All Turtles Message Board

VersteckterGeist · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 8:49 pm Post subject: RES tankmates?

okay, i'm not quite sure where to post this, so please don't flame me.. Embarassed

anywho, i've read that there are stories of turtles getting extremely lonely and clawing at their own skin.

i've recently found a baby male RES, and he is completely skittish. when other people go near his tank or even walk into my bed room, he dives off of the rock, and i'm convinced he's going to give himself a coronary one of these days..

anyway, he's been in my room almost a month now.

i want to know if anyone else knows about turtles mutilating themselves because they're bored.. or lonely.

i also wanted to know if anyone knows where to get another RES. i found mine by chance.. in my swimming pool, but since it's summer and there was chloriene dumped in it.. i doubt that chance is going to happen again.

i don't want my turtle depressed.. but he seems to be bored in his tank. if i can't get another turtle to put in it, what else could i put in it? he's about the size of a silver dollar, and has a 10 gallon tank.

for christmas, i'm going to get him a 100 gallon tank... i hear female RES are.. well.. big ladies.. and i want my turtle to be happy.. even if that means i'll have to go tromping through the bayou myself to find him a ladyfriend.. lol

any suggestions?
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STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:05 pm Post subject:

I got mine at a flea market, so you might try one of those. Very Happy

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Taryn · Administrator Joined: 05 Oct 2001 Posts: 77

Maybe try putting a mirror next to the tank. It may think there is another turtle in the tank with him. It may also make the tank look bigger. Smile

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VersteckterGeist · Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 1:32 am Post subject:

VersteckterGeist · Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 1:32 am Post subject:

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:41 am Post subject:

You're welcome, I used to have a mirror on the back part of the tank enclosure, I removed it because my sister wanted it back Laughing

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VersteckterGeist · Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 3:58 pm Post subject:

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 4:31 pm Post subject:

I guess he figured out it was a fake Very Happy

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dixieee · Posted: Sun May 01, 2005 10:11 am Post subject:

lol he's already spoiled Laughing

get him some guppies for the meanwhile, he'll enjoy chasing them around..

and yeah, if u want ur turtle not to be scared when he sees anyone, handle him more and let him see different faces..my turtles are very friendly and social now bcz 8 different hands feed them, they bite on 40 different fingers, and see 4 different faces each day (at least) Surprised

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sun May 01, 2005 5:04 pm Post subject:

The only time my turtles have bitten me is when I had just handled something that reminds them of food, tuna for example, I actually wanted them to bite me to find out how hard they bite, they don't bite all that hard, I guess they bite harder if they are pissed. Laughing

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dixieee · Posted: Mon May 02, 2005 12:55 pm Post subject:

they don't bite all that hard? try it again then Laughing

it hurts,,i heard my finger muscles getting torn..well, not that much but it hurts Neutral

mrshynd1214 · Level 1 Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Oklahoma

I got my two RES at the local State Fair during the summer. I've also seen them once in a fish store, but I think the owner was personally breeding them.

Your turtles behavior sounds normal to me, they are called sliders because they slide into the water at the faintest noise or movement.

Mine were like that for about the first 6 months, but now they are just used to us. Now, they stay out of the water and bask even when we're in the room. Just put in alot of face time and Dax should get used to you, after all, you are a thousand times his size Laughing

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2 Turtles-Mork & Mindy, 1 Cat-Rumble, 1 Bearded Dragon-Pac, 2 Sugar Gliders-Rowan & Damjia, 2 Degus-Peter & MJ

mrshynd1214 · Level 1 Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Oklahoma

P.S. We recently got a store named Petco and they sale RES, only they are a few years old. They are about 6-10 inches in length. Maybe down the road you could get Dax a lady friend, it's too hard to tell males from females until they are a few years old anyways.
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2 Turtles-Mork & Mindy, 1 Cat-Rumble, 1 Bearded Dragon-Pac, 2 Sugar Gliders-Rowan & Damjia, 2 Degus-Peter & MJ

dixieee · Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 9:52 am Post subject:

by the time they are 6-10 inches i think u can tell Smile

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Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

Britny · Level 1 Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 13

Do turtles really get lonely? I want another turtle but I wasn't sure if my thirty gallon tank is big enough for two of them. If Sid is going to get lonely then I have to do something.

dixieee · Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 6:24 am Post subject:

it depends..some turtles are territorial and prefer to live alone while others feel lonely and want some company..i don't know how u can tell though

a 30-gallon can hold 2 hatchlings for a while (depending on their sizes)
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Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

Britny · Level 1 Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Posts: 13

I don't have two hatchlings. I have my RES that's about six inches in length and I didn't want to get a baby and have him be a lot smaller. So, is 30 gallons enough for another guy about his size?

dixieee · Posted: Thu May 26, 2005 6:11 pm Post subject:

oh ok..well the rule says 10 gallons/inch of shell length so,,
not many people follow it but u can estimate by looking
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Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u