General Care Discussion :: I need some advice

[Turtlebiz]

i have a bit of a dilemma... i've had my male RES bobbers for about 2 years now, and i'm afraid i can't give him the proper care. he's 4 inches long and i have him in a 20 gallon tank that's filled up all the way with an above the tank basking area. i realize this tank is way too small for him. i have the funds to upgrade him, just not the space. i love him to death, he is my little buddy and i've had him since he was a hatchling. what should i do? i hope that one day i'll eventually be able to give him the big home he deserves, but i'm afraid that day will never come. i want him to get the best care possible, but i also want to keep him forever. please give me some advice

[megcornell]

If he's two years old and only about four inches, it sounds like his habitat is affecting his growth and overall well-being. A 20 gallon is an awfully small tank.

Why can't you upgrade him to at least a 40 gallon tank? They aren't massively huge, and even I can fit two turtle tanks in my cramped NYC apartment, haha. Granted, they take up a considerable amount of space, but I wanted these turtles, and its the commitment I'm prepared to make for their well being. If you can't afford a tank, why not opt for a rubbermaid container?

If you can't do anything to give your turtle more space in the long run, then the responsible thing to do would be to look for a home that can provide him with the care he needs. You can place ads and interview potential owners.

[imderanged]

Well, Its hard to say exactly what to do, especially without knwing exactly what your living enviornment is like (space and what not) but I had some similar concerns, and it ended up working out in the end. I had my little guy in a 20 gallon when I first got him, but he was quickly outgrowing that. I knew I had to get something bigger, but I had NO idea where I was gonna put it. I live with my husband in the basement of my parents house. We have 3 rooms down here, a living room, a bed room and a bathroom. I already had 2 bird cages (one smaller one for the parakeets and one big one for the parrot) 2 aprox. 10 gallon tanks for the frogs,and a 10g (at the time) for the gecko, +the turtles 20 gal all in the living room. I had been looking at 75 gallon to 125 gallon tanks and couldn't imagine fitting it into the room at all. I thought I would have to set it up behind the couch or something, but that would make water changes hell!!! Then I got out the tape measure and to my suprise the space between the TV and the door (where I already had Sy's 20 gallons set up in front of a book shelf) was JUST over 4 feet. I had to move the book shelf to get the tank +stand in there, but it worked out just fine. So my sugestion is that if you have the money for a larger tank, find out the actual dimentions (my 75 gallon in 4 feet by 18inches) and get out a tape measure. you might be surprized what you can actually fit if you are willing to move a few things around!

[Turtlebiz]

I have no problem getting him a bigger tank, even if it's just a 40 gallon for now.... but he'll eventually grow out of it and it will put me back in the same situation. I want to do what is best for him. I think I will start looking for another home for him, as much as I don't want to

[Turtlebiz]

Well, Its hard to say exactly what to do, especially without knwing exactly what your living enviornment is like (space and what not) but I had some similar concerns, and it ended up working out in the end. I had my little guy in a 20 gallon when I first got him, but he was quickly outgrowing that. I knew I had to get something bigger, but I had NO idea where I was gonna put it. I live with my husband in the basement of my parents house. We have 3 rooms down here, a living room, a bed room and a bathroom. I already had 2 bird cages (one smaller one for the parakeets and one big one for the parrot) 2 aprox. 10 gallon tanks for the frogs,and a 10g (at the time) for the gecko, +the turtles 20 gal all in the living room. I had been looking at 75 gallon to 125 gallon tanks and couldn't imagine fitting it into the room at all. I thought I would have to set it up behind the couch or something, but that would make water changes hell!!! Then I got out the tape measure and to my suprise the space between the TV and the door (where I already had Sy's 20 gallons set up in front of a book shelf) was JUST over 4 feet. I had to move the book shelf to get the tank +stand in there, but it worked out just fine. So my sugestion is that if you have the money for a larger tank, find out the actual dimentions (my 75 gallon in 4 feet by 18inches) and get out a tape measure. you might be surprized what you can actually fit if you are willing to move a few things around!

i live with my boyfriend in his parent's basement, and there literally is no extra space. we've been working on cleaning things out but we just don't have enough room to bring in anything bigger right now. it's not a huge space and it's an odd-shaped room. not to mention we have 3 other tanks in addition to the turtle tank. i have found a few rescues that would take him. i don't want to have to go that route but he needs a better home.

[megcornell]

Wait wait wait. If you can get the 40 gallon, do it! Don't give up your RES because you're not sure how you'll have a 100 gallon tank 8 years from now. RES are very hard to adopt out, so only surrender him if that's truly your last option.

