All Turtles Message Board

ZeRo LiMiTz7 · Level 2 Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

i have a male RES about 3.5 inches in length and 2.5inches in width.. the size of my tank is 10 gallons and he seems to be doing fine... i kno this is not the right size for him but whats the worst that could happen if i keep him in this tank untill he is so big that he cant turn his entire body?

dixieee · Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:22 am Post subject:

shell deformities, growth problems, and eventually death in most cases. i'm not trying to scare u but it is serious and if u can't get him a bigger good-looking setup now maybe u'll want to consider a big rubbermaid until u're able to
_________________
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

ZeRo LiMiTz7 · Level 2 Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

thnx for the info ill just release it in the lake near by

dixieee · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 11:22 am Post subject:

was it wild caught from the beginning??
_________________
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

ZeRo LiMiTz7 · Level 2 Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

i bought them from a botanic store... i dunno if their wild or not but the people who sells them wouldnt tell me

dixieee · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:49 pm Post subject:

so u couldn't just release it in the wild, it doesn't know how to survive well
_________________
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

Bbasso · Level 3 Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 139

try to give them away before releasing them into the wild right before winter time.

ZeRo LiMiTz7 · Level 2 Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

those people from the botanic store couldve caught it from the wild and then sold them?

contact444 · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:23 pm Post subject:

That's true he could have been wild caught, but you don't know that for sure. They may not know how to handle themselves in the wild and might die. You should give it a little training if your absolutely stuck on the idea of releasing it. Make sure it can't hunt fish and catch them. If your only feeding it turtles pellets get it used to eating veggies. At least wait until winter is over and give him a fighting chance. If you aren't going to wait until winter is over follow the directions stray left on preparing a turlte for hibernation- bulk up on protein, lower his water temp slowly etc. Please don't just toss him to the elements he's a pet and probably won't survive.

ZeRo LiMiTz7 · Level 2 Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

when he was younger.. i use to buy live fish bait which were fat head fishes that i would put in the tank with him and he catches and eats them i dunno if he still does that since i have been feeding him pellets for like 5 months after i bought him like a dozen of those fishes...

ZeRo LiMiTz7 · Level 2 Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

and also when they hibernate usually during late fall and winter. do they actually sleep and not wake up or do they just not eat even if there is food in the tank?

dixieee · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 11:34 am Post subject:

when they hibernate yes they sleep and do nothing. but i don't think they just sleep like they normally do, i think they burry themselves under something. living in the wild is not only about fishing or getting food, there are many threats in there like birds and other bigger animals that could hurt him.
_________________
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

ZeRo LiMiTz7 · Level 2 Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

ive decided to keep him through winter until its warm again in the spring...

contact444 · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:16 pm Post subject:

...and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Laughing

Good decision!