf lettuce has a good amount of calcium, also look into a good pellet or two. You can try cuttlebone (also found in pet stores, but you need to remove the hard backing yourself).