Hi there, I have had my new yellow-bellied slider Rio for about 3 weeks now. He seems to be skittish while I am around his tank still, which I'm sure will just take time for him to get used to me messing with the tank. However, I have read that feeding turtles in a separate container is very helpful in keeping the tank clean. I have tried to give him an adjusting period before starting to feed him like this and now want to begin feeding him outside of the tank in a tupperware for his size.
Will feeding him in a separate container be too stressful for him? The last time I took him out to clean his tank, he pouted for a couple of days, hiding from me, not letting me hand feed him while he was in the tank. I'm scared that maybe he will never get used to being picked up out of his tank and become traumatized and hate me forever... Will he get used to me handing him eventually?
Also, when taking a turtle out of the tank, is it best to just grab them from whichever area of the tank that they are in? Like I mentioned, he is still skittish and scared of me, so he runs away from "The Scary Hand" as I try to get a hold on him. He is usually underwater behind his vines (his safe zone). I don't want to compromise his little safe area where he thinks he's hiding, stressing him out even more...
I know that many are against taking a turtle out of the tank or handling them often, while many others promote trying to "tame" pet turtles and get them used to a lot of handling. I would /like/ to be able to handle my turtle somewhat, especially for feedings and checking his shell, but is it something that can be accomplished with a skittish baby? Thanks!
