General Care Discussion :: decision

[turtledlucas]

I used to have a turtle when i was younger but i wasnt ready and responsible enough to take care of it but now im older and ready. I have decided i want a pet, and a dog is to much for my dad and maybe me. I really don't like rodents that much. birds are annoying. so turtles are just perfect. I have little expierience in taking care of turtles. so I was just wondering if some people could post an overview of all the cool things about them and how much time and money I need to invest. I'm aware you need a basking area with a light and not to big of rocks and some stuff but i dont no enough.
Quick questions: do turtles eat goldfish
Quick questions: could the light burn them
quick questions: is there another breed instead of res that i could consider
quick questions: any recomended places to get a turtle
quick questions: can a turtle get lonely would it be better to get two

[lunabebe4]

First off you need to read all the pages on www.redearslider.com so you can get a lot of info on what you need to care for a res.



The basics you need are a tank normally 10 g per inch of turtle
Uvb light, heat light
Basking area
Good filter system
underwater heater
thermometers

Those are about the simple basics.
And as far as what they eat, gold fish are not good for them since they can carry bad things but I give mine a few everyone and a blue moon cuz I like to see them lol

[turtledlucas]

First off you need to read all the pages on www.redearslider.com so you can get a lot of info on what you need to care for a res.



The basics you need are a tank normally 10 g per inch of turtle
Uvb light, heat light
Basking area
Good filter system
underwater heater
thermometers

Those are about the simple basics.
And as far as what they eat, gold fish are not good for them since they can carry bad things but I give mine a few everyone and a blue moon cuz I like to see them lol

i no i shouldnt feed them gold fish but I qanted to put some in their tank

[Kemul]

turtledlucas,

Lunabebe4 gave great advices, follow them and you're off to a good start.

To answer your questions:
Quick questions: do turtles eat goldfish
Yes, but goldfish is very fatty, not good for turtles in the long run.
Quick questions: could the light burn them
Burn the turtle? Only if positioned too close or the intensity is too high. Follow the printed guidelines and you should be safe.
quick questions: is there another breed instead of res that i could consider
RES is cheapest to buy. You can try Yellow Bellied Slider.
quick questions: any recomended places to get a turtle
You may want to start at a rescue center. Most areas are overpopulated with RES, rescuing is better than buying.
quick questions: can a turtle get lonely would it be better to get two
Turtle can't get lonely. It's territorial. They'll fight if there isn't enough swimming space. If you can't get a large tank, it's better to have only one turtle.

[turtledlucas]

turtledlucas,

Lunabebe4 gave great advices, follow them and you're off to a good start.

To answer your questions:
Quick questions: do turtles eat goldfish
Yes, but goldfish is very fatty, not good for turtles in the long run.
Quick questions: could the light burn them
Burn the turtle? Only if positioned too close or the intensity is too high. Follow the printed guidelines and you should be safe.
quick questions: is there another breed instead of res that i could consider
RES is cheapest to buy. You can try Yellow Bellied Slider.
quick questions: any recomended places to get a turtle
You may want to start at a rescue center. Most areas are overpopulated with RES, rescuing is better than buying.
quick questions: can a turtle get lonely would it be better to get two
Turtle can't get lonely. It's territorial. They'll fight if there isn't enough swimming space. If you can't get a large tank, it's better to have only one turtle.

thanks kemul. a few things. i dont know where a rescue center is in my area but ill look it up and I have two more questions
It wouldnt be bad to get two turtles though right?
does it matter how big your'e tank is if you get a baby res because im going to get a big tank if i get an res

[imderanged]

2 turtles will very possibly fight, and you will need a very large tank to accommodate 2. They really don't get lonely, so most of the experienced turtle keepers on this forum will recommend you only get one. If you want to put fish in the turtle tank, that is OK, but you must be prepared for them to be eaten. It would be best to choose a species that is a healthier meal for your turtle, such as Rosie red minnows, or guppies.

