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My name is Jen and i got my RES about 4 or 5 months ago.. His name is Rex... Don't really know a lot about turtles, but we seem to be doing ok. As far as I can tell he looks normal... no red tinted skin or anything.. But can someone look and tell me.. I would appreciate it a lot.

Pictures of Rex



Thanks a lot

Welcome to Turtle Talk!!!, from the pics posted SHE looks healthy. I would love to see some pics of her set-up!!

The man at the store said that the turtle was a he... And well I assumed that he knew what he was talking about.... lol ... I am uploading more pictures. The only problem we are having is keep the tank spotless. Rex produces waste at an exsessive amount. Is this normal, or are we over feeding?

Thanks.
Jen.
More Pictures of Rex's Tank

We would need to see pics of her tail to be certain. The tank is a bit small for the size of your turtle, and your filters look underpowered to me. We recommend three times the rating suggested on the box. Filters are mostly rated for fish, and as you are finding out, turtles are MUCH more messy than fish. Here is a good check list of things your turtle NEEDS!!!
http://www.redearslider.com/startup.html

Welcome to the site!

Thank you.... What size would you suggest, for a tank... keeping in mind Rex is continuing to grow... I also uploaded a picture of her tail for you. Just click the links above. I hope you can see what you need too... its surprisingly hard to get a good picture of her tail.... lol

Jen

Since everyone is saying female, I would say that too, because her tail looks a lot like a females. For a female, so you dont ever have to upgrade again I would suggest a 120 or more gallon tank. That would fit her for life.

Where is the best place to get a big tank... Petsmart has only up to 50 gallon... would I have to custom buy it... If anyone knows of any good websites please let me know.... We should be upgraded by the new year. Thanks

Well for starters I'd fill the tank up as high as you can without Rex escaping. This will help even out the ratio of water to turtle. As for an appropriate size, females can get up to 12 inches long, although from what I can tell most don't get quite that large. So, you could get a 100 gallon tank for a permanent tank or get a 75 gallon and wait and see if you'll need to upgrade or not.
Take a look at the main site for info on feeding, housing, health, etc. It's a good basis for turtle care.

[Also, I'm moving the topic from introductions since it's moving out of intros and into questions]

As for where to buy tanks, the major petstores usually have larger tanks than 50 gallons, I'd call around.
Otherwise, you can buy online or buy used sometimes.

What is your turtle's shell length without the curve? She looks fine to me (the tail in that last pic looks like a female's to me). The front nails don't look that long either.

I'd look in the classifieds for a good used tank. You also could consider a stock tank to house her in when she gets bigger.

I'd say that her shell length is around 5 inches.. maybe a little larger. Right now we have her in a 20 long, but we are looking for a bigger tank. I have been looking online and it seems like I would have to go custom for a 75 gallon or above... if anyone has any suggestions on websites to look at or ads to look at please tell me...

Jen

www.glasscages.com has some REALLY good prices, if you can find a delivery point near you. Here is the delivery list http://glasscages.com/?sAction=Deliv . If you can't find a delivery point near you, then you have to pay for VERY expensive shipping.

Good Luck!!!

unfortunately they deliver no where close to me.. i looked at my local paper and found a 150 gallon reptile tank.. that might work.... or a 75 gallon regular fish tank...
Jen

If it is listed as a reptile tank, it may mean that it is not meant to hold water. If you plan on buying it, make sure you call and ask if it can be filled with water. A 75 gallon would be nice too.