General Care Discussion :: Im a bad turtle mommy

[jdttm]

I know I dont have the best set up for my RES ..hes just got pebbles and some flat rocks. I have some questions; First my turtle is a horrible swimmer.. he doesnt get the consept he just struggles to get his head up out of the water and i feel bad so i dont make the water as deep as i should for him unless i can supervise.-How can i get him swimming lessons? Second hes not growing ive had him for a year and hes still pretty much the same size like a size of golf ball maybe.. is it because his tank is too small? and third how can i tell if he is really a he i looked it up and its kinda hard to tell..i need a translation. Thank You

Oh!! and should i get him a food dish?? wuts the rite kind?

[missibsu]

Welcome! First off, remove the pebbles. Your turt is likely to eat them, and they can become impacted in the tummy. Second, what do you mean by horrible swimmer? How exactly does he not know how to swim? Does he swim lopsided, or can he not sink to the bottom?

Growth is all part of genetics and proper care. Do you have a basking area with proper lighting? What is the temp of the basking area and the water temp? What are you feeding?

Gender of turtle can't be determined until the turt reaches four inches...that's straight length of the shell.

I'm mostly concerned by the lack of swimming skills. RES are natural swimmers. From the time they are born they should be fine in deep water. It sounds like there is some potential for some more serious health issues, but I guess we need a more accurate description of what those swimming skills are like.

[jdttm]

oh the pebbles arent that small were he could eat them..he sinks to the bottom but hes swims lop sided and tires to rest on the side of the tank like wen u cant swim any more in a pool.. and if i stick my finger in the tank hell put one foot on my finger and try to keep swimming.. i dont know if that means he cant swim or not ..but it sure looks like it .

[missibsu]

lopsided swimming can be a serious sign of respritory infection. The reason for the lopsided swimming with respritory infection is because there is fluid in the lungs. There is a list of herp vets in the urgent care section. I recommend giving one near you a call. Until you get the chance, it won't hurt to raise your water temp to around 80-82. It will help fight the infection. There are other reasons that can be lopsided swimming, but more often than not, RI is the reason.

[cam722]

On the bad swimming issue. Turtles aren't the most graceful swimmers. They won't swim like a fish for instance.. they just paddle at the water. How big is your tank? You said you only have a little water in it and I'm wondering if there is even enough for it to swim properly even if it could.

[steve]

jdttm, I suggest you try to emulate some of the tanks in the photo gallery. They don't need to be elaborate and they don't need to be expensive - just as big as possible. Having basic water levels, temperatures and filtration is essential is preventing illness and disease.

[Pam]

Is your turtle eating? What are you feeding him? I am concerned because you asked about a food dish and water turtles do not use food dishes as they must eat in water. They cannnot eat out of water. If you have a proper set up with room, heat, and lighting your turtle should have grown in a year. Let us know how he is doing.

[marisa]

Does your turtle have any other symptoms?

What is the shell length of your turtle (not including the curve)? What size tank do you have him in? What is the water level? If it's not high and you raise it, float some fake plants in it so he has something to rest on if he tires. RES are good swimmers, though, and you shouldn't need to supervise him.

You said he just has some pebbles and flat rocks...Does he have a proper basking area with correct lighting?

What are you feeding him, how much and how often?

[Spookster]

She already has a thread going in Urgent Care with all the basic information
http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4035