All Turtles Message Board

crushsmama · Guest Joined: 26 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

i got a RES from the pet store today for my son and hubby and we got him a 35 gallon tank but its deep he seems to like it and we got him a floating dock and some pellets and fish's also the pet store lady took me i would be fine with just the light that goes on a fish tank and the over the edge filter and fish tank heat as long as i made sure that i didnt fill it all the way up so he could blask if he wants he doing doing that right now. and my water is very cloudy and looks kind of greenish also how do i know how old he is. we firgued out that he was a he and name him crush. but just dont know how old he is. also what kind of fruits should i give him and what veggies and meats and etc. we what to make this little guy as happy as we can but just need some help getting started so glad we found this site. i know i'll be on here alot lol.
also is it good to let him old of the water for a little while at night when my sons asleep that way he can run we did it tonight and he seemed like he loved it. thank you all so much
i'm also trying to get him a 20 long tank but we kind of what him to stay in the deep one. he's 4 inches long
and already a happy little guy!!

Wink

ryanandsuzyro · Level 3 Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 207

MinisMommy · Level 3 Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 103

Did you buy the 35 gal tank at the pet store or is it something you already had laying around the house? If you bought it at the pet store I would take it back and tell them you were mis informed... they recomend 10 gal per in of the turtle... at the absolutel SMALLEST your turtle needs to be in a 40 gal tank... but I would recomend going to about 75 gal to accomidate the growth of the turtle.

sue · Level 1 Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 7

Your turtle will need specialized lighting and a much larger tank. I would recommend 100 gallons. Also I would recommend a canister filter that fits under the tank in the cabinet. You can start with one, but when the turtle gets bigger, as big as a dinner plate, you will probably need another one. Turtles are very messy and getting a filter system that is larger than what is called for the size of tank you have is important. Also equipment that is made for turtles, filters ect.., tend to not be as good as equipment for fish. I do not know why, but this has been my experiance. I have a Magnium 350 that I have had for about five years and am very happy with it. It comes with a gravel cleaner that makes cleaning the tank muchc easier. It is for tanks up tp 100 gallons. I will need to buy more filtration soon as my female RES is getting big. RES can be picky, but once your turtle gets comfortable in his new home you should offer him fresh fruits and vegtables. Anything that you eat will be fine. I like to take my RES outside in the backyard when I am going to be there to watch her. She likes being outside although you cannot let your turtle outside for at least a month once you furtilize the grass. You must always wash your hands after handling your turtle and young children should never be allowd to hold them because they can carry diseases that can make you sick. I love my turtle, but she is more a hobby than a pet. They are expensive and a lot of work to own.

GailB · Guest Joined: 03 Jul 2007 Posts: 4

The best thing you can do for your new turtle is feed him outside of the tank. I keep a designated bucket (longer rather than deep) and place the turtle in it once a week or so to feed. I used to get frozen minnows at the bait shop ( I'm not good with feeding fresh fish i.e. live ones).. I feed the turtle a combination fo trout chow, reptile pellets and raw fish (preferably with the bones for calcium). I leave the turtle in the bucket for at least an hour and then I put the turtle back in the tank. It took me about a year of living with a dirty tank to figure this out. good luck.