Urgent Care :: Lots of Questions without answers!

[NicoleBell]

This may not be URGENT but we are not sure so better safe then sorry!

I work at our local humane society up here in Canada.

Recently a poor abused RES came in and has a soft shell the oweners only fed her flaked fish food for 6 years as well as a few other issues that we are taking care of. Since it is illegal to buy or sell these turtles here we can not adopt it out. So i have taken her and she will now live with me and my husband and our dogs.

She is 7.5 or so inches long and we bought a 75 gallon aquarium.

We filled it about 80 percent of the way up. The water is 25-27 degrees celcius SORRY AMERICANS I DONT KNOW THE CONVERSION!! I think it is about 70 Degrees.

She has 2 floating docks tied together bceause they did not sell the right size at our pet stores since you can not buy these turtles here. Over top of that she has her basking light. We are building her a special basking tank copying many of your good ideas.




NOW FOR THE PROBLEMS.

She will not sit on the floating docks at all. She always goes back to the water. Then she swims around and looks like she wants out of the water but goes right back in. She is getting Vitashell everyday right now so she sits in the kitchen with her basking light and runs around.

Do they usually swim around all crazy like? Or is she trying to get out. We are not sure what signs to look for to make sure she is ok.

Also how do you feed her in such a deep aquarium? Do you just let the food float around in the water? Will it not get caught in the filter?


It looks to me like she is looking for a ledge so she can only stick her head out of the water. She just Swims against the aquarium walls.

Also she really liked sitting on a plastic plant we put in the tank so we tried putting it at her basking dock so she could use it to help her get on the floating dock. But now that we moved it she wont go near it so we moved it back and she still doesn't like it.

Sorry for all the rambling but i really want this poor thing to have a good life now.







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[emma]

First of all, you should get red of all the rocks at the bottom of the tank that are bigger than her head. She could eat those and get all sick.
And for the basking problems you are having...how long have you had her? Mine didnt start to bask for about 1 week after i got them. They just need to get used to their new enviroment.
For the feeding, i feed mine in a seperate tank now that they have gotten used to me. But for you, since your turtle is still afraid you might want to feed her in the tank. Just drop the pellets in and leave the room. She will eat them after a while. Or you could do as i do, which is put her in a container and have her eat there. But you might want to leave the room for about 10 minutes and let her eat alone. And i am sure that you have read other parts of the site on how much to feed your slider.(how many pellets can fit into their head and neck)
Other than that, I think you are giving your turtle a new wonderful life and i am sure that she is going to love your for it! Sorry if i am forgetting anything with your questions!

[ZombieTurtle]

first of all,, goodjob so far but you need a few improvements, but for the most part everything is going good..

your going to need to make the water 75-80 degrees, under 74 degs they cant digest food and will not eat.. the uva light is good for basking but you will need a uvb light also which is necessary for the shell...
since the turtle is in a new environment right now shes still stressed and needs a week/2 or three to get used to it, it depends on the turtle.. soe she will swim against the aquarium walls and be nervous when your around and may not even eat for a few days.. but after a few days she will get used to the tank and will start eating and not be as nervous

She will still be nervous aroudn you when on the basking dock though.. the turtle may be basking when no one is in the room but when you come in you will hear "plop" (the turlte jumping back into the water). it will most likely be very long until she basks and stay up there when you walk in (no one can say for sure).
Many people feed there turtles differently, some use clips that suction cup to the wall and clip lettuce etc in there so it doesnt float around, some just throw food into the water, and some put food on the basking dock (then the turtle comes gets it and takes it into the water).
I put pellets on the basking dock (then my turtle will go up there and get the pellets he wants to eat and go back into the water and eat) like once a week or once every two weeks i put shredded carrot pieces on the dock also.. everything else such as lettuce/cuttlebone etc i put in the water and he eats what he pleases when he wants.
btw you should get cuttlebone (take the backing/plastic part off) and put it in the tank, sounds like your turtle will need the calcium big time.
also make sure the basking temperature is 85-90 degrees.
but everything is good other then you need a uvb light and i would also take those rocks out of the tank (res eat everything that isnt duct taped down) so unless they are decent sized rocks (twice hte size of his head) i would take them out..
right now you just need to let your turtle get used to the new environment and whether she eats the food you put in or not continue to offer it everyday.
Good luck

[NicoleBell]

Thank you alot!

