General Care Discussion :: getting my baby this weekend...

[hannah.26]

Hi Everyone,

I'm getting my first res this weekend. I'm thinking about getting two. They are going to be fairly small. They are just under 4" each.

I have a 25 gal tank, a couple bags of gravel, reptile light, some rocks for them to chill on, and will be looking at plants and food when I go and pick them up.

Anything else I need? I want to make sure that I put them in the best environment possible. Am I on the right path? any direction will be greatly appreciated!

Also I was wondering if two is a good idea. I don't want them to be lonely. I'm one of those people who think that you should never just have one of something....I think they get lonely. =)

Thanks for any help in advance!

[missibsu]

A number of things:

I would recommend only one. I know that they are small now, but they will grow quickly. I got two and didn't know what I was getting into. I went from a 10 gallon, to a 30 gallon to a 75 gallon all within about 6 months time. Later they may have to be seperated due to aggression...which literally means double the cost.

What kind of reptile light do you have? You will need a light with 5-10% UVB and then you will also need a regular household bulb to give off heat. You didn't mention a basking area, but that is the reason that you will need these bulbs. They need an area where they can get completely out of the water to dry.

You are going to want something bigger than a 25 gallon soon, and you don't need the gravel, don't even put it in there. The turt will eat it and it can become impacted.

You didn't mention a filter or heater, both of which you will need. A heater to maintain temperature and a filter because they are messy. It should be rated for 3x's the size of the tank.

[sarah]

Hey Hannah!!
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new RES. I loooooooove my turtles and I'm sure you'll fall in love with yours as well.

I understand what you say about having to get two of everything. I ever had to get two betta and put their bowls beside eachother so they wouldn't feel lonely....ha!

Okay, first your tank is a little small for two almost 4" turtles. This site would recommend about an 80 gallon, if ont bigger.
Though...your turtles will be fine in there until you can upgrade. Mine are in a tank that's a little to small as well.

Forget the gravel, that's a HUGE don't! They can it it and worst case die from it.
If you have a petsmart around you you can get a turtle landing which is what I have. You can ditch the gravel then and the landing will allow for a lot of water and it will fit in any size tank. It's worth the price.

Um...food, you should consider printing the what to and not to eat section off the food and nutrition part of this forum. That's what I did and then you can safely get the variet of food that your turtle needs without accidently feeding the wrong thing.

Reptile light? Is that a UVA or UVB?? Because that's what you're going to need for the little guys.

Also, if you get two you are going to have to consider the possiblity that they will need to be seperated if they don't get along, now or in the future.
That means two of everything!!

Hope I didn't freak you out with all this. My turtles started with hardly anything (b/c they were rescued turts) and they did alright until I could get them into a better environment.

Good luck!!

Oo and make sure you tell us when you decide on names :p

Sarah

[Turtleboy]

when u get em, make sure to check em out before u buy! clear eyes, no deformities in shell, no cracks etc, and the shell should be hard, they should also be active and alert! good luck and keep us updated!

[hannah.26]

Wow! So glad I didn't buy them with the tank and stuff!

Will the gravel work for now? The pet store I bought it from had me get larger gravel than they could fit in their mouth for the reason of them eating it. When they get larger they said I could switch it out. They have a pretty nice tank set up with some full grown turtles in it and they use large river rock for them. They suggested to me that using rock is easier to clean...is this true? Is it safe to use it if the size it way too big for them to eat? If not what kind of sand/dirt should I use? just regular potting soil? clay? beach type sand?

I'm totally fine with getting really big tanks. My boyfriend has a 175 gallon tank that he has abandoned in favor of a 210 for his aquarium hobby. It's been cleaned out and has a stand and everything. the small tank is just for now to get them started. How fast will they grow out of the 25 gal?

For the heater the reason I haven't bought one yet is cause where we live tends to get really hot in the spring and summer months - 110 isn't too uncommon. And the house gets really warm during the day. I'm afraid of cooking them. Should I just get one and have it incase the temp drops?

I do have names picked out already...=) Skipperdee and Midori. If I just get one I'll just have Skipperdee though.

sorry to bombard everyone with questions! I appreciate all the help!

[marisa]

EVen though the gravel you got is too big for them to eat, I think you're going to find cleaning more of a chore having it (and it can contribute to a smell if not kept clean). I agree with using smooth river rocks--you don't even need to cover the bottom completely, just give them some for forage in and push around. I wouldn't use sand/dirt or anything like that.

If each of your turtle's shell lengths without the curve are around 4 inches, that 25-gallon is too small already. If you can put them in a 175-gallon tank now, I'd do it (ideally they should be in around an 80-gallon one now, but even bigger would be better).

[missibsu]

The purpose in your instance would be to maintain the temp. If you want to try without one and moniter it, that would be good. Any drastic fluxation in your temp can lead to sickness, and that is why you want to avoid the changing temp.

[hannah.26]

hmmm. Interesting. I think I will try monitoring it a little first. especially since it's coming into summer.

I just called the pet store and they said that my little guys came in...oh and I had the size wrong...(i'm the worst judge of size). The ones they got for me are about 2" at the most. I pick them up on Sunday.

What kind of food do they eat when they're that small?

[missibsu]

mostly pellets...but check out the feeding list. The sooner they are eating veggies, the better. As they get older they have a hard time adjusting to the veggies. Keep in mind that they may not eat right away either. Give them time to adjust.

You can also feed cuttlebone. It's found in the bird section. Take the hard backing off and it is a good source of calcium. Mine love it.

[hannah.26]

Okay! Thanks for the advice.