General Care Discussion :: I think I am in way over my head... any help appreicated!

[MzEmmy]

I just got done house sitting for a friend that just returned from Florida on a week's vacation. She called me and told me that she got me a special gift for house sitting. She brought me home 4 baby red ear sliders. She said they called them mini sea turtles, and that they told her that they would never get larger then a half dollar coin. She knew my love for turtles, and thought she had found me turtles I could finally keep as I can't keep regular size turtles yet due to being a military spouse that moves every 2 - 3 years (2 of our 3 duty stations have been over seas so far and you can't take turtles international... believe me I tried) The Red Ear Slider I had before I gave to a friend of mine, and he still lives happy in a full outdoor habitat equipped with a pond and everything.
Once she got them to me I knew they weren't "sea turtles" and that they were RES's. I thought... when did they start genetically breeding them for smaller sizes... well as soon as I went online... I learned they hadn't.
They gave her a plastic cage (like that you see kids bring home hermit crabs in) And told her that this would be a perfect home for them for their entire lives... argh... what ever... it is too small for them now. I am currently moving them to a 20 gallon fish tank (don't yell at me.. I know that the tank I am moving them too is not efficient either but it is all I have for the moment and it will at least provide them enough room to move around without climbing on each other until I can get something better.
They told her that they gave her 2 males & 2 females. Said the difference between M & F were the patterns on the bottom of the shells. I know that isn't true, and they are at most an inch and a half in size...and way to young to tell their true sex.
I got them an array of food... reptile sticks, FD baby shrimp, and FD baby krill. They are eating, and not shy about letting me see them eat, which is a good sign that they aren't massively stressed...
But I am not sure how I am going to pull off a habitat for 4 RES's as they grow to the sizes of dinner plates. 1 maybe... but I am still a military spouse who is just home while my husband is deployed to Iraq, will move in 6 months when he returns, and 3 months later to a new duty station of an unknown location.
I hate that they lied to her about these, and she is broken hearted that she brought me something I might not be able to keep.
So really I need all the help I can get... what kind of tank size am I going to need for these babies? How long do I have until they grow to a size that I can tell their sex (the one I had last time was about 8 inches when I got him... these guys are soooo tiny) and what kind of money am I looking at to give them a habitat that they are going to thrive in... not suffer and die because it is too small, with no heat lamp)
It's been almost 8 years since I have had a turtle, I know there was more too it then water, a basking spot and a heat lamp... but I am brain dead.. and need some help doing something to help... even if I end up having to find these babies new homes...
I have pictures if you want to see them...just let me know... I can't seem to size them down small enough for the site, so I will need to upload them somewhere for public viewing.
Thanks in advance!
Emmy

[steve]

Hi Emmy,

It's certainly possible to keep 4 RES, but as you mentioned, bringing turtles overseas will be quite difficult.

Keeping them in the US will be considerably easier, though there are some tough choices now and there will be some later.

Since they are only hatchlings right now, you will have the best chance to re-home them as they are slightly more desirable than larger ones (despite their fast growth).

If one of those 4 RES are males, there could be aggression issues in a year or so and he begins to mature. Female RES can be aggressive too, but it's almost a certainty that male RES will fight each other and endlessly harass females.

There are no better tanks to put them in than stock tanks. Cheap, durable and easy to clean and move. They don't look great but we've seen some creative work with them. You can keep 3 adults in 300 gallon stock tank, 4 would be a stretch but doable.

[MzEmmy]

Well there is no way I can keep a 400 gallon stock tank. I love them but I don't want to, nor will I be a reason that they suffer... for any reason. I guess the best choice for me is to find someone that can take them... or maybe 4 people to take one each... Do you know where I can find a place to offer them?
I hate this, I really do... but I can't give them the home that they need.

[steve]

You wouldn't even be able to keep one outside? How large of a setup do you think you can have? Most likely you have a male in there, so you will be looking at separation/re-homing down the line. You'll also have a few years before you need to go to this step.

[MzEmmy]

See my problem is that I am not stationary right now on any level. I live partially with my parents, partially with my in laws, and partially with friends while my husband is deployed to Iraq. I move around too much to even begin to give them a proper home. Or rely on anyone at any location to care for them in my absence. When I was under the assumption that they were mini's (before I ever laid eyes on them) I was sure I could just take them with me where ever I went. I cant do that with RES that are going to need 400 gallon living quarters.
I don't know where we are going to be living in 8 months either. It's not like we own a home, and I can just build a home for them outside. We live in on-post housing (which most times aren't even big enough for my family of 4) or in off post housing that can be just as bad or worse. A small tank of 20 gallons with mini's would have been do-able... this I can't even begin to pretend that I can pull it off.
Believe me... I feel guilty enough about this...
I love turtles and when he finally retires... and we get our home... I will have as many as I can get my hands on... and they will have the best home with everything they need, or could ever possibly want... but I just can't do that now. At least I am admitting it, and trying to do the right thing to find them homes where they can have a proper home and habitat. The only reason I gave my last one away was because they refused to let me take him when he was stationed in Germany for 3 years. We owned our home then, and had to sell it, a move I regret, but none the less can do nothing about now.
Now I just need to find the right people to give them the homes they deserve.

