General Care Discussion :: tiny little babies- some questions

[kate09]

I got two RES hatchlings about a month ago. They are only about an inch and a half long and I bought them from this guy selling plants at my college. So bad and illegal, I know! Don't yell at me!
Well I have a few questions about them. Firstly, when will they stop being so afraid of me? I try to give them some bloodworms whenever I go over to their tank but they still frantically swim away at my approach. Also, when they are basking and I come into my room they will do a backflip off their rock to get into the water as quickly as possible because they are so terrified of me. Sometimes they can't even turn themselves back over and I need to rush over and help them!
Also, I am still making the water shallow enough for them to stand in and poke their noses out of the water. I tried making it deeper so they could swim more but I stood right there to make sure they could surface and I don't think they can. Their little butts floated up to the surface but they didn't seem to be able to get their heads up to the surface! Do you think they'd be ok with deeper water?
Also, they will only eat bloodworms, not the pellets I give them or vegetables. Is this normal for such small babies?
Other than these few problems, they are wonderful. They have their own distinct personalities and are quite curious about me when I am at a safe distance. I love how such small creatures can seem so wise and thoughtful. I am just in love with them!

Any answers would be greatly appreciated...

Kate

[Starchick]

RES should be fine with much deeper water. They're born swimmers and should have no problem. You can raise it a little at a time and have resting spots if you're worried. If it's so shallow that they can't turn themselves over, that's too shallow, and could be dangerous.

It's normal for babies to prefer protein to veggies. I would eliminate the bloodworms except as a treat and see if you can get them to try the pellets. Try soaking the pellets in tuna juice the first few times so they get the idea. Keep on offering the veggies, eventually they'll switch over to more plant matter.

And it's normal for RES to be skittish when basking. Many people on here have turtles that are older and still jump down as soon as they sense they're being watched! I read somewhere that that's why they're called sliders, whether that's true I can't say but it's definitely normal behavior.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Starchick had some good points. One good pellet you can feed them is Reptomin food sticks (available at every pet store). They even make "baby" reptomin for small turtles which is more nutritionally balanced for the growing babies.

Babies are naturally afraid. It takes a lot of time for them to get used to the GIANT person coming at them. Hand feeding can help them get used to you a little faster. While they are eating, stick around & watch them so they know that YOU are the food provider. This goes a long way with them. Plus, it is just so darn cute to watch them eat!

Welcome to the forum.