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Hi, this is my first post because I have just adopted an RES from my sister and I have a question:

This thing insists on swimming against the glass all day! It's been doing the same thing in my sisters tank since she got it around 2 years ago. the other RES she had just hung out and swam normally around the tank... Does he just want out? He is healthy and in a 20 gallon with plenty of space to swim.

Greetings and welcome to the forum!

Your turtle is probably trying to get your attention so you'll feed him. Does he mostly do it when you come into the room?

You mentioned your sister had another turtle. What happened to him? Does she still have him?

Tell us a little about your turtle and his setup. I gather he's at least two years old. How big is he? What do you feed him and how often? Can you post a digital photo of your turtle and his setup? We can sometimes tell a lot more if we have more information.

Thanks!

how big is your turtle?

when it swims up to the glass, does it wave its feet really quick? it could be begging you for food.

Welcome to the forum. How big is your turtle (shell length without the curve)? Does your turtle do this whether or not your turtle knows you're present (have you observed your turtle doing this when s/he can't see you)? Perhaps your turtle is seeing his reflection in the glass and is trying to get to the "other" turtle.

What else do you have in the tank?

Hey thanks for all the quick responses guys! I'm currently at work so I'll measure him and try and get some pics up here later tonight.

My temporary answers:

How big is he? The turtle is about 5" long
What is he fed? He is fed good quality turtle pellets and vegetables once a day
Does he move his feet really fast? Yes, constantly swimming against the glass
Does he do this when you are hiding/away? Yes, he doesn't seem to care whether I am there or not.
what happened to the other turtle? Still at my sisters, soon to be together at my house in their new tank!
more info on his setup? it's a 20gallon long tank with good filtration, UVA/UVB bulbs, nice basking platform, plenty of open swimming space and rocks on the other side to rest on. (soon to be in a 55 gallon with the other turtle...Maybe he will be happier there?)

I can see if he was hungry and learned that if he does this someone will feed him but I can't see that being the case. I'm leaning more towards marisa's suggestion that he may be seeing his reflection and thinking it's another turtle. on the other hand he has been doing this for almost 2 years in 3 different tanks, maybe he is just "special" if you know what i mean.

I'm going to try and put black garbage bags covering the back and sides of the tank to see if that would make any difference to him.

Thanks again everyone! keep ya posted.

my turtles do this too, especially when im trying to sleep in late. i dont think they see a reflection because i hold my finger they glass and they jsut try to eat it. maybe this is some sort of turtle sport, handed down among turtle generations across the world. (a little far-fetched.)

I think they just want to get out and explore. Some people are happy sitting in their living room reading a book. Others are more active and like to get out and jog.

It could be one of three things.
1. Captive anxiety. AKA Repetitive motion anxiety. Could be the new surroundings, or something in the tank that's making him/her nervous (aerator, noisy filter) or the tank is too small.
2. Females that are gravid will become frantic looking for a place to lay their eggs.
3. All of the above.

It could be a sign of stress. has s/he attempted to escape? what size tank was s/he in before? ------a 55 won't be big enough. try a fish shop to find a bigger tank. i went to this place called Fish Land this weekend, found a 125 gallon w/ light fixtures and stand for $395 good quality, too. so you may be able to find a good deal at an affordable price. save you constant upgrades the sooner you go bigger.

Agreed that 55 gal won't be big enough for both turtles. Territory disputes & fighting start when you have a tank that is too small for the number of animals you have in it.

It should be 10gal/inch of turtle. So in your case, the 55 gal would be enough for the one 5 inch turtle you have. I would make sure you have an alternate plan in case they start fighting in the tank. You may have to separate them into their own tanks eventually. Just be prepared.......this advice is coming from someone who has gone thru this in the past! I had to eventually give away the 2nd turtle & now just have 1 BIG adult turtle in her 90 gal tank. She is very happy living alone now & the tank is the right size for her 9 inch long shell.

Do you have a picture backing on your tank? Before I had one, karlyn used to do it, but doesnt anymore. I think she was stressed out.. I suggest getting one, it might not help, but it will eliminate SOME reflection... also dont get a shiny one and make sure its pulled taught so there are no reflections... maybe decorate the sides of the glass with plants or something.

Ryan, are you sure your turtle is a male? If it's a female, at 5" she's probably big enough to start laying eggs, and her anxiety could be a sign she needs to get out to start laying.

airgetsthinner wrote:my turtles do this too, especially when im trying to sleep in late. i dont think they see a reflection because i hold my finger they glass and they jsut try to eat it. maybe this is some sort of turtle sport, handed down among turtle generations across the world. (a little far-fetched.)

SAME HERE. LOL
MY TURTS DO IT ALL THE TIME.
TRIES TO BITE MY FINGER WHEN I PUT IT AGAINST THE GLASS.
WHEN I TRY TO HAVE A LIE IN, ALL I HEAR IS , BLUMF, BLUMF, BLUMF......
VERRY ENOYING LOL.
IM GETTING MY TURT OUT IN A BIT, HE IS A BIT HYPER-ACTIVE TODAY.
AAAAAAW THE LITTLE CHEESE BURGER!