It sounds like you care a lot about Bobbers, and with a few small sacrifices and some creativity I think both you and he will be happy.

Not everyone can always follow the 10 gallons/inch rule to a T. I know I have my second turtle who is about 4.5 inches in a 30 gallon right now, but his water is clean, he has a great diet, and plenty of basking space. So I'm pretty sure he won't mind living like that until I can afford to upgrade him. He wasn't really a planned addition so I used an old set up from my other RES. What's important is that for the most part all of his needs are met, and that he's not cramped- he has plenty of room to swim and the above tank basking area gives him all the water he possibly can get in a 30 gallon.
Caring for your RES responsibly isn't an exact science, but it sounds like you're trying your best. Upgrade him as large as you can, and worry about when he's 6, 7, 8 inches, when that day comes. For now, he'll be happier and healthier in a 40 or 50 gallon and you'll feel better too.

[Turtlebiz]

megcornell, i want to thank you for your advice and i am definitely going to take it. i can afford another tank right now, and i have space for a 40 or 50 gallon. this really puts my mind at ease. i was just worried about how fast he would grow if i put him in a larger tank, but i want to spend the most time with him that i possibly can. thank you so much for you help

[gt5268]

Please don't give your turtle away!! Don't do this!! I know a person who did the same thing you did- gave away the turtle!! Wow did he regret it!! I love my 2 red ears and will do all I can to make their life great!!! I would only give them up if my health was bad and could not take care of them!! Don't give your little guy away!!! Your turtle loves you and you love him!!!I also have limited space but I am now using a back room in my house.It is what's called a "florida room".Don't give up your turtle!!

[mikee]

T-biz -- I see your dilemma and can sympathize with you situation. Space in New York can be a problem. The tank is too small and the turtle of that size needs more room. If you only have room for a 40 that is all the room you have. You are just going to be up sizing every year or two from now on. That means a larger filter also. I could not give up my turtles. I have had them for about 30 years and that would be hard. Good Luck!!

[penelope]

My turtle grew amzingly the first year and outgrew her 20 gallon tank quickly.
Along the lines of what mikee just said, as you increase your tank size over time, you will have to increase filter, heater, dock size, etc. I can't afford that.
What I did was spend my money for the set-up, and bought a smaller tank. I purchased a filter, heater, etc. that will handle a 90 gallon tank, but only upgraded to a 55 gallon tank. That saved the cost of purchasing a tank, and more importantly, a stand strong enough to hold a 90+ gallon tank.
The key was to make sure the set-up equipment wasn't too much for a smaller tank, but powerful enough for a larger one. Now, when Penelope outgrows this tank, I only need to purchase a tank, not spend another few hundred on yet more equipment.
Of course, this does not address the space issue, but it offers another option for upgrades over time.

[Turtlebiz]

i want to thank everybody for their really helpful advice!! i'm not giving him up. soon i am going to buy him the biggest tank that i can manage to fit in my small space and upgrade everything else, like penelope said. i couldn't imagine ever giving him up cuz i love him to death. so hopefully this will buy me a lot of time. thanks again everybody!

[TheComputerGremlin]

Yeah, as much as worrying about the future is worth, try to get maybe a 55 gallon tank. Many tanks have the same footprint (length and width) with different heights. And if you have the money, you could even look into a custom tank. Turtles don't necessarily need deep tanks, but a custom tank may work well for your space. And above tank basking areas always help to maximize the swimming space!

With a 55 gallon, you may be able to keep him in that until he is close to 7 inches or so (even if that breaks the 10 gallons per inch rule, sometimes you have to do what you have to do). He should grow much slower now, maybe an inch a year, so that will give you lots of time.

And in terms of placing the tank somewhere, always look into ways of maximizing space. If you get a really nice stand that has a shelf underneath, you could always use the space under the tank for storage. I've even seen coffee table tanks, which is just wild!

[imderanged]

I'm glad Turtlebiz, good luck!

[Turtlebiz]

just a little update... i haven't bought a bigger tank as of yet. i'm leaving for vacation this weekend and i'll be gone for a week so i figured it wouldn't be smart to get a whole new setup and not be around to make sure it's all working properly. but i ordered this shelf thing from sportsman's guide online. it supplies the shelves, which hold 1000 pounds each, and all you have to do is buy wood and build the whole thing. best part is you can make it as big or as small as you want. and with the extra shelves we can put our other tanks on it to make extra room. so yay!! can't wait to get started on my project. i'll be sure to post pictures of everything when i'm all done. i feel so relieved thanks again to everyone for your help. it's so nice to have support here