[MzEmmy]

An update... For those that care to know. I found a fantastic home for all 4 of the babies. I have a friend who's father is an avid animal lover. He has a range of animals from snakes, to spiders, to lizards, to bangle cats... and many other exotic creatures. Around his home he has a hand made cobble stone ...river I guess you could call it. It is every bit of 2000+ feet in length, 4 foot deep, and 4 foot wide. It has plenty of basking docks throughout the cobble stone river, the water is regulated for temperature and conditioned. He recently lost his 2 turtles he had living there due to old age... he owned them from his teenage years so there is no telling just how old they were... but he said they died within a month of each other. It has several filtration systems throughout the entire length of the river, and he even has some sort of dome thing that he installs over the entire length of the "river" in mid fall months to regulate temperatures through the winter months allowing heat and sunlight from the sun in, but without the harshness of the snow and cold weather. I have seen the river, but not the dome thing, but I am impressed none the less. He feeds greens, fruits, live minnows, and pellets to cover their entire dietary needs.
And better yet (for me I mean) I can come and see them any time I want, and if and when my husband retires and we get our home. He says he will come built a habitat for turtles like his in my home, and that if I want them, I am more than welcome to take mine back from him once I can give them the habitat they deserve.
He also says sex aggression will not be an issue as he can easily partition off the river into 4 500+ foot sections to keep them from fighting.
He will keep them in doors in his home made 200 gallon tank in the middle of his livingroom (it is impressive and I want one of these as well lol) until they are bigger and can be better adept to outdoor life. He is a turtle pro... and I am sure they will thrive in his care.
It is more than I could really ask for... and I am extremely lucky... and I know that.
But I just thought I would share the exciting news.

[BiteyBits]

Congrats! I'm glad you found them a good home and that you can still visit so you didn't give them up completely!

I wish there were little sea turtles, I would have tons of them and be very happy.

[MzEmmy]

I am thrilled that not only I found them a home, but such a great one. I was devastated when I realized I had just taken in 4 baby RES's that I couldn't provide a proper home for. I am not one to give up animals I have taken in. But if keeping them means they suffer, then I won't have that either. ( I know it may seem like this choice was made lightly... but it wasn't ) I cried for months when I had to find Boss a new home when they wouldn't let me take him to Germany because they carry Salmonella.
The fact that I can have them back, that thrills me to no end. And I will visit them often (he lives 2 hours from here so not as often as I would like) and every time I am in visiting after we move to where ever it is that we are moving....

[Marcus.85]

I am thrilled that not only I found them a home, but such a great one. I was devastated when I realized I had just taken in 4 baby RES's that I couldn't provide a proper home for. I am not one to give up animals I have taken in. But if keeping them means they suffer, then I won't have that either. ( I know it may seem like this choice was made lightly... but it wasn't ) I cried for months when I had to find Boss a new home when they wouldn't let me take him to Germany because they carry Salmonella.
The fact that I can have them back, that thrills me to no end. And I will visit them often (he lives 2 hours from here so not as often as I would like) and every time I am in visiting after we move to where ever it is that we are moving....

Kudos to you for your selflessness. It's very rare to find someone willing to give up a pet for its wellbeing.

[MzEmmy]

Thank you... I am so attached to these little guys it is pathetic... I know each one by personality. I have a feisty one, an extremely lazy one, one that is scared of everything and hides... and then the protector of the bunch....
The feisty one shies away from nothing... even when I pick "her" up... she won't shell up. She lets me pet her and plays and swims constantly. The lazy one floats in the water, and basks... and only swims when "he" wants to eat. the scared one constantly hides under the "basking dock" I have provided for them... "he" comes out to eat, and bask when he has too, and hides, watching everything but never really ventures out. And the one I call the protector is my favorite.
I have never seen it in turtles before, but "she" came to the rescue of the feisty one twice now that I have seen. Once she tried to crawl up the side of the tank and flipped on her back, the protector got to her before I could and let her use her legs as a push off so she could roll over. And the second time... the feisty one slipped in between the rock platform I have for their basking needs and the side of the tank. The protector was behind her pushing with her head and legs to try and unwedge her. (I have since fixed the gap so it can't happen again) but it was the most amazing thing I have gotten to witness when it comes to turtles.
I truly hate to see them go, but I know they will soon out grow what I can provide for them now. And know they are much better off in the home I am taking them too. I sit here and watch them at night, and get an enjoyment that only other turtle lovers like yourselves can truly understand.

I plan to stick around the boards even after they are gone though. These babies have really opened up a lot to me. I have met 4 people on FB after posting pictures of them that also have turtles, 2 of which have them in the wrong living environments. When I posted that I was looking for a home for mine because I couldn't provide the right home for them, they both came to me asking why I couldn't provide the right home, and I have been able to teach them what it really means to be a turtle owner. It is sad and heartbreaking that they didn't know or take the time to learn before, but as I see it, it is never to late to rectify a bad situation and fix it -- which both are now doing.

Sorry... I am rambling... guess I am just really sad to see them go. Anyway... thanks again!

[steve]

MzEmmy, that's very touching. I think every RES keeper is surprised about their personalities. Congrats on their new home, it's sounds great and exciting. I'm sure you would've done a great job if you kept them and hopefully it's not too long between reunions.

[MzEmmy]

I hope it is not too long between reunions too. Too attached to not see them again. Thanks so much for all of your help and understanding to everyone here! You guys are awesome!