I should do the following then?

1. Buy new bigger rocks for the bottom of the aquarium that she could not get in her mouth.

2. Relax and let her get used to her new home ( we have had her for 24 hours only so far!)

3. Feed her and give her space (we have been putting a blanket over the aquarium to give her privacy when she seems scared.

Thanks again that really put us at ease

[megcornell]

How kind of you to save her! She's quite attractive ... here are a few answers/ suggestions to help you continue to give her a great tank:

1) don't put vitashell on her, it causes shell problems. To strengthen her shell offer her cuttlebone with the hard backing peeled off and make sure she gets UVB light, this helps her use the calcium.

2) take out the gravel, turtles tend to eat gravel and they can become impacted which can lead to death. If you;d like to have something on the tank floor you can use a few larger river rocks, turtles like to push them around.

3) You can feed her right in the aquarium, turtles need water to swallow, and she should eat the food pretty quickly after you feed her. Take a look at the feeding and nutrition category to see what veggies to feed in addition to pellets (at her size feed pellets every other day and veggies every day)

4) Do you have a heater? Turtles need consistent temps, for a turtle her size around 75F or ~24C.

5) since she's new she may be too timid to bask right away. So long as the perch is accessible she will start to bask when she's ready. She may also be basking when you're not around... check to see if the dock is ever wet, that's usually a good sign. If she's really timid you can always cover the sides of the tank where she basks with cardboard to give her the illusion that she's hidden and safe. Also, it looks like she may be able to crawl out of the tank from the basking perch, you should get a cover... turtles are great climbers!

6) Take a look at the nesting info, if your turtle is acting antsy and trying to get out she may be gravid. turtles will lay eggs with or without a male present. It may be that her new settings are so much better that she's finally ready to lay eggs.

7) the only other thing I can think of is filtration. For a tank that size you'll want a canister filter like an XP3 or 4, anything smaller will likely lead to frequent water changes because it's just not strong enough.

You've really done a great job setting her up so far, she looks like she's going to have a great home from now on!

[NicoleBell]

Thanks alot for your advice as well!

That bulb is a UVB bulb. Not a UVA bulb we figured the regular lights in the room would give her enough UVA light.

I hope that is right!

We are definately going to replace the rocks ASAP!

[octpusgirl8]

The main reason for the UVA bulb is to heat the basking area up so that she will bask. Turtles usually aren't inclined to get out and bask unless the area is around 10 degrees warmer than the water.

[NicoleBell]

We have a heater as well as a filter an FLUBAL 4+ said it was good for up to 70 Gallon tanks.

We put a carbon filter and regular filter in it.

Im so glad we can put big rocks in the bottom that she might push around!

Thank you all so much I was worried about giving her what she needs to get healthy and happy! I feel much better now.

Lots of reading to do!

[ZombieTurtle]

you can leave the bottom of the tank with out anything if you dont want to buy bigger rocks right away or ever..

but you will need uvb and uva the room lights are not enough..
the UVB is what the turtle will need to bask in to use the calcium to make d3 for the shell etc. and the uva will provide the heat 85-90 deg "sun" that will encourage the turtle to get out of the water and bask under.

also as megcornell said canister filter is the way to go with filtration, and the xp series are amazing, you should consider looking into that brand.

EDIT: wow three posts all at exact same time! haha

[thegrandpoohbah]

Where are you in Canada that it is illegal to buy RESs?

[NicoleBell]

We were told they are Illegal in Alberta to buy or sell.

If you want one here you have to go to B.C or another province to buy it. But you can freely bring one in as a pet and keep it.

