General Care Discussion :: Goold ol' Sunlight

[Sami]

I was wondering if it was okay to take your RES outside for an hour or two a day? If it isn't a problem, I was going to buy one of those plastic storage containers so he could swim around outside on our shaded porch while I was outside. I think it would be good to get some natural sunlight, though, since he's been cooped up in the house all winter long. We do have a cat outside, but he's such a sweetheart and well-fed that I don't think he'll try to attack my RES.

Also, I have a pacu in a smaller tank and it needs a bigger tank very soon. I was thinking about adding it to my turtle's tank, since it'd be much too big for him to eat. I had a pleco in there at one time, and they really left eachother alone. I didn't even see the RES pick at it once. Unfortunately, it died because I went away for a few days, and my parents forgot to do a water change for me and it bogged it up. Plecos are really sensitive to water conditions.

One last thing is that I heard RES can suffocate if they get flipped over onto their backs for too long. Is this true? I know Gizmo hisses sometimes when I pick him up to clean his tank or whatever.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Many people take their turtles outside, just a few precautions though.

1) Make sure they have water to get into to cool off, a shady place, and a place to dry off. Watch that the water doesn't heat up, otherwise, it can hurt the turtle.

2) Watch out for predators. Your cat may seem all nice and cute, but you don't want to risk your turtle's life on it. Also, birds and raccoons and all sorts of other things can get him.

3) Watch your turtle like a hawk. They are quick little guys, even out of water, and if he escapes, you may not be able to find him again. Secure all escape routes and don't even leave him out there alone to get a drink or use the restroom.

[Sami]

I have a cat indoors, and she likes to sit up on her cat tree and watch Gizmo swim around in his tank. I have seen her actually balancing on the side of the tank, but all she ever does is drink from the water. She's never attacked him, but she is interested in him over my other fish.

And I know about the outside cat. It's because we have raccoons and such around here that I'm still unsure whether or not I want to invest in a pond. Nonetheless, even if I did, it'd be for the koi, since I like them so much, even if I had to keep my RES indoors.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Raccoons can be trouble. At least you're aware of them.

And your indoor cat, you might want to find a way to keep it from drinking from the tank, just in case Salmonella is present in your tank. I'd recommend a screen or something to cover the tank. I have two brats, err, cats, and I had to get a screen because I've busted the two of them up on the screen as it is, and they'd fall into the tank if there wasn't a screen there.

[steve]

They need to be constantly supervised when outdoors. Never put them in a container with or without water in sunlight. I use a large fenced in area that is over dirt or grass. They are fairly mobile, excellent climbers, excellent diggers and easily blend into their surroundings. As TCG said, raccoons are real trouble and you do need to keep an eye on everything if you take them outside.

[imderanged]

I took Sylar out a few days ago and put him out on the lawn. he ran all over the place but I didn't take my eyes off him for a minute. I had water out there too but I had to put him in, the container was too high for him to climb into. i was trying to think of a better way to do this. I want to get him good natural sunlight this summer. Could I use those little plastic fences they put around trees to build an enclosure out side or could he dig under it? Maybe If I get a big rubbermaid and plant it with grass and danilions and whatnot and bury a conainer for water in it it would be better. Any other ideas?

[Dein211]

i wonder if you could make a turtle leash with a suction cup? lol the only problem i can think of it is that it wouldnt stay on! i can;t immagin it would hurt the shell or even damage it as long as it wasnt on for like EVER. lol just a whimsical idea from the back of my immagination. and then just use a colorfull piece of string or whatever thats really really really long so that you could use it to help find your turtle if he escapes your line of vision. still keep your eye on him though you don't want him to get tangled or taken away by other critters. lol, i don't know just an idea.