General Care Discussion :: Some questions

[Opus]

1)How long should I let my little 1 month old turtle bask in the sun?my friend says 1 hour or half an hour.
2)Should I put some small fish for him too chase?
3)How do I pick a healthy turtle from a pet shop?

[Tenodera]

1. Around 1 -3 hours should be ok. But make sure he doesn't overheat. He'll be ok in the shade.

2. If you want to, you could.

3. Do you already have a turtle or going to get another one? You shouldn't get another one since turtles are naturallly loners and sometimes don't get along with each other. If they don't get along you'll have to get another setup..which will cost a lot, etc etc. And if they DO get along you'll have to get a HUGE tank for BOTH of them.

[SpotsMama]

I'm going to echo what Tenodera said about being careful about your little turtle overheating in the sun. You really have to be very careful. In fact, I'd recommend waiting until your turtle is larger to bask him in the sun. Any kind of glass container will heat up real fast. The same with any container with water in it. You'd have to keep him confined in some way since little turtles are as fast as lightening and if Opus was loose and you turned your back on him for even a minute he'll disappear.

Are you wanting to bask him in the sun because you don't have a UVB bulb yet? A turtle will bask in his aquarium under a good UVB bulb and a heat bulb and do very well. When he's a little bigger you can take him outside in the sun and maybe even get him a wading pool for pretty days.

[urbancleopatra]

you should have a basking light in ur turtle enclosure so they can bask as much as they want.
if anything use feeder fish. but they might just end up being lunch and not really a tank buddy.
um i don't really know anything about pet shop turtles. i suppose ur best shot is to find a very lively one that enjoys basking. i would probably also get some kind of warranty on the new turt stating that the shop would pay for any immediate vet visits for deworming and maybe some kind of bacterial infection or fungus that they might have picked up in those conditions. good luck!

[SpotsMama]

I also agree with Tenodera about getting another turtle at this point. Why don't you just work with little Opus for now and see how it goes. Someday, when you have a good understanding of what it takes to keep a turtle, if you want to get a second one then go ahead. It's a big committment in terms of money and space but people who really love turtles and have the means will go ahead and keep several.

[Opus]

I have two big tanks.And I want too know what's the best kind of turtle too get!opus seems fine right now.And on the internet it says that

A baby turtle who can dive underwater is a healthy/great turtle
And a baby turtle who has a hard shell is a good turtle
And the heaviest turtle is good too
And the one with the eyes opened most is the best.
And the one with no scars on legs and with no white stuff on there shell is a nice turtle.

Is this stuff true or false?And I can't find a good UVB light around my area.
And at my pet store where I got opus didn't have a lightbulb/heeter.I said too the pet store owner that,*Me*Don't you need heeters or lights for the turtles too bask in?the pet store owner says that it's summer and you don't need it!
Is this true???

[xsavingsaturdayx]

I would personally keep a UVB light in there. I mean..it might get pretty hot for you, standing 3 hours in the sun (you have to supervise him the whole time) and that cant be too good for you.

Ask the pet store owner to order a UVB light for you and to hold on to it until you come and buy it or just order online. I know some people have done that. A good UVB light is a Reptigo 5.0 compact flourescent.

And yes, turtles who have hard shells, clear eyes and etc are usually healthy but not always. Turtles are good at hiding symptoms and even if a turtle doesnt appear sick, theres a chance for everything. Not every sickness is visible.

If your water stays at a constant 76 - 80 degrees at day, and only drops a degree or two at night, then its okay to skip the heater. But if you use an air conditioner or your house stays in the high 60's and maybe low 60's etc..then you will need a heater.

P.S. dont listen to pet store employees..when you have questions, research about them on turtle message boards/sites like this one.

[Opus]

No,I tend too keep my room warm.Little wind comes in now and then you know?and the owner is a old guy probably in his 60's now.So this weekend I will get some heeter/Lights.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Be sure to check the water temperature with a thermometer. It is important to know the water temperature. What may feel warm to you may be the complete oposite for your turtle..

Remember, get a UVB light. And for a basking lamp you can use a normal household light bulb. Dont buy any bulb unless it says UVB. Everything else, is garbage.

[Opus]

Ok,so I can find a UVB bulb/light almost anywhere?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

if you can order online, go for this http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.ph ... ts_id=1817 if not, go to petsmart, they are more likely to carry UVB lights.

[Opus]

Alright thanks!And but some baby turtles at the pet shop have bendable shell edges!is that bad?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

when they are young their shells tend to be a bit softer and pliable than an older turtle, if the babys have white spots or their shells are super bendable or you are able to push your finger down on the shell and have it cave in deep, than that is bad.. if a ton of them are being kept in a small tank with a little bit of water and gravel, no UVB or heat lamp, no filter, and fed nothing but shrimp then that is bad too..

When my turtles were hatchlings I was able to softly push the edge of there shell (in other words, it was bendable, but I didnt push down on it frequently) but that all went away once they started growing and I provided a UVB light along with a good diet. They also start out lighter in color and darken as they old.

[megcornell]

Young turtles have more pliable shells than older turtles, it's normal. You sound a little unsure about turtles, which is how everyone is when they first acquire one
Why not get Opus set up and then worry about getting turtle number 2? That way any mistakes you make in set up 1 won't be duplicated in set up 2. I know when I first had my turtle, I ended up changing his habitat quite a bit, and that would be a pain (and pricey) to have to do to two setups... just my opinion.

Also, you should read the main site for tips and care facts for hatchlings... it's a good intro to turtle care
Here's the link:
http://www.redearslider.com/index_basic_care.html

If you'd like, post some pics of Opus and his set up and people will give you some guidance if you're unsure about things, it was really helpful to me to see pics of other people's set ups as well, so that I could see what worked for other turtles.

Good luck!

[xsavingsaturdayx]

I didnt read that you wanted another turtle. i'd say 'no'..having two turtles is alot of work and money, considering it's your first time owning a turtle, one turtle is the way to go for now.