General Care Discussion :: Am I a good Mom?

[kklemesrud]

I have 2 Aug hatchlings, not more than 2 in. long now. Here is their background info, and then a few questions.

They live together in a 20 gal tank. They have 3 gal of steam distilled H20--enough to submerge completely. They are fed Reptomin Baby pellets , 12 pellets 1-2 times a day. They have a UVA/UVB light, heat light, and styrofoam rock that suctions to the side of the tank. There is a "turtle" filter that I got with the Pet*mart aquatic turtle kit, but I d/n like it much, and would rather use a regular biowheel fish filter if it w/n hurt the turtles.

Questions:

1. I live in MI where the winter is cold, so will it hurt the turtles if I turn off their lights (heat sources ) at night? If yes, what else can I do?

2. Can I use the biowheel fish filter w/o hurting the turtles?--I would be able to fill the tank more.

3. When do I begin giving them adult pellets? Should I already be feeding them veggies and/or meat? If no, then when?

4. Twice now I have had to clean out the tank b/c of algae--Is there a way to prevent algae? What causes it? I have no live plants or anything. All I can think of is the pellets as the cause. What is a good solution to use to clean it off w/o hurting the turtles?

Thank you!

[untsmurf]

I don't have time to go into depth right now. I'll come back and add more if someone hasn't come along and answered everything. But for right now, read through the main site. All your questions and more are answered there.

[BullDog]

First off, fill that 20 gallon tank up!!! 20 gal is tight for two hatchlings, so you'll want as much water as you can, without them being able to escape.

1. Buy a water heater for your tank. This is essential, since hatchlings are especially sensitive to temperature changes. You will want one that you can set to about 78F.
Their lights should be turned out every night. Most people go with a 12 hours on/ 12 off cycle. Turtles need to sleep too!

2. Yes, you can use a fish filter for the turtles. But the big thing is the rating. You want a filter that can pump AT LEAST 3x your tank size. So for your 20 gallon tank, look for a filter that pumps minimum 60 gallons per hour (gph)

3. You can feed adult pellets any time, really, a RES is usually considered an "adult" when it is about 1 year old. You can also start them on veggies now. Check out the feeding section of this site for ideas on what veggies to feed and how much.
http://www.redearslider.com/index_nutrition.html

4. Where is the tank located and what is the temperature? A tank that is near a window is prone to growing algae. There are also other issues to having a tank (especially a small tank like yours) near a window. To clean it, just give it a wipe. It doesn't really do any harm, it's just unsightly. It can cause problems if it grows unchecked on your turtle's shell though. If there is an algae buildup on the shell, give it a GENTLE wipe with a soft cloth or brush (turtles can feel through their shells).

As Smurf said, be sure to read through the main site (redearslider.com) and check out the stickys on the forums here. Feel free to ask any other questions that aren't answered there

[chrisinva]

Do you have a heater like Bulldog said?? If not you need one ASAP

If I were you I would get a floating turtle dock and fill that tank up

[pajamatree]

You're feeding them too much of the pellets. If you continue to feed them that way it will cause pyramiding. I found out the hard way. I'd say give each turtle about 4 or 5 pellets per feeding, and do not feed them more than twice a day.

[spaceapple]

I agree with what everyone has said so far. Pajamatree is also right that you are feeding way too much. The general rule of thumb is to feed as many pellets as would fit inside your turtle's head if it were hollow, so probably 4-6 a day for yours. There is no hard and fast rule about when to switch to adult food; the ingredients are almost the same, but the pellets are bigger and harder for small turtles to eat. And yes, you should start feeding them veggies daily (although they might not like them at first!) Meat is not a necessity and can be detrimental to your turtles' growth (too much protein will cause them to grow too fast). I would suggest avoiding it altogether. Look at the nutrition section under RES basic care on the main part of the website for for everything you need to know about feeding.

[kklemesrud]

Can they be fed beet greens?

[marisa]

It would be better to feed leafy greens like red or green leaf lettuce, romaine, dandelion greens, collards, etc.

It is not necessary to use distilled water---it's actually better if you don't. Distilled water lacks electrolytes and minerals they need. Tap water is fine---if it's treated with chlorine/chloramine, use a dechlorinator.