General Care Discussion :: A bunch of questions....help please??`

[Tori-turtle]

Hi...
I'm new, and I wasn't sure where to post this...sorry if it's in the wrong place...
Anyway I have 4 baby red eared sliders...I had 6, but 2 died...not sure why...they looked healthy to me...

They're in a 50 US gallon tank with heater, basking area, UVA-UVB light and filter.
they're really small right now...the size of a quarter or so..I'll be upgrading the tank as needed..

I feed them pellets and romaine...but they don't seem interested in it at all...how do I make sure all 4 of them are eating??

Also I have a larger male RES in a seperate tank..I'm afraid to put him with the babies because they're so small..would he hurt them?

Thats all for now....thanks!

[SpotsMama]

You are so smart not to put the big one in with the little ones! Yes, he'd hurt them. Good for you!

Are the little ones brand new? It's very common when the turtles are small and new for them not to eat for a few days, or even a week. They're nervous and can't be sure yet that you're not going to eat them! Give them peace and quiet and privacy while they are new and they should start eating once they calm down.

The only way to be absolutely sure all are eating would be to feed them one at a time. You could do this several ways - take three of them out of the tank and leave one in there to eat. Or you could leave three of them in the tank and take one out to feed in a smaller bowl.

Another thought would be to use a fish breeder. Here's an example:

http://www.aquariumguys.com/breeder5way.html

It's a clear plastic box that hangs inside the aquarium in the water. It has slots in the sides and bottom for water to circulate. While your turtles are so tiny maybe you could put one in there with food, leave him for awhile, then take him out and put the next one in with some food, etc.

Can you post pictures of your setup?

[Tori-turtle]

Thanks spotsMama...yeah..I'll post pics as soon as I can...



I've had them for a while now...I think they just like provacy to eat tho...cuz as soon as I walk by they freak out and swim away frantic...



Sara

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Whoa 4 turtle's!? Good luck keeping up with all of them, when they are fully grown you're going to have to look into something up to 480 gallons! Vet visit's are going to be hell too..

Take picture's though, i want to see them

[Tori-turtle]

lol you're right about that...thankfully I'm a fish tank addict....I have a 55 gallon salt water tank and a 55 gallon goldfish tank too....
I also have a cat, a rabbit, and 2 guinea pigs...all in my two bedroom condo...we don't have a back yard or a garage...

Yep...as soon as the camera is charged pics will be coming



Sara

[DavidY]

Yea, cool! I got animals all over my house too!