Other Turtle Discussion :: What was your turtle doing when you saw him/her for the ...

[JimmyJam]

Mmm, First time I laid eyes on Crush is when my girlfriend picked me up from work with him in the passenger seat. He was in a 10gal aquarium, with 2 inches of gravel, and about 1.5 inches of water above the gravel that was dark brown.

I felt like calling my girlfriends co-worker and asking her "[!!!]!?!" was she thinking, but I figured whatever, I'll hook him up like he's only dreamed of. And that's exactly what I'm trying to do.

[Ankit]

i went to an aquarium shop along with my friend to see this.

the keeper showed us a small tumbler and 4 RES desperately trying to come out of it

they were kept in so poor conditions

i had no clue about RES that time.

one RES of those 4, who was smallest of all, but also seemed to be most active,

my friend asked me to take him and other one who was bit at peace

that smaller on remembers me of ROCKY BALBOA which is his second name

[shellieInIreland]

I only went into the petshop because it was new, i got Bonnie & Clyde randomly picked but i opened the box at home and Bonnie was peering at me. Clyde had his butt to me so that was the first real first sight i got of him. my poor little Clyde died so we got a new baby called Michael Collins my first sight of him was clinging for dear life to the net used to take him out. He was adorable.

[Sassamo]

I saw a posting on Freecycle just as we where getting ready too celebrate my son's 5th birthday at the park. I rambled off a quick email, something like, I have a tank and have been searching for one, bla bla ect ect. She emailed me back when I got home and then over the phone she decided too let me have her(no one else had a tank, they just wanted free turtle...) Accourding too her son she was in a 75gal, so they decided we should trade my 50 gal for the 75 so she could keep her home too. So that night, we where going too get her in the morning, I scrubbed, scraped the stickers off and shined the glass. Sanded, cleaned and repainted the stand. Then built a new mesh lid(they where going too get a snake.) I took out the rear van seat and we loaded my tank and stand. The I left hubby with kids and went too get her.
When I arrived the 1st thing I noticed was the small dirty 40 long tank in the corner with no lid and shabby looking stand. I was like no way am I taking that home. So I told them my tank was wider, so I kept my tank. After they gave me all the supplies, food and instructions they brought me Sassamo wrapped in a wet towel.
I got her out to the van and was like where do I put this heavy 6inch shelled squrimy turtle? Then I remebered my tank was still in the back of the van. I laid out the towel and Sassamo rode home that way.
The kids where excited too finally have a turtle and I'm sure Sassamo is enjoying the 50 gal. I bet she'll be estatic when I can get her a bigger home

[raverqueenage]

Well, with Hurley, I seen an ad on craigslist offering a free 3yr old turtle. We had always discussed having one and did some research and all.

Well, I emailed her and I think the next day she brought him over to our place, I saw how freakin HUGE he was and got VERY excited to have such a big boy. Put him in his new much bigger tank then he was in and he just started swimin in circles and instantly loved his bubbler.

That moment sealed it for me. He has such a great happy personality. We are lucky to have him.

[yan4ik]

My babies were in the aquarium store and me and my bf were shopping for his salt water tank. I saw the tank with turtles and that was it. I wouldn't leave them alone. He said "Wait till ur b-day". But like...I couldn't wait. My babies were basking on top of each other and the guy who was helping us took them both for me and put then in a little plastic box with a bit of water and holes! I was so worried that they weren't okay in there and couldn't wait to take them to their new home! When I brought them they were a total surprise to my parents. Soon enough it was our new thing - showing off the turtles to anyone who walks into our house! ))
Now 3 months later their home have been progressing as I did more and more research. Yay!!!

I <3 Turtles

[Arisu]

My husband had brought him inside from the back yard where he had hidden under some leaves. He (Spot, not my husband) was probably trying to hibernate.

Haha. Hahahaha... that definitely made me laugh. Just what I needed before school

But mmm, Big Turtle and Little Turtle were brought to me from LA by a boyfriend at the time. Now I have turtles and no boyfriend, just the way I like it

[bradmeisel]

I was at the San Genaro festival in little italy in NYC. My GF said, "Look that woman is selling turtles. I said, "Don't get them!!". She didn't listen to me and spent $15 on both turtles and the tank and food.

Now, more than a year later and $1000 spent by me, Chimpy and Chompy have turned into my adopted children.

When we first saw them, They were in a few gallons of water with about 30 or more other little ones. I didn't know anything about turtle care then.

We picked the two turtles who seemed to be most active (although I am surprised how healthy all those turtles looked in the bucket). I always hoped they would be friends for life but it didn't turn out that way.

At first they would swim incessantly towards the side of the plastic container. But after a while they calmed down.

The woman who sold us them said they would be fine in this little plastic tank that hold about 1/2 gallon of water with no light, filter or anything. I fed them only shrimp and blood worms.

It amazes me the amount of misinformation there is out there, especially coming from pet stores.