[turtledlucas]

2 turtles will very possibly fight, and you will need a very large tank to accommodate 2. They really don't get lonely, so most of the experienced turtle keepers on this forum will recommend you only get one. If you want to put fish in the turtle tank, that is OK, but you must be prepared for them to be eaten. It would be best to choose a species that is a healthier meal for your turtle, such as Rosie red minnows, or guppies.

thanks im looking to get one during the summer. if i do i will share some pics of them and my cage setup. another question is it harder to take care af babies from the start because that would be cool to get a baby. also does it matter how big the cage is when you get a baby because im getting a big cage

[Azfar]

For me its not dat hard to take care of babies if you really know how to handle them and fully attached to them. I love baby turtles. They are the cutest even the full grown turtle has their cutiey face if they are photogenic. hehe..

More space and big are good for starter but make sure no escaped hole.

[turtledlucas]

ya i no ill make the thing escape proof im looking to design a pretty awsome cage.. that would be cool if you have any more interesting or helful in fo any once could add. i want to be ready

[Azfar]

You may take a look at 1st Sticky in Habitat Indoor section. Theres a lot of idea and design of tank and basking area.

[theartbook35]

Hey, you want a turtle, and that's your final decision, no stopping you, then by all means, get one.

However, I'm gonna tell you straight up that turtles are EXPENSIVE. They don't need huge tank adjustments and upgrades very often, like, at the most annually, but those adjustments/upgrades are never cheap. Especially if you wanna go all out and make a zoo in your tank. (Some people, like me, actually do this). Unless you look in the cheapest places, I guarantee you will spend between 500 to 1,000 dollars on your turtle by the time they reach adulthood, and maybe even more.

Turtles should have the following things (At least, I think they should):

1. Basking ramp. It can be a floating piece of cork bark, a floating log, one of those commercial ramps that suction cups to a wall, or the turtle tank topper.
2. Water heater, heat bulb, UV bulb. Don't get Repti-sun bulbs that are 10.0, since they cause eye problems. 5.0 is much better.
3. Plants. They can live without them, but turtles love to have artificial plants to hide within.
4. No substrate, unless it is fine grain sand. Turtles are known to eat gravel and suffer severe internal injuries because of it.
5. Flat river rocks. You don't have to buy these, you can pull them out of a river bed and soak them in bleach, then soak them in water until they no longer smell like bleach.

If you want your turtle to be very social and comfortable with being handle by you, and your dad, I suggest getting one between two and four inches. There are strict laws throughout the United States about keeping turtles under four inches, so, check out where you live and what you can and cannot do. I had two inch turtles (they were stolen from me. I'm working on getting my girls back) and I was going to start using them for educational purposes at the school I work in. (Just know that little kids can't hold little turtles. Besides everyone's salmonella paranoia, little kids are rough boogers). You can properly socialize a turtle larger than four inches, but it requires a great deal of patience and takes a very long time, as well as a crapload of knowledge about reptiles. (Something that I don't have, so, don't ask me for details)

Just get one turtle, okay? RES don't get along well when they live together. RES are very strong, and when they get older they can really kick the crap out of each other. They act differently to tank changes when they live together, too. If I change something and my girls don't like it, they abuse it, or they nip at each other a few times.

I would really like to know why such expensive, and at times aggressive animals became popular pets. It's the same way with those spotted cat breeds, like Savannas and Egyptian Maus. I have a Mau and he is a nasty em-effer when he wants to be.

I buy supplies usually from this website: http://www.petdiscounters.com

I like that site a lot, but read the product descriptions very carefully. Their turtle supplies section is the largest, as far as I can tell. Their plants are lovely, their ramps are cool, and they have some great bulbs and lamps. Cheap too.

[turtledlucas]

Hey, you want a turtle, and that's your final decision, no stopping you, then by all means, get one.

