General Care Discussion :: Help, I just inherited a 14 year old RES

[drgnldy]

Hi
I just inherited a 14 year old RES. He has a 75 gallon tank and a great filter so no problem there but his shell is disgusting, I don't think it has ever been cleaned. Can someone give me a few pointers on this matter. Thank you Drgnldy

[missibsu]

If you are sure it is just dirty, you can take a soft cloth or soft brush to it. Just keep you hands away from the mouth area, because he may not be too happy being cleaned. If it is disgusting because of shell rot or fungus, then you may want to consider treatments.

[drgnldy]

Thank you, I think it is just dirt and algea. She was to the vet last year I think and the Dr. said she is very healthy.

[missibsu]

Sounds good...show us some pics if you are able...we love them!

[industrial_girl_2000]

Hi
I just inherited a 14 year old RES. He has a 75 gallon tank and a great filter so no problem there but his shell is disgusting, I don't think it has ever been cleaned. Can someone give me a few pointers on this matter. Thank you Drgnldy

Congrats on getting one of the older ones! Mine is older also (check pics out in the photo gallery under the topic "Sheba").

Normally I don't need to scrub my RES's shell & Sheba stays very clean & shiny. Maybe you can post a picture of what this turtle looks like so we can see what is going on?

[drgnldy]

Thank you for all your help and as soon as I figure out how to post a pic of Hermes I will do so. I gave her shell a good wipe with a paper towel and it looks a little better, on the next sunny day I will take her out back and give her a scrub with a soft brush. My cats are very curious about her and the birds haven't noticed her yet but I am sure they will when they are all running around the backyard when I am gardening. Hermes has a good size tank but I thought that in the summer I will get her a little wading pool and put a fence around it and let her out there when I am out in the backyard, the cockateil and conure help me out in the yard all the time, they like to dig in the dirt and taste all the plants. It is a very interesting house. For some reason the neibours think I am crazy.

[marisa]

How big is your 14-year-old RES? You may want to get something larger than a wading pool for him if he's larger---a wading pool sounds like it might be rather easy for him to escape from (and they will try to escape if given the opportunity). Make sure he can't dig under the fence as well.

You might also try piece of old soft towel on the shell--it's gentle but I think more effective at removing build-up than paper.

You do sound like you have an interesting house.

[drgnldy]

He will never be left alone outside, I am very protective of my babies. I am just now trying to grasp all the feeding rules as all Hermes has ever been fed are goldfish and then about a year ago they discovered that it will eat grapes and sometimes romaine. I keep crickets in the lizard tank so will try her with one of them and will make some carrot worms. She was my sons ex-girlfriends pet, then my son has been taking care of her for the last year but he is 25 and single and doesn't give her enough attention and the ex doesn't want her back. They were going to give her to a friend of a friend that just got a RES about the same size and they wanted to see them fight, so I stepped in and took her. Also I didn't want her to go to strangers, at least she knows me a little as she has been living in our basement for a year and I did go and visit her sometimes.

[missibsu]

Goldfish are considered junk food. They are fatty and can carry parasites as well. Variety is good though

[drgnldy]

Thanks, but I am not sure what to do as I have tried cucumber and carrots and she won't touch them, she hasn't eaten for days. I am not even sure the last time she was fed. I will ask my son when he comes home later. I will keep trying to feed her healthy things as I am a health food addict. I hope it isn't to much of a shock to her system.

[marisa]

Since it sounds like your turtle was feed other foods almost exclusively, it may take a while for her to accept a really big change in diet. You might try feeding her foods that she's used to (although minnows generally better than goldfish) and introduce her to new foods more slowly (incorporate some of them into the diet and gradually change the proportion as she accepts the new foods until she eats them on their own).

If she's healthy, she can go without eating for a while without a problem, though. Perhaps when she's hungry enough she'll be more receptive to the foods you're offering.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Thanks, but I am not sure what to do as I have tried cucumber and carrots and she won't touch them, she hasn't eaten for days. I am not even sure the last time she was fed. I will ask my son when he comes home later. I will keep trying to feed her healthy things as I am a health food addict. I hope it isn't to much of a shock to her system.

My 16+ RES has been eating exclusively tetra reptomin food sticks, earthworms, some canned cat food (fish varieties), and other meat-based products since I found this website 2 weeks ago & started trying veggies with her. I recently got her to eat Romaine lettuce, thinly-sliced sauteed carrots, and a grape. Originally she didn't want the romaine, but I cut it up real fine & mixed a little bit of the cat food in it (so it "smells" more like what she is used to) and she just gobbled it right up with no problems! so sometimes you just have to get a little creative.....

Also, to avoid losing a finger when you feed a larger turtle (Mine is 11 inches long), feed them with a baby spoon! This works great.

[birdlady]

I too have a 14yr old RES that I "adopted"..when I first got her, all she ate was Junk Food (fish). After a month or two of watching the younger turtle eat, she eventually went on the spinach and romaine diet. That's all she gets inside now. When she's outside, she eats as much Water Hyacinth as she can get. Won't even touch the fish anymore.
As they age, they lose their meat eating habits and turn vegetarians.

[missibsu]

spinach isn't recommended in the diet. I don't remember all of the technical terms, but in the long run it has something to do with blocking calcium absorption.

[birdlady]

Spinach about once a month...not a regular staple. Gets more of the Romaine and Radiochio every day and then their pellets (winter only) every 3 days.
Now that they live outside, they shun the romaine and opt instead for the pond plants...water hyacinths, water lettuce and just yesterday every one of my water lilies..LOL