Thank goodness I found this site and thank you to all the very knowledgable members who contribute to it.

[Amana]

When I first saw my turtle, her past owners brought her to my house in a big toy box. I tried to touch her and she quickly went inside her shell (Thats when I decided to name her Peekaboo) ...poor thing was so terrrified of being in the box for so long.
Now, Peekaboo comes to me when I call her and lets me pet her nose, head, and neck...I also give kiss her nose to nose..its so cute..She's not shyat all

[theartbook35]

I wasn't the one who bought my turtles and took them home, but my stepfather got them from a flea market. He bought four, two for my stepbrothers and two for me, my mother and him.

The ones for his sons were in really good condition, one was getting ready to shed one of its scutes. According to my youngest brother they are doing really good.

The turtles I keep were just about two inches when we got them. They were fairly healthy but not very strong (Odd for a turtle), well socialized and their shells were very bright. I am sure the guy who was selling them (He also breeds them) had them under UVB light. We had them in one of those plastic viewing containers which are NOT by any means whatsoever suitable for RES. A week later, after I was so freaking sick of changing the water everyday and watching them run scared every time they saw us, me and my father went out and got a new temporary set-up. Now they are happy and healthy, just had a tank upgrade today.

I was a little perturbed that we got a reptile without knowing enough to care for it. This was based on the thought "we all like turtles so we should get some". If it had been up to me I would've hit the books/caresheets first. He had gotten those gammarus pellets that they only nibbled on, and then lost it so he had to go out and buy new food. He got that Reptomin stuff, which is much better as a staple. We did find the gammarus a month later, and I use it as a treat.

[Honu23]

Well, I haven't adopted him yet, but the 4" male turtle currently known as "Bo-bo" came to my house about a month ago, along with 6" "Boo-boo," after my friend's new Landlord freaked out finding Boo-boo under the refrigerator.

My friend was staying with me between places. Then she got a room, moved all of her stuff into the new room, but couldn't move in to the new place yet, so was still with me. Turned out her "stuff" included two turtles -- nearly forgotten in a cardboard box for almost a month with no food or water. Boo-boo, an industrious 6" male, escaped. So when I first laid eyes on them, Owner was transferring them from a pet store small-pet carrying box into my bathroom sink, which they were trying to escape by swimming through the sides.

Then they lived in a Rubbermaid bin in my kitchen for a few weeks with 3" of water and no place to bask. Oh, still no food. I fed the big one strawberries, but the little one wouldn't eat them, and owner kept saying she'd bring over their food. Finally I went to the pet store, inquired about turtle food, and have been feeding them Repto-Min sticks since.

Somehow I KNEW this was not a good set-up, and the critters were growing on me, especially the little one. So I came here, read all of the basic care instructions on this site. Since then I've been in a pickle. Eventually she did get their other "home" to me - it's a similar plastic bin, but with a ramp and basking area built in. I leave a light bulb over it during the day - they sit there for HOURS. No filter. No UVB light. No heat - the water is 70 degrees all the time. The swimming area in this bin is not much wider than the large turtle. There is definitely some aggression going on between them too. But, for now, if I separate them, one has no basking area.

The trouble is, they are still technically Owner's - and she insists they shouldn't eat vegetables, don't need heat, are fine in any kind of water, etc. Every week she spends at least one night at my house and cleans the tank, but yesterday I went ahead and cleaned it myself. She would rather keep them (or at least one of them) if her situation stabilizes, and since I initially indicated I would keep them for her until I move cross-country at the end of June, I'm a bit stuck. In indicated my interest in adopting the smaller one, but we have no-one to take the larger one if Owner's living/financial situation does not improve. Obviously they've grown on me, and I am looking forward to the day when "Bo-Bo" will have a new name and a new home with me!

Sorry so long. But this weighs on me sometimes. I have dreamt turtles.

[theartbook35]

Well, I haven't adopted him yet, but the 4" male turtle currently known as "Bo-bo" came to my house about a month ago, along with 6" "Boo-boo," after my friend's new Landlord freaked out finding Boo-boo under the refrigerator.

My friend was staying with me between places. Then she got a room, moved all of her stuff into the new room, but couldn't move in to the new place yet, so was still with me. Turned out her "stuff" included two turtles -- nearly forgotten in a cardboard box for almost a month with no food or water. Boo-boo, an industrious 6" male, escaped. So when I first laid eyes on them, Owner was transferring them from a pet store small-pet carrying box into my bathroom sink, which they were trying to escape by swimming through the sides.

Then they lived in a Rubbermaid bin in my kitchen for a few weeks with 3" of water and no place to bask. Oh, still no food. I fed the big one strawberries, but the little one wouldn't eat them, and owner kept saying she'd bring over their food. Finally I went to the pet store, inquired about turtle food, and have been feeding them Repto-Min sticks since.

