General Care Discussion :: Crazy Turtle for a crazy owner

[danihibiki]

I checked the water temp it was about 80-something and he seemed happy when I left four out of town last friday. We do have gravel in the tank, but it's too big for him to get his mouth around. I made sure of that. Once he gets a little bigger, I might go get some bigger gravel.

my sister is taking care of him. my husband and mom cleaned out the tank, but I have noticed something I am confused with...

the ratio of water in the tank. seems most of you have your tanks about 2/3-3/4 full of water. Mine is about 1/3. My mom helped me measure him before I left, he's 4.5-5" now. Should I raise the water (my husband said he did a little bit) and if so, by how much?

[DavidY]

80's is too high for your turtle. You should gradually reduce them temperature to the mid to upper 70's (75 to 78 would be good). Also the gravel is not only dangerous but it will trap a lot of waste and make it harder to keep the water clean.

Turtles are excellent swimmers and need to have a lot of room to swim around so the more water you give him the happier he will be. Just be careful not to raise the level so high that he can climb out. They are excellent climbers.

[danihibiki]

that would explain why he spends all his time in the water....it's warm in there. he really is my son (I love warm water).

I'll get my sister or husband to check the water level (they said right now it's high enough that he stands on his tip-toes and sticks his noes out). I'll be home tomorrow late morning so I can get things squared away. Thanks much! I'll let you know how it goes.

[SpotsMama]

It's very important that Doni get out of the water every day to bask so that his shell completely dries out. A shell that doesn't dry off periodically will develop fungus. If you lower that water temp as DavidY suggested (I'd lower it even more, to the low 70's up to 75 degrees), and keep the basking area warm (say 88 to 90 degrees) then your turtle will feel motivated to get out and bask which will give his shell a chance to dry. You are right - turtles love it warm! If the water is too warm they will just stay in there, which isn't good for the shell.

[danihibiki]

I know he basks, but the tank is against the wall in the kitchen. I caught him once basking, but as soon as anyone walks into the kitchen, he makes a leaping dive for the water. At least I know he uses his basking island, but since people come through the kitchen all the time, I wonder if I should put up something so he can't see us. My gma has heard him "plop"ing, which is the sound he makes when he dives off his island.

[SpotsMama]

Ha! He's shy! I've heard of other people putting something up to give their turtles some privacy. It's probably a good idea if it would make him feel so secure he'd bask more. When your turtle gets older and really comfortable and secure he'll bask even when you are around.

[danihibiki]

so what can I put up there. I mean, I love watching him. Is there some kind of material he can't see through but I can see him?

[N4784N R4613]

A ONE WAY MIRROR!!! I think they make some window film that is a one way mirror, something to look into...

[DavidY]

hmmm, if you can keep the room darker than the tank, he won't be able to see what's going on in the rest of the room as easily. Maybe you could put a white mesh cloth or fine net on part of the front glass. The basking light will reflect off the white so he can't see out, but you should still be able to see into the tank somewhat. If you only cover half the tank and leave the other half open, he could get used to everybody else in the house and get accustomed to it.

[N4784N R4613]

Something like this, although I am sure you could find a much smaller, and cheaper roll somewhere like Home Depot...
http://solarfilmco.com/mirror-window-film.html

[DavidY]

Oh yea, good idea Nathan! You could use window tinting for cars. They sell them at any auto parts store or in the automotive section of walmart. You could just tape it to the tank so you can easily remove it later.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Honestly, get rid of the gravel if you want to keep the water more clean. I said it once and I will say it again: gravel traps waste particles which mucky-up the water. It is impossible to keep clean, especially after it has been in the tank a while, no matter how many water changes you do.

Many people here use larger (about 1-3 inches in size) river rocks on the bottom of a tank so it isn't so bare. This is a much cleaner & safer option for your turtle.