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Is it bad to have clear sides to a turtle's tank? I ask because I notice that my baby turtle keeps trying to swim or crawl through the sides of the tank. Will he eventually figure out that even though he can see through the glass walls, he can't pass through them? I don't want to torture the little guy. Should I do anything, like tape black paper around the sides or something?

I put some stickers on one side of my turtle's tank to help him understand that there was a wall there, sort of like the stickers you put on a window to keep birds from crashing into it.

I don't have anything there. They both crash into it sometimes but just keep doing it. It is not a frequent thing, however.

Most people call this begging, where they're trying to get you to feed them.

Nah, when my turtles beg they go to the top and hit their "feet" against the top of the water. Swimming into the glass is just that...usually near the bottom of the tank.

When the turtle is young or a new addition, it'll be helpful to cover the sides. I like to have the sides and back covered and they tend to ignore it.

My baby gets what I call Giddy when I come into the room he comes up to the glass in front and goes crazy. I have a video of it in my myspace. Here is the link, maybe yours is doing the samething. And he only does it when you come up to him, he knows I am a sucker for my pets and give treats.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... 2025410322

(By they way my tank set up for Cheerios is different now and the water is deeper)

i began to cover the sides with a towel..

That's a cute video, Alexis!

Thanks for sharing that video

my turtles do that to.They just can't get it throuugh his thick head that no matter how hard he begs he is not getting food

haha nice video mine does somethin like that. but he's a little big to move that fast.

mine do the same all the time!
but when i feed them they stop

heehee that video was adorable.

i aim to get a small placard custom made that says WARNING: Will Beg For Food. i know better but i've fallen prey a few times haha.

i have a bg on my tank, it's a plant background. sometimes (usually when i've annoyed them, like during measurement time) they'll try to swim in the plants that are on the background. it takes them a moment to realise that it is a picture, then they'll stop and look at me like they're embarrassed haha then swim to one of the pots or silk plants.

i don't know why they do that. maybe they're just trying to get to you and there's a delayed reaction in noticing that there is an obstacle there. mine stil swim up to me and occasionally hit their heads and persist in trying to pass the glass before conceding to the fact that it's impassable.

LOL poor things, I wonder how their memories work. Are they like a gold fish or do they have better memories. Maybe every day is some what of a relearning process.

A gold fish's memory is supposed to last 3 seconds. I would hope a turtle's is at least a little better than that.