Somehow I KNEW this was not a good set-up, and the critters were growing on me, especially the little one. So I came here, read all of the basic care instructions on this site. Since then I've been in a pickle. Eventually she did get their other "home" to me - it's a similar plastic bin, but with a ramp and basking area built in. I leave a light bulb over it during the day - they sit there for HOURS. No filter. No UVB light. No heat - the water is 70 degrees all the time. The swimming area in this bin is not much wider than the large turtle. There is definitely some aggression going on between them too. But, for now, if I separate them, one has no basking area.

The trouble is, they are still technically Owner's - and she insists they shouldn't eat vegetables, don't need heat, are fine in any kind of water, etc. Every week she spends at least one night at my house and cleans the tank, but yesterday I went ahead and cleaned it myself. She would rather keep them (or at least one of them) if her situation stabilizes, and since I initially indicated I would keep them for her until I move cross-country at the end of June, I'm a bit stuck. In indicated my interest in adopting the smaller one, but we have no-one to take the larger one if Owner's living/financial situation does not improve. Obviously they've grown on me, and I am looking forward to the day when "Bo-Bo" will have a new name and a new home with me!

Sorry so long. But this weighs on me sometimes. I have dreamt turtles.

That's amazing.

They need a heat lamp, especially at their size and age. I personally hate heat lamps with a passion, but use them anyways. I just don't like having to adjust everything and worrying about the tank being too hot or too cold. I guess once you get accustomed to caring for reptiles, it should become a second nature.

They need the UVB lighting and they need vegetables in their diet. You keep offering it to them and they'll take it eventually. What I did to get my turtles used to lettuce was I put in a couple pellets for each turtle, to get them in an eating mood, then put in a small piece of lettuce. This has become very routine now and they really love it.

I hope everything works out well, and that your friend's living situation becomes more suitable to care for these guys. If not, then you've got some new friends.

Oh, and by the way, I have a friend who loves reptiles a lot, and knows a lot of places where one can look for homes for various reptiles if you really have to give the larger turtle up. I'd be happy to mention this to her, if you like.

[Honu23]

Thank you theartbook35!

[b]HAPPY UPDATE: Owner has found a new home for the larger turtle, and has agreed to let me adopt the smaller one for sure! She acknowledge in a sort of sideways way, in front of other friends last night, that I'm taking better care of him.

They will be separated this weekend, which is a good thing because the harassment is ongoing. By then we will have a basking area for the regular Rubbermaid, which will be my turtle's temporary home. Meanwhile, I am already sneaking them vegetables (leafy dark green broccoli-rabe). So far only Boo-Boo eats them, but I'll keep at it, and will buy a UVB light. That seems like the most urgent need. I'll call it my "turtle light."

Next upgrade will be July, when I move to Oklahoma: a tank, a filter, and a heater set-up, and some aquatic plants, and river rocks or sand -- no gravel!- see, I read the site! As a not-at-all-mechanical gal, I will have a bunch more questions then. Like, "who knows a good reptile store in OKC???"

[theartbook35]

Thank you theartbook35!

[b]HAPPY UPDATE: Owner has found a new home for the larger turtle, and has agreed to let me adopt the smaller one for sure! She acknowledge in a sort of sideways way, in front of other friends last night, that I'm taking better care of him.

They will be separated this weekend, which is a good thing because the harassment is ongoing. By then we will have a basking area for the regular Rubbermaid, which will be my turtle's temporary home. Meanwhile, I am already sneaking them vegetables (leafy dark green broccoli-rabe). So far only Boo-Boo eats them, but I'll keep at it, and will buy a UVB light. That seems like the most urgent need. I'll call it my "turtle light."

Next upgrade will be July, when I move to Oklahoma: a tank, a filter, and a heater set-up, and some aquatic plants, and river rocks or sand -- no gravel!- see, I read the site! As a not-at-all-mechanical gal, I will have a bunch more questions then. Like, "who knows a good reptile store in OKC???"

You're welcome! I'm glad that the older turtle is finding a new home where it'll be happy. The little guy sounds like its gonna love you a lot ^___^

Okay, here is a nice, cheap website for quick turtle supplies: http://www.petdiscounters.com

I've bought from them, and the UV light works great. They have a big variety of bulbs, in many colors, kinds and shapes. Don't get the infared heat emitters, because the red light will keep them awake for a while. I'm getting a ceramic emitter instead, very soon.

Yes, they LOVE plants. I bought a vine, a couple of weeks ago, that they hide under and climb on like crazy. I sort of have it floating on the water's surface and wrapped around their basking spot. I got a couple of bottom plants too, and love climbing on them and pushing them around or knocking them over. I'm going to get suction cups to keep them in one place... Right now they are anchored with marbles :\

[TurtleKeeper48]

There are two of them. They were "hibernating" under some sort of shredded wood snake bedding for about a month or so (longer before we got them) and did not want to be disturbed. If you dug one up, it would re-burry itsself. I couldn't even get a good enought look at them to know they were RES. I didn't know what they were, or how they should be living, but I knew it wasn't right... they are much happier now.