Hey guys. Just thought I'd send out a warning message to anyone thinking of buying turtles or fish from a website like Craigslist or Kijiji. The people selling their pets may not be entirely truthful.
I bought two Red Eared Sliders and a tank, filter, heater, UVB light, substrate, dock, and pump from a guy who listed it all for sale on Craigslist. He claimed that everything was working well and the turtles were healthy. That was only partially true.
What he did not tell me was that the male turtle had shell rot as a baby so he was missing a chunk of his shell, and, as a result of the owner keeping the water temperature too high, he was also shedding more than he should.
Moreover, the filter was not working correctly and was way too small for the tank he sold me. He did not have the instruction booklet or any extra filter cartridges to give me, but he told me it was working properly... and I found out when I brought it home that it was not.
Also, after assuring me through our email conversations that everything was in working order, when I got to his house he told me the basking light was broken so I'd have to buy my own.
Furthermore, the substrate he had used in the tank for two years was aquarium gravel. These turtles were ingesting and defecating gravel for who knows how long.
I am trying my best to reverse the damage, but it will probably be a long process. Be wary of online purchases, ladies and gents. While you may be getting a great deal ($150 for everything), you also might end up having to shell out a lot more money than you thought and you might not receive what you are expecting.