General Care Discussion :: Concerned For My Old Friend

[Mnuemonix]

Okay, so I’m brand new to the forums (just registered this morning!) and I’ve been surfing around quite a bit, and reading up on a lot of stuff. And I’m a tad bit concerned for my little green pal.

If you’ve read my introduction thread (“Hello from Central Kentucky) in the introduction forums, I’ve had my turtle for about 20 years now. I got him (though he might actually be a she) and within the first month we almost killed him due to improper teaching of care. We were able to nurse him back to health, and have since had no problems what so ever with him.

But upon reading various tips of how to care for turtles, and seeing pictures of various habitats people have for their turtles, I’ve become worried I’m not caring for him properly, and the last thing I want is to be mistreating my little guy.

I don’t really know what gallon aquarium I have him in, but it’s relatively large…Not REAL large, though….I’ve always line the bottom of his tank with rocks like you would a fish tank, and I’ve read you’re no supposed to do that…He seems to like them, he digs in them, and sometimes it looks almost as if he’s playing with them.

I have a halved out log for him to climb on to bask, or sleep underneath submerged in water, whichever he prefers…The tank isn’t really too wide and only leaves a bit of space on either side for him to crawl by, which he has to do work a bit for to get by…

I haven’t ever purchased nor had any kind of artificial light for him to bask with…He’s always been near a window (not in front of) to where the sunlight can peak through and hit his little home...So that’s another one of the many things which has me concerned.

His water has never been deep…The deepest his water has ever been has been only about a couple inches above his head…And of course I’ve read that you want your turtle’s water as deep as possible without being able to pop out of the tank…I’d be all for increasing his depth, and purchasing a new basking area, but I’m afraid I’ve conditioned him to where if the water got too deep he might drown, and I REALLY don’t want that to happen…I’m afraid of having him live in shallow water for 20 years, he might not know how to handle himself in deeper water anymore….I do have a water filter, and I change it bi-weekly and I also do a full water change every I change the filter, at which point I let the little guy crawl around the apartment for exercise….And most recently with my newest filters, they seem to be staining the sides of the aquarium with I don’t know what, but it doesn’t come off easily, if at all.

And last but not least is his diet. Which it seems I’ve done partially right at least. I feed him Repto-Min floating food sticks all year round…Less in the winter as he seems to hibernate…So I only feed him every four or five days during the winter, and in the spring and summer I’ll treat him with gold fish….I’ve never given him lettuce or any kind fruit, and I’m concerned for his calcium levels, as I really don’t want him to contract soft shell…

But at the same time, he’s never displayed any kind of health or behavior problems…He’s always perky (even during the winter), and only sheds about once or twice a year, and his shell has always seemed hard.

Any and all feedback is most welcome, and if it helps, I can post pictures of his set up later tonight (at the moment I’m at work).

[steve]

RES are very hardy creatures, which is why they are considered to be very invasive. If your turtle is a RES and around 10-12", then it is a "she". You can figure out your tank size in gallons by calculating the length X width X height (all in inches) and then divide by 231.

Substrate in the tank is good, they do like to dig around. If you used river rocks - ones that are larger than her head, she would still dig through them. For swimming, you can gradually raise her water levels (under supervision) and let her adjust. Pellets can contain calcium and vitamin D3, which are necessary. I think you've been fortunate that things appear to have been going on well.

If your filter is splashing a lot, it could be causing a mildew or algae growth on the side of the tank. Vinegar or hot water should work well if that is the case. It could also be mineral/salt deposits which would require more elbow grease to clean.

If the turtle is healthy, then you can gradually introduce these changes and improvements.

[hannah.26]

you must be doing something right for him/her to live so long! def post some pictures...

[missibsu]

Do you have a water heater for your turt? I was concerned about the reference to hibernation in the winter. A lot of people here have a hard time bringing turts out of hibernation, and it isn't usually risked. I just thought maybe the reason your turt appeared to do this was because the water temp was too low, or not maintained.

[TNTurtles]

When my water is low it splashes up on the side and leaves this white stuff on the side of the tank. Every time i clean it, i just use a razor blade and scrape that side of the tank. Very easy, takes 1 min to do...you might want to try it.

[Mnuemonix]

No, I've never owned a heater for the tank, but I've also never had any trouble getting him to come out of hibernation...He seems to know when it's almost winter, and then when winter is over....It's very odd for being a strictly indoor turtle.

And yeah, I get the white build up on the walls with the filter. I'll give a shot with the cleaning tips. Thanks everybody .

P.S. I did take some pictures of him tonight, and I'm trying to get them posted in the photo gallery (first time using Photo Bucket).

[missibsu]

I don't post pictures well either. I post mine on my yahoo profile/photos page and then provide a link...if that is something that works easier.

In reference to the heater. It might be something that you want to consider since you are looking at making a few changes. A heater isn't for the sole purpose of heating the water, but maintaining the temp. It will help prevent your turtle from getting sick. Some of the better heaters, like the visi-therm stealth's have built in thermometers, and you set the temp where you want it and leave it. I've never had to mess with mine since setting it. They are great!

[reptilegrrl]

It sounds like you care for your turtle, but his living conditions are not very good. He is 20 years old- it's not too late to let him live the rest of his life in a proper habitat with room to swim and enjoy himself! The information on this site is good and I agree with those upthread who said you can gradually introduce changes to give him a better life. A larger tank and proper lighting are a great place to start. What does your turtle's shell look like?

Your turtle is not hibernating. If he is awake and aware and eats, he is just going into a semi-dormant stage. When turtles hibernate, they dig down into mud at the bottom of their ponds and stay there all winter! A swmi-dormant stage has its dangers- digestion is slowed, but if they are still eating then food can rot in their stomachs. They are also susceptible to vitamin deficiencies and respiratory problems when they go semi-dormant. Giving your turtle proper heat will prevent this from happening.

Good luck and welcome to the site. I think it's great that you want to do right by your turtle, and you have come to the right place!