[SpotsMama]

On the lighting, since you have a pretty big tank, you have a choice of setups. In either case, the bulbs should be positioned so they shine directly on the basking platform:

1. A two bulb setup.

a. One must be a UVB bulb, which I gather you already have. Turtles have to have UVB to metabolize calcium, which is essential for their shell and bones and also egg shells, if your turtle lays eggs. If she has a soft shell it's probably because she didn't get good UVB light in the past so couldn't metabolize calcium properly. When you buy a UVB bulb, be sure the packaging specifies that it provides UVB. The bulbs that say "full spectrum" or "basking bulb" aren't the right type. UVB bulbs are always fluorescent and therefore cool.

b. The other bulb is for heat. You don't have to get a special bulb for this - a regular household incancescent bulb is hot enough and lots of people use them. Any bulb that provides UVB also provides UVA so you don't need anything special for UVA, as you've surmised. The reason for the heat bulb is to motivate the turtle to bask. Turtles instinctively seek heat so your goal is use the heat bulb to warm the basking area to around 10 degrees fahrenheit warmer than the water to provide that incentive for your girl to get up and bask. For you, the temp on the basking platform would be 32 or 33 degrees celsius.

2. The alternative to a two bulb setup which is an option for people with larger tanks is a single mercury vapor bulb (MVB) setup. An MVB provides everything - heat, light and UVB. You can get them at good pet stores or on-line reptile supply houses (the kind you can get at the hardware store won't do). They get very hot so require a ceramic fixture. They are more expensive than the fluorescent type but last longer so in the long run the cost is about the same.

There are lots of photos of different setups on here - both two bulb and single bulb type setups - so feel free to browse to get ideas.

And you are an absolute angel for taking her in. A nice big RES like that deserves a good home and it sounds like you're finally going to provide one.

[powerofvoodoo]

We have a heater as well as a filter an FLUBAL 4+ said it was good for up to 70 Gallon tanks.

Your filter may not keep your tank clean because turtles can be very messy. For a 75 gallon tank, you really want to have a filter that's for at least a 150 gallon tank. XP filters come very highly recommended on this forum.
Also, most people cut down on the messiness of their tanks by feeding in a container outside of the tank (but you don't want to try that until she's used to you) and by spot cleaning the tank every morning (scooping out poop and leftover food).

[industrial_girl_2000]

We filled it about 80 percent of the way up. The water is 25-27 degrees celcius SORRY AMERICANS I DONT KNOW THE CONVERSION!! I think it is about 70 Degrees.

She will not sit on the floating docks at all. She always goes back to the water. Then she swims around and looks like she wants out of the water but goes right back in. She is getting Vitashell everyday right now so she sits in the kitchen with her basking light and runs around.

Do they usually swim around all crazy like? Or is she trying to get out. We are not sure what signs to look for to make sure she is ok.

Also how do you feed her in such a deep aquarium? Do you just let the food float around in the water? Will it not get caught in the filter?

It looks to me like she is looking for a ledge so she can only stick her head out of the water. She just Swims against the aquarium walls.

Also she really liked sitting on a plastic plant we put in the tank so we tried putting it at her basking dock so she could use it to help her get on the floating dock. But now that we moved it she wont go near it so we moved it back and she still doesn't like it.

25 Celsius is 77 degrees. 27Celsius is too warm. Adult turtles prefer the water around 25Celsius. Make sure you get a real thermometer so you can check the temp for sure.

I have a very large (9" female) RES, and I don't feed her pellets in her aquarium. I always feed her in a separate laundry pan with water in it. This keeps the tank much cleaner & I have been doing this for 17 yrs with great success. What kind of pellets are you feeding her? Reptomin or Mazuri are the pellets of choice by many of the folks on this board. Reptomin should be easy for you to find because it is used for water frogs as well, not just turtles.

Don't use vitashell cream because it is actually not good for their shell. However, it does make a great cream for YOUR hands in the winter when you have to wash up after handling your turtle.

A turtle that size won't have much of a need for plastic plants. She will most likely just shove it to the side as she bulldozes her tank (literally). Or she may try to eat it. Make sure it is tough enough so that she can't break any pieces off.

Lastly, swimming against the glass is something all turtles do. If you just got her, she is most likely getting used to her new environment. I woudn't worry about it.

[marisa]

Props to you for helping improve her life. You said she doesn't want to sit on the floating basking docks---how hard are they to get on to? Are they stationary? Larger turtles often have a difficult time getting on docks that move.