General Care Discussion :: I seriously need help with my RES.

[superchaex]

My turtle that i had gotten about half a year ago is still alive. It pretty small and i don't even know if it a baby or not.

Problem #1: My turtle has stopped eating like after October, and it still alive. It kept indoors and moves around sometimes. It stopped eating my pellets and treat(dead,dried shrimps). But today when i fed it nuts, it ate it, so what should i give for my turtle to eat?

Problem #2: I was wondering if my environment for it is good enough, i don't have a filter or any of those fancy equipments. All i have is a tank with about 1 inch rocks on the bottom. My turtle is about 2inch long and i don't know if i should fill the tank more so it can at least swim. The water level at the moment doesn't even match the level of his shell. But i'm scare whether it might drown if i put too much water.

Problem #3: The diameter of my tank is about 1 foot long and the height is like 1-2 feet long, do i need a bigger tank with a bigger surface area? Without a filter, it takes a long time for me to scrub the rocks and tanks for it, what should i do?

If anyone can answer these questions or even just provide a solution, please do. Thank you, I don't want my turtle to die....

[lunabebe4]

Well the first thing is you need more water for sure because RES love to swim. They need as much water as possible, then also do have have the proper lighting for it? A uvb light and a heat light? Both are needed for a healthy and happy turtle. So if you put more water you need to get a place for it to bask on and sit in the lamps and dry off or its shell will get bad.

What kind of pellets where they? Do you try feeding anything like lettuce or veggies?

Your going to need to get a filter for your tank to help keep the water clean which is a must for it too, also a water heater if your not in a warm place where the water can stay 75-78 degrees.

You should read the main page, it helped me a lot, I just got my res about 5 days ago, she is way a happier then the place she was cuz they didnt have water for her to swim, now she is swimming, eating a ton and basking, and seems really happy, before she seemed really sad and unhappy.


So for sure these are what you need:(if you dont have them)
More water as much as possibly with out it getting out of the tank
A filter
A basking area
A uvb bulb
A heat lamp
Feggies
And possibly a different tank-at 2 inches I would get at minimum a 20 gallon long, but if you can get a bigger one like a 30-50 that way you dont have to upgrade everything later.

[Mauk]

Just as lunabebe4 said.

I'd say you definately need to work on the environment for that guy.

I'm sure people will also tell you RES are great swimmers so more water is going to be fine. I am pretty sure your tank is to small for your turtle as well or will be pretty quickly. I already feel my 75 gallon is not big enough after 2 months.

He might not be eating because it's not warm enough for him to metabolize the food he eats so that's why a basking area and heater is important.

[superchaex]

I have a 20 gallon tank already, but about how much water should i put in?

I don't think i can get a filter, and generally my area is around 70F.

I have a lamp that for heating, but what the difference between that and a UVB bulb? And a basking area? Is that like a piece of plastic within the tank?

I'll try feeding it carrots or something tomorrow.

Btw, the pellets are Reptomin for baby turtles, which i don't even know if it suitable for my turtle or not.

[Caphits]

Put in as much water as will make sure your turtle cant climb out. They are very good climbers, so don't make it TOO high. You really need to get a filter. If anything, go to walmart, and get the cheap 10$ model. Its better than nothing. You also need a water heater of some sort. Get a thermometer and see how cold your water is, it might surprise you. UVB is a special light that produces vitamin D in your turtle. It is neccissary for calcium absorption. Turtles also need to rest, so get something that will get them COMPLETELY out of the water. Top and bottom of shell. If you can go to a pet store, they have floating turtle docks for probably 20$ You can also use pieces of cork bark wedged between the sides of the tank. Those Reptomin pellets are perfectly fine. However, you dont really need the baby ones, you can go for the full sized ones.

[superchaex]

I actually have a filter, but i don't know if it good or not. It from a fish tank i bought like a few years ago, and i don't know if it will work or not. I also didn't know wal- mart sells filters as well thanks. I'll try to get the normal reptomin and maybe get a floating dock soon. However, how do you know if the turtle can even get on the dock, i mean dragging yourself out of water seems hard enough. thanks

[Caphits]

Yeah, even if they don't have fish, they sell filters, and whatnot. Well, the floating docks have a sort of ramp thing that goes into the water a little. But sometimes, my turtles don't even use it. Lol. You can try your old fish filter, and see if it works OK.

[ESG4Life]

As said before, turtles are excellent climbers and can pull themselves out of the water to bask.
Some floating docks have a sloped edge to make climbing out of the water easier for the turtle.
Your turtle is still pretty small so I would try adding water slowly, maybe about an inch or two a day and eventually your turtle will have no problem

[TheComputerGremlin]

Back to problem #1, your turtle hasn't eaten since October? That's really not good. Nuts I don't think are digestible and will cause an intestinal blockage, so I would avoid those. Try some tuna fish that comes in a pouch, give a head-sized chunk or so. If your turtle doesn't eat that, you should get him to a vet. I've heard turtles making it a month or so without eating, but three months, I'm amazed he's still alive.

His metabolism is likely stunted because your water is too cold. If you have Walmarts, you are in America then? Even southern California can have chilly spells, and a short period of cold water can stop them from eating for a few weeks. I'd get a thermometer to double check, but I'd probably just get a water heater. One at a pet store (or Walmart carries them too) costs $20. Turtles aren't a cheap pet, I hate to tell you. In fact, once your turtle is up and feeling better, you'll be needing to spend between $400-800 for the tank upgrade, which will be a 75-90 gallon tank plus a really nice filter.

Oh, and take the rocks out if you are needing to scrub them constantly. You can have a bare-bottom tank (which is better when you don't have a filter anyways) to make life easier. I can't imagine individually scrubbing rocks ...

[ESG4Life]

Have you tried offering your turtle any veggies to see what he likes? Maybe some feeder fish that he will chase so his metabolism might speed up.

[TurtleLover_S&B]

PROBLEM #1:Yeah,well ReptoMin can be for babies and adult turtles.They make Baby ReptoMin that's softer and smaller than the regular pellets.I've heard that you can soak the pellets in tuna juice.It sounds like he's getting too much protein.You should try some carrots,lettuce,green beans,broccoli,collard greens,peas,asparagus,and others.

[mikee]

Super – c Problem 1- Try turtle pellets soaked in tuna fish juice. Your turtle must be eating something to last this long.
2 & 3 , You will need to take a look at what you are doing. Your turtle needs 10 gallons per inch of shell. You need a filter, heater, basking heat and a uvb lighting. Turtles can swim and swim well. A good filter will keep the water much cleaner if you size it correctly. Most pet stores don’t have a clue how to size a filter pump for turtles. Turtles are not cheap pets to keep. You have to try and duplicate there original environment which can be a challenge when you are new at it. I have had turtles for over 27 years and deal with them in my daily chores they are my pets. M

[superchaex]

Thanks for all the replies, i got my new tank and my filter. I'll try to feed veggies later, but i still need to get a basking area, along with my UVB light.

By the way, where the heck do you get tuna juice?

[superchaex]

One last question, along with my tuna question, Do reptomin pellets ever expire, it came with it when i bought my turtle. So i don't know if they do or not. Hopefully not...

[SpotsMama]

Tuna juice is the water in a can of tuna packed in water. After you take the water for your turtle, you can have a nice tuna sandwich!