General Care Discussion :: Question about size

[TAHNEE]

Ok, my RES is about 2 1/2 years old. He/she is the same size as when I got him.(About 2 1/2 inches) Do you think he is this size for good?? I really hope so!

Thanks for any help

[industrial_girl_2000]

That's a bit strange. How much are you feeding him & how often? What are you feeding him? What is his environment like (size of tank, plants, feeder fish, basking area, UV lamps?)?

[TAHNEE]

Had 2 in a 29 gallon tank. The big one, about 6 in, started to eat the shell of the little one. I got rid of the big one a few weeks ago and put this one in a 10 gallon. I had him by himself in the 29 but he would not get in the water. I feed him everyday, sometimes I skip a day cause he won't eat much. He is picky too. I have all sorts of turtle food that I have bought. Pretty much, he will only eat the pellets. The basking lamp is 60 watt. Hes up there alot. I leave it on about 10 hours a day. Only 1 fake plant and no feeder fish. Think I got it all!! Thanks

[industrial_girl_2000]

What kind of basking lamp is it? Just curious because it is very important that your turtle gets UVA and UVB rays. Most lamps out there only pump out UVA rays (UVA are the ones that give off heat & help mood). UVB is important because it allows your turtle to absorb calcium which is necessary for growth.

Glad you were able to separate the two. A 29 gallon is actually good for the little one you have now. Technically they should have 10 gallons per inch of shell, so if your baby's shell is 2.5 inches, he should be in a minimum 25 gallon tank. That allows them to not feel so confined & gives them room to swim. So haul out that 29 gallon tank & fill it up! Your turtle will thank you for it. He will get used to having his own space after a while. It must feel weird for him not to have that other bigger turtle around.

What kind of basking dock do you have? Is there any gravel in the tank? If so, do your turtle a favor & remove the gravel because they will eat it & it's not good for them.

What is the temp of the water? Do you have a water heater?

[TAHNEE]

Not sure about the name but its a 7 in turtle dock. The water is 78. I have the heater thats keeps it that temp. I have no gravel. The lamp is UVA.

[marisa]

Your turtle should have a UVB light as well.

He hasn't really grown at all in the time you've had him? How much do you feed him and how often?

[TAHNEE]

I actually will feed him as much as he wants, since hes so small. He just don't eat much. He eats 2-4 pellets then stops. He may have grown a hair. If that.

[steve]

Be careful about that. Excess uneaten pellets will foul the water quicker. If his appetite changes, you can be at risk of over feeding.

What is his response to other foods? Veggies? Treats? Live prey? What kind of pellets are you using.

[TAHNEE]

I feed him out of the tank. The pellets are Flukers. I have tried all kinds of foods, even veggies, except live. The only other thing he will eat are the turtle flakes. He is VERY picky. Maybe thats the prob. Honestly, I used to get these other kind of pellets. They were red, green and brown. He would not eat the green. Never even tried them.

[marisa]

If they're the pellets I'm thinking of, the green ones where supposed to be for the shell (supply calcium). You've tried Reptomin Baby (I know he's not a hatchling, but these pellets are smaller and provide fairly good nutrition.

Some turtles are genetically smaller than their counterparts, but I don't think quite as small as yours is...

[TAHNEE]

Just wanted to show you how small he really is!! To be 3. At least we have had him for 3 years.

[squirtles mom]

I have had my res since Aug of 05 so that is about 1 1/2 years and he is already 4 1/2 inches.

This is definetly really small. He has beautiful color though.
Did you get the UVB light yet?

[DavidY]

He looks healthy and happy (well, as happy as a turtle can look ) though. Could it be that he's the "runt" of the litter? He is very cute and his color looks really nice. But it is odd for him to stay so small for such a long time. I've had a couple of "runts" with my breeding Bearded Dragons, but they still continue to grow to adult size, just a little slower and never quite as big as their siblings.

[fishandcandy]

You can take him outdoors for some sunshine if you don't want to buy a UVB bulb.
But even without that, he should be growing.

[TAHNEE]

Haven't got the UVB light yet ): We got them Aug 04. Had to get rid of the other, he was mean to this little guy. He is about 6 in I think. My sis in law has him with hers. Thanks for the tip on outside. Didn't realize that.