General Care Discussion :: In frustrated shock!!

[Tiny_Turtles]

Oh my...oh my...I don't have a word, or words, for how I feel!!

I finally had the time to google the name of the pet store/flea market I got Ollie from, and sent a tense email to the webmaster about the misinformation I was given when I purchased my little guy. After I sent it, I snooped around the site, and the same crap I was given was under the slider page. I can't beleive it.

SOme "facts"
-Sliders will only grow as big as their enclosure.
-Sliders will grow big if in a 10 gallon tank.
-Sliders only need a few inches of water (in their gravel filled "tanks") with something to stand on to get air.
-Do not use water heaters or heat lamps.

Has anyone heard of a breed/ type of slider called a "leopard belly"? That was what I was told "he" was, and as far as I could find, they don't exist. Are they actually some sort of color mutation that I am unaware of? Are maps and Cooters considered Sliders, as they are listed on the slider care page.

I am sorry to rant, but I had to let off some steam to people who get it.

I did praise them for correct info: longevity, they like dried shrimp, overfeeding can be lethal, don't put tank in direct sunlight, etc.

My personal favorite: don't drop a turtle, the fall can kill it. lol, really?!

I hope to get an email back, but, what do I do if they tell me their stuff is correct, and my vet, petco, petsmart info is all hooey? I know I am right, I did most of my research before my purchase, but am upset this info is still being propagated.

Thanks for listening.

Oll's Mama

[Love of Animals]

Post the e-mail address so we can all have a talk with them. I don't know is that allowed Steve?

[SquidSox]

Coters and maps are not sliders they are semi aquatic turtles like sliders but def not sliders. Hat is rediculas that kind of information is why people end up with indoor turtles who die before they are fuly mature. If u send me that email that would be great or the website even would be nice. I'm glad to hear you did proper research befor getting ollie tho turtles are such special creatures. Hope the place listens o you at least alittle bit.

[happycamper]

Terrible, hope they listen to you.

[Tiny_Turtles]

I have to say, the person I emailed was very, very thorough with their information, explanation, etc. Some of the reasons actually make sense.

I do think that gravel is bad, lights are good, etc. The person I spoke to trusts their breeder, and their information, implicity. I think what they are telling me is what they think is the truth, not lying to me on purpose. We have emailed back and forth, which they didn't have to do if they were pulling one over on me, and seem genuinely concerned with my turtles well being. Why would they do so if they were in it just to get my money, and if the turtle died, they wouldn't care, but things don't seem that way.

I am not giving out the email address, of the website, because I don't want the person upset with me for writing of the experience on this site.

I think things will end positively between us, as we are both open to learning more information from one another, and in the end, how is that education a bad thing (if it is legit, obviously)?

[Love of Animals]

That is great that the person is in contact with you. That means they are willing to listen. Maybe you can e-mail her care sheets from numerous different turtle sites and breeders with the proper information.

[SquidSox]

I'm very glad to hear all this I hope maybe they learn a littlemore and you as we'll its always great to get new information espicaly in th turtle world. There is so much to know. Its fantastic that they are willing to hear what you have to say and that they are not just looking to get their money and be done.

[Tiny_Turtles]

Love of Animals- I used the example of the care sheets given out in Petco and Petsmart, plus the online versions that I have read. They said that some of that info is correct, like using a light, food, using a thermostat, dock, etc and that some isn't, the use of a UVB light and heater can overheat the turtle and it can die is the main one they disagree with. That does make sense if you think about it, without immediately think, "what are they talking about". If a turtle was inthe wild, it would use natural sunlight to warm itself and the water, not a fancy heater or UVB light. So, if you only used a regular buld to heat the turtle and the water,like natural light, it would actually well imitate its natural surroundings. The turt would go bask if the water got too chilly, and go back in the cooler water to cool off. Does that seem logical to you, for it does to me I have to admit.

SquidSox- It is great to learn from one another, especially when informatio about animal husbandry can change over time. No, I don't think at all that they were in it for my whopping 8 bucks I spent on Ollie. These folks seem to genuinly care about their own pets, and those that they sell. It is a refreshing find, is it not?

[SquidSox]

I can see what they are saying about over heating the great thing is you can get heaters made fo urtle tanks with a built in thermostat that turns its elf on and of to keep it at the correct temp I gt one for mine cause I gets real cold in my house in the winter and I didn't want the waer being to cold but that does make total sense when you think of it like that.

[steve]

@Love of Animals - business contact information can be posted, personal info should not.

As for the care info, it's not surprising a lot of it is wrong. Their job is to sell turtles, not educate the consumer/keeper.

[Love of Animals]

Actually using just a regular light bulb doesn't make sense to me. The reason being if it had the same things the sun had we'd all be walking around sun burnt. Even people should get a small amount of sun daily for vitamin D production.

[PridgNYC]

That is why you need to have both a UVA (incandescent, halogen, etc) for heat and a UVB (doesn't provide much heat but does provide the penetrating UVB rays). The MVB (mercury vapor bulb) combines both UVA and UVB into the same bulb, but they can be problematic.

[Tiny_Turtles]

Steve- You are right that is their job, and they do it too well it seems.

Love of ANimals- You know, I never thought about that.

PridgNYC- Yes, both bulbs are very important to our turtles' health.

I hate to admit this, but Wednesda night, I put my turtle into a 5 gallon tank, removed the heater and UVB light, because I believed her!! I don't know what I was thinking. Then, yesterday, I put the UVB light back on, but left out the heater because our house is easily in the low 70's (have our heat on), and Ollie seems perfectly happy. I am going to put him back in the 10 gallon when he is bigger, because it is very hard for me to clean that tank by myself, and it is easier for me to do the 5. When he gets really big, I am going to buy the 55 gallon, and some sort of syphon, that way I will be perfectly able/ capable to clean that big one all by myself.

I should have listened to my gut, what I read here, and from other knowledgeable sources, but the person sounded so sure of their advice, I got confused and listened to the wrong place of information. Needless to say, lesson learned. Always listen to the majority, not the minority, for the majority surely are the correct group based on collective reasoning.

Thanks again.