General Care Discussion :: ILLEGAL

[Turtleish]

That's actually the reason I got my Yellow-Bellied Slider, Gustave. I had always liked Turtles, but I never was dying to have one. However, when I saw these little turtles in these tiny containers- I had to rescue as many as I could. Each of my ten friends and I bought one; we've become avid turtle owners since then. Researching, designing tanks, and pouring out love to our turtles. While it is a terrible thing, it is the reason I have become an avid turtle lover.

[sflemin2]

Thats awesome that all 10 of you actually did the research and took proper care of them. I dont know of any turtles who get taken care of correctly unless they are from this site. I didnt either before I found this site. It just sucks because do you save them and encourage the sellers to buy more? Or do you ignore them and hope they quit making money from them (yeah right)

[slider_keeper]

That's actually the reason I got my Yellow-Bellied Slider, Gustave. I had always liked Turtles, but I never was dying to have one. However, when I saw these little turtles in these tiny containers- I had to rescue as many as I could. Each of my ten friends and I bought one; we've become avid turtle owners since then. Researching, designing tanks, and pouring out love to our turtles. While it is a terrible thing, it is the reason I have become an avid turtle lover.

I came a cross my first slider the same way! I came back from Iraq in 2003 and went to Cleveland to visit a friend. It was winter time I remember all the snow. We were going somewhere and I was thirsty so we stopped at a gas station. I went to get a drink and my friend was standing next to the counter when I walked up. She said look at these! I looked down and in a lagoon (oval shaped with the palm tree) aka death trap, was about 15 tiny cute green turtles in about a 1/4 in. of water! My friend looks at me and I was like. How much and the guy says $10 dollars. I was like I will give you 5 he took the offer I pick one out! Now mind you it was dead winter with about a foot of snow on the ground. The counter sits right in front of the door that has customers come in and out of at all hours of the day and freezing nights! No lights of any kind or heat for that matter and they were subjected to the elements everytime someone walked thru the door! I didn't know a thing about turtles:( So anyways the guy puts the one I picked out in a tiny plastic see thru container and puts a lid on it doesn't even punch holes in it! I was like "DUDE!!! Are you serious they do breath air you know?!!!" He looks at me funny I was like ok just give it to me! I cracked the lid open for air flow and then we walked out the door! I got in the car and my friend starts crying. I felt really bad so I do what any gentlemen would do I called the humane society and I guess about an hour later the guy gets busted! So with the turtle I now have! I know nothing about it or for that matter what kind it even is. The only thing I was certain about was she needed heat and fast! When I picked her up she was freezing cold! I noticed the tiny webbed feet so I figure it was a water turtle. I ask my friend to take me to a pet shop (a good one, at that). My friend points me in the right direction and there we go. So I talk to a employee and she gives me a book and say it looks like the one on the cover and well it did! I get a ten gallon tank, a crappy filter and lights (heat and uvb). Oh and a small zoomed dock. Well to cut my long story short I set everything up at her house and stayed for about 2 weeks well the little thing wouldn't eat. So I take her to a vet and they tell me she has a 90% chance to live. I paid the $75 buck and got the shots and tried every moving creature that could fit in her mouth. A pet store ended up giving me a couple fry fish and long and behold she bites boom long story short she is alive today and is 9 in. long and healthy as can be! She became the turtle of the barracks at Ft. Campbell Ky, in 2003 lol. Now she lives at another military installation with a very good bubby of mine. She has a 125 gal to herself! Her name became L.T.(Little Turtle) but in the army its a rank, lol. Sorry for the long story but I have been a turtle owner ever since:)

[redforman]

@slider_keeper That's a great story! I'm glad the guy got busted and hopefully most of the turtles survived! I'm sure your little guy was so thankful you found him! I found mine when I was taking a walk through a park and he was on the bike path, no bigger than a 50 cent piece. I found him the 2nd of June this year ... google'd how to take care of a red ear slider on my phone and went and bought everything. The only thing is, I didn't realize how expensive it is to have a turtle but I love the little guy!

[slider_keeper]

that is the biggest problem. Most people see a cute little turtle in a small bucket and think that is how big they get and don't realize the truth and since they see the turtle in a bucket they don't realize it is suppose to have lights and a ton of water that needs really good filteration. I can't tell you how much I have spent to care for red ear sliders but it is alot. And if I'm gonna take one in, it then becomes my responsibility to insure that animal gets the environment it needs to live happy and healthy. Unfortunately there isn't a way to tell every single person this!

[redforman]

that is the biggest problem. Most people see a cute little turtle in a small bucket and think that is how big they get and don't realize the truth and since they see the turtle in a bucket they don't realize it is suppose to have lights and a ton of water that needs really good filteration. I can't tell you how much I have spent to care for red ear sliders but it is alot. And if I'm gonna take one in, it then becomes my responsibility to insure that animal gets the environment it needs to live happy and healthy. Unfortunately there isn't a way to tell every single person this!

I know they are expensive and people don't realize how much money it costs to take care of them properly. I'm not even done spending on my turtle and I've spent wayyyy more than I intended but he deserves a good happy and healthy life.

[sflemin2]

omigosh I would hate to see how much money I have spent on mine in 10 years.. 3 tanks.. god knows how many filters. I know its more than 9 lol! I have spent a lot on the ATBA because i keep messing it up! thousands of dollars. I spent I believe $1.00 for both turtles.

[sflemin2]

Slider keeper..thats pretty impressive that the humane society showed up. There was another thread where we were all complaining about how our humane societies never respond to any calls

[slider_keeper]

yeah I don't know I'm not from that area just was visiting but it is cool they did

[Miss Tee]

However, when I saw these little turtles in these tiny containers- I had to rescue as many as I could. Each of my ten friends and I bought one; we've become avid turtle owners since then. Researching, designing tanks, and pouring out love to our turtles.

I heart this post!

[Zova Dot]

Its better than the last turtle abuse thread about how they sell turtles in little plastic bags on keychains in china

Oh my goshhh, a few years ago when I went to China (Im Chinese), they were selling turtles that looked like RES to me, and to display them, they put about 30 or 40 1" baby turtles in a plastic container thats less than a foot wide/high/long. SO SAD. I have a picture, but im not sure if every one of you turtle lovers want to see. It's terrible. :/ and they absolutely had no room to move, they even stacked up on each other and there was like no water past the first row of turtles which tells you they must have been thirsty ALL DAY. D;

[redforman]

That is sad. Post the picture, I wanna see. Poor poor turtles

[Zova Dot]

I did, look for it in General Discussion.