However, I'm gonna tell you straight up that turtles are EXPENSIVE. They don't need huge tank adjustments and upgrades very often, like, at the most annually, but those adjustments/upgrades are never cheap. Especially if you wanna go all out and make a zoo in your tank. (Some people, like me, actually do this). Unless you look in the cheapest places, I guarantee you will spend between 500 to 1,000 dollars on your turtle by the time they reach adulthood, and maybe even more.

Turtles should have the following things (At least, I think they should):

1. Basking ramp. It can be a floating piece of cork bark, a floating log, one of those commercial ramps that suction cups to a wall, or the turtle tank topper.
2. Water heater, heat bulb, UV bulb. Don't get Repti-sun bulbs that are 10.0, since they cause eye problems. 5.0 is much better.
3. Plants. They can live without them, but turtles love to have artificial plants to hide within.
4. No substrate, unless it is fine grain sand. Turtles are known to eat gravel and suffer severe internal injuries because of it.
5. Flat river rocks. You don't have to buy these, you can pull them out of a river bed and soak them in bleach, then soak them in water until they no longer smell like bleach.

If you want your turtle to be very social and comfortable with being handle by you, and your dad, I suggest getting one between two and four inches. There are strict laws throughout the United States about keeping turtles under four inches, so, check out where you live and what you can and cannot do. I had two inch turtles (they were stolen from me. I'm working on getting my girls back) and I was going to start using them for educational purposes at the school I work in. (Just know that little kids can't hold little turtles. Besides everyone's salmonella paranoia, little kids are rough boogers). You can properly socialize a turtle larger than four inches, but it requires a great deal of patience and takes a very long time, as well as a crapload of knowledge about reptiles. (Something that I don't have, so, don't ask me for details)

Just get one turtle, okay? RES don't get along well when they live together. RES are very strong, and when they get older they can really kick the crap out of each other. They act differently to tank changes when they live together, too. If I change something and my girls don't like it, they abuse it, or they nip at each other a few times.

I would really like to know why such expensive, and at times aggressive animals became popular pets. It's the same way with those spotted cat breeds, like Savannas and Egyptian Maus. I have a Mau and he is a nasty em-effer when he wants to be.

I buy supplies usually from this website: http://www.petdiscounters.com

I like that site a lot, but read the product descriptions very carefully. Their turtle supplies section is the largest, as far as I can tell. Their plants are lovely, their ramps are cool, and they have some great bulbs and lamps. Cheap too.

when you say you suggest getting one between two or four inches that means getting a baby right. if you mean get a baby i dont no where i can get babys. the adoption center in my town is complicated and mostly adopts tortoises

[joeybsmooth]

I love my RES .. but Map turtles are really cool . Also you can go to ATP. For more informaion on what kind of turtles can be keep for a newbe . It will also tell you want kind of turtles are social .

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/

Turtles do eat fish . Of all types.

[SpotsMama]

I love my RES. He's endlessly fascinating. Lots of personality, interactive, neat shell. Friendly. I've spent lots of money on him and don't regret it.

Turtlekeeping is a hobby. People spend money and time on a hobby that's above and beyond life's basic necessities, just for fun. It's an indulgence. Some people work on their cars, some people collect coins, and some keep turtles.

If you're going to have a hobby, you should choose one that's within your means. However, where turtles are concerned, sometimes people get hooked without really meaning to and find themselves struggling to afford their turtles. When that happens and money is tight, there are ways to do it that cost less. People in that situation should ask around then get creative.

[TheComputerGremlin]

turtledlucas - One major concern about a "baby" turtle is that they often come to you ill, and you can end up spending a lot of money on vet bills, and the baby may still die. Turtles come from terrible turtle farms, and babies are much more likely to die from nothing you may actually do. The best thing is to get an adult turtle, one that is over 4". Another benefit to an adult is that you can choose the gender, as opposed to taking a chance with a baby. If you tell us the general area you are located in, we may know of somewhere to look for an adult.

A full turtle setup will cost you almost $1000, so you need to be ready for that. Once you have everything, maintenance is cheap and easy. But you will have a costly initial investment. And turtles live a long time, 25+ years, so you are looking at a life-long pet.