General Care Discussion :: Crazy Turtle for a crazy owner

[danihibiki]

First off, I want you all to know that, since my husband and I aren't having kids right now, I refer to my turtle as my baby and my son.

When we first got him, we both has set scheduals. He was a hatchling, and this was last October. We lived just outside of LA. Saturday we let him dive into the pool outside and we'd clean the tank. Then, after putting everything back in, we'd let him run around the room a bit, then set him back in the tank.

Christmas-time we moved to the Seattle area. My husband and I no longer had regular jobs. I am home alone a lot while he works 6-10 hours a day. My sister is home right now, but sick, and my mom is at work. We all live together.

Sometimes I can hear or see him digging into the rocks at the bottom of his tank. He spends most of his time under his island, pacing back and forth, or just cilling under the side where the vines hang.

I really want to take care of him well. With our scheduals though, it's hard to keep the tank clean. And with everyone helping, though well ment, sometimes two of us will feed him in the morning.

I move in September and my sister is taking the turtle. She'll have to do it by herself. I am convinced he thinks he's human.

Anyone help.....

[xsavingsaturdayx]

First thing first. Do you have all the basics down? UVB/UVA lights, filter, water heater? If so, GOOD JOB!

How big is your tank and what kind of filter do you have? Small tanks get dirty faster and are harder to clean. Big tanks, lets say over 50 gallons..are easier and you have to clean less, perhaps a bigger tank and a good filter like the XP3 would be a good option for you . If your sister can afford unexpected vet visits and all your turtles needs, then good..if not..you might want to find someone else. Anyways, welcome to the forum! My names eddie,

[danihibiki]

I think so, I have two heaters set to keep the water warm, but not hot. I have the two lamps, a bigish filter, and a bubblestone (he loves that thing).

It's a 30 gallon tank, fortunatly he's the only one in it. I know my sister will do fine. If she can't afford it, I know my mom will help with that end.

I wonder if he's bored, he is in that room alone a lot during the day, but when people are in there, he stays under his island.

tnx for the welcome!

[Hoooneylynn]

Putting your turt in the pool is not a good idea at all.

[danihibiki]

we never used it, but thanks for the warning. we don't have one here, so it's been a while

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Yeah, i misread the pool part. Jessica is right. All those chemicals in the pool arent that good for your turtle. But dont worry, i know you probably didnt know any better. But now you do, so avoid the pool from now on

Anyways, what is the water temperature? For a turtle under 4 inches the water should be kept around 78 - 80 degrees. For a turtle over 4 inches the water should be kept at 75 degrees. Do you have a UVB light?

[danihibiki]

yah, got the UVB light. The water is usually kept in the mid-70s.

Where do you find a good thermometer to make sure? The one I have doesn't work so well.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

You can buy a digital thermometer (around 6$) at any pet store. Look in the fish section of the store.

[danihibiki]

The ones that stick on the side? That's the one I have. Doni burried it. I guess I can get another one, thanks.

[adam85491]

They sit on the outside of the tank...

[danihibiki]

-_-0 well, I'm off to the pet store for a thermometer and some water conditioner. Many this will make him less cranky.

[SpotsMama]

To stop the multiple feedings, why don't you get one of the pill containers that people use, one with 7 little sections for the days of the week. On Saturday put a day's ration of pellets in each section and keep the container by the turtle tank. That way someone will know if the turtle has already had his/her day's rations.

Does your turtle have a cuttlebone to chew on? There should always be one (or pieces of one) in the tank for calcium.

[danihibiki]

He does have a bone, but he hates it. He won't touch it until it's underwater, and even then, not very often. He likes to eat the little turtle-shapped conditioners though (and gets mad when I take it away)

Pill container is a great idea!

[industrial_girl_2000]

He does have a bone, but he hates it. He won't touch it until it's underwater, and even then, not very often. He likes to eat the little turtle-shapped conditioners though (and gets mad when I take it away)

Boy, does THAT sound familiar......my turtle is the same way. She hates cuttle, but will literally eat an *entire* turtle water-conditioning block in one day.

In terms of keeping the water more clean, agree for ONE person to feed him & feed him in a separate container of water. All those food bits can wreak havoc with water quality. Also, do you have gravel at the bottom of the tank? If so, remove it. Not only does it mucky-up the water really fast by trapping food & waste, but your turtle will also eat it which can be deadly if a rock gets stuck in the intestine.

Good luck!

[steve]

I'd stop using those white turtle shaped blocks too, they cause more problems than they're worth.