General Care Discussion :: New Petco Turtle, help please!

[N4784N R4613]

Oh, if the shell's SCL is 4" or more, you should switch to every other day, with greens everyday.

[samagsen]

The guys at Petco told me to feed her every morning. ????

[powerofvoodoo]

Mornings are good so the turtle can bask and digest the food.

[DavidY]

How often you feed isn't as critical as how much. You can feed every morning just make sure to feed half as much pellet food as would fit in the turtle's head if it were hollow. And as was mentioned above, make sure to offer leafy greens every day.

[Tattoo]

Tank is 20 gallons and water depth Im not sure but its perfect for my turtle at the moment as when she stands up and stretches to put her nose over the water, its just right. Ive left the heat lamp on from 845 AM - 11 PM and no basking or at least no sign of basking and I am in my room quite a bit, no plop noises either when i enter the room meaning she isnt basking while im gone im pretty sure.

If I am not mistaking, shouldn't the water be deeper then what he discribed? I mean I thought the turtle should have more water then him just standing and stretching his neck to the survice. If that is all the water he has then the turtle has no swimming room. Correct me if I misunderstood you or if I am wrong.

[DavidY]

You're correct Tattoo. There should be more water for the turtle to swim freely. Also if your turtle is 5" he should be in at least a 40gallon breeder or 55 gallong tank. The 20gallon is way too small for a turtle your size. You will eventually need a much bigger tank (75gal to 120gal) for a full grown RES and the water should be as deep as possible without allowing the turtle to climb out.

[samagsen]

Well I just called a turtle expert at Petco, she said that my turtle is fine. She said some turtles might not bask if the water is somewhat warm as long as she is healthy, has clear eyes, is active, eats well, and poops which is the case for my turtle. She said 20 gallons will be fine for now, and I am moving her next year in the summer back home so she can live in a 75 gallon tank, 20 gallons is the max I can have right now in my dorm room. So I guess im not too worried on the basking part if she said sometimes its ok for a turtle not to bask as long as the water is warm and she just still might need to adjust to the new environment. Thanks all for the replies, advise, and opinions! Keep them coming. - Sammy

[powerofvoodoo]

She probably still needs to adjust but sometimes the basking temperature needs to be raised in order to entice them to bask. You haven't had her for very long so I wouldn't worry about the not basking thing yet, but she should start basking before too long.

[untsmurf]

you also need to raise the water level, which was suggested before. Remember, this is an aquatic turtle. They live in lakes that are at least 10'deep when they are just hatched, so your turtle can certainly swim in 1' of water. Plus, the more water your turt has, the more exercise he will get. They like to have to most water possible.