turtles

[crankybait]

so today as I left UMDNJ (in Newark), on the bus ride home, i spotted some guy selling turtles out of a little set up he had. Impulse told me to go buy one. Then, when i got there, impulse told me to buy two... Anyhow, I am now the owner of two red-eared sliders and wondered if anybody had any experience with them. Some stuff i see on the pet sites seems a little overkill...

[1/4 stick]

I wonder if bass would strike em?

[JB]

I think WTL used to have one or so, he can tellya cranky.

[crankybait]

Oh arright, maybe I'll drop him a PM or he'll stroll by this thread... thanks

and 1/4, i don't see why a bass would ever find something like a turtle apetizing. May as well swallow a large rock.

[1/4 stick]

Originally Posted by crankybait

Oh arright, maybe I'll drop him a PM or he'll stroll by this thread... thanks

and 1/4, i don't see why a bass would ever find something like a turtle apetizing. May as well swallow a large rock.

They eat crawfish.

[Bo Dale James Jr.]

They eat goldfish!

[bamabassman]

cranky..they will eat small turtles too pal.

[1/4 stick]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

cranky..they will eat small turtles too pal.

See? Neya

hehehehe....

[crankybait]

hahaha arright, fine, but hey, mine isnt going to end up on a hook or in a bass.

[cassidyta]

I have owned several of them over the years. Like any reptile, you need to regulate their body heat. I never worried too much about the real fancy heating lamps, but you do need to give them a heat source. On food, you can get the pellets or throw some lettuce in there. Depending on how big they are, put a couple of gold fish in the water with them. You might be surprised how well a turtle can hunt a fish.
If you have any other pets, then get an aquarium with a lid. I don't know why, but both dogs and cats manage to mess with them.
When I was a single guy, I kept mine in a very small kids pool.

Make sure you clean the water on a regular basis. Turtles stink something fierce.

[1/4 stick]

Originally Posted by crankybait

hahaha arright, fine, but hey, mine isnt going to end up on a hook or in a bass.

You thought about it for a second though didn't ya?

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

I have owned several of them over the years. Like any reptile, you need to regulate their body heat. I never worried too much about the real fancy heating lamps, but you do need to give them a heat source. On food, you can get the pellets or throw some lettuce in there. Depending on how big they are, put a couple of gold fish in the water with them. You might be surprised how well a turtle can hunt a fish.
If you have any other pets, then get an aquarium with a lid. I don't know why, but both dogs and cats manage to mess with them.
When I was a single guy, I kept mine in a very small kids pool.

Make sure you clean the water on a regular basis. Turtles stink something fierce.

If you feed them lettuce, don't feed iceburg lettuce. It's all water and has nothing good at all for your turtle in it. the best rule for feeding lettuce to reptiles is, the greener it is, the better is. Romaine lettuce would be ok, but try to find something greeners.

Definately yes on the lid if you have other pets. I doubt turtles can climb, but when I kept a couple crayfish, I was told to put a lid on the tank, cause they'll climb anything they can find. I didn't believe they could climb the aerator hose... but one did. he got to the top, but luckily, I did have a lid.

Oh, and turtles do smell pretty bad, lol so keep the tank as clean as you can....

BB

[crankybait]

Alright, thanks guys, I'm going to be buying it a nice tank today. I bought some food with it, but since its rather expensive i think ill throw in some romaine lettuce every now and then. My only other pet is a parakeet, so theres not much to worry about a lid for. As for heating, what should I do until i get a lamp or something?

[BigBassin144]

As with most Diurnal reptiles (and some amphibians) you'll need a light that provides UVB light. Diurnal reptiles need UVB to properly control Vitamin D3 and calcium levels. Most commercial turtles food should have vit. D3 in them, but they don't you can buy a suppliment powder that's used to dust feeder insects. I'm sure you could mix a bit with your food. I don't about turtles, but with reptiles I've had that need this, twice a week is enough, because a D3 overdose can kill the reptile.

You'll need a special reptile light bulb that produced UVB light since normal bulbs do not. I think it's easiest to run this light on a timer 12hrs on and 12hrs off, that way,you don't have to worry about plugging and unplugging.

I don't how old the turtle is, but I've read they are omnivorous, but lean to the carnivorous side when younger and the herbivore side when older.

Here's a great care sheet I found that'll cover proper cage/water temps, feeding schedules, diet, proper lighting, etc in more depth than I can.

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Car...ear_slider.htm

BB

[crankybait]

Hey BB, thanks a lot for the info, i appreciate it. Got me some reading to do

[bamabassman]

turtles in a tank is cool i think. may get one myself one day.

[BigBassin144]

I don't know, I'm not a big turtle fan. But I eventually would love one of these.



It's an Argentine Black and White Tegu. they can get about 4' long and weight around 15lbs. They, if you care for them properly, are very social. Which is very unlike reptiles. one breeder I've found claims his are dog tame. He is a very well known breeder, and probably who I'll get mine from... eventually...

BB

[66KingFisher]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

one breeder I've found claims his are dog tame. He is a very well known breeder, and probably who I'll get mine from... eventually...BB

No offense, but thats a pretty bold claim.....i've seen first hand what a full grown Tagu and can do to a dog.....and it aint purdy.....I suppose that thru selective breeding you could come up with a dosile animal....so anythings possible.

While a Tagu can be a dosile herp on its own, it can also be very aggresive so do your homework(which is sounds like you are).......Owning herps can be alot of fun and a great experience.....With a few exceptions i've always enjoyed my encounters with reptiles.....I'm sure you will too.

Crankybait.....Aren't those little redeared sliders the same turtles that were banned from petshops selling them several years ago because they carry salmonilla??

[BASSFISHINCHRIS20]

my girlfriend has one....feed it little shrimp and turtle food and put it in a tank wityh a pump....theyre easy to maintain

[WTL]

The main thing you want is a tank thats big enough that has enough water. Don't get the bowls with the little plastic palm tree, they are nicknamed death bowls for a reason. Get a real aquarium, for starting off with 2 hatchlings at least 20 gallon long. I have a 65 gallon for a 4" and 3" and they do well. Get a filter. Aquaclear is the best value, the purists get fluval 404 canister filters but you will be fine with an aquaclear I think 500 or 350 is the number designation.

UVB light is said to be essential, but my UVB light blew out 2 years ago and the turtles are doing ok. The oldest red ear slider in captivity had a house bulb to keep him warm. That is not to imply that UVB is not important, but as to whether it is truly as essential as clean water, temperature and basking place, I think not.

[nofearengineer]

Turtles are not as UVb-dependent as other reptiles. They evolved this decreased need because they have that big ol' shell (duh). It's like having a big permanent sun umbrella. They do benefit from a heat lamp however...it helps with their digestion, as they are cold blooded.

While an Aquaclear filter would probably do the job cheaply and maybe adequately, I would recommend a Marineland filter with the Bio-wheel. Rotating Biological Contactors (RBC's, for short) are what your local water treatment plants use for sewage, and for good reason. They are the most efficient, cost-effective method for lowering ammonia and nitrtites. Turtles will put a big strain on your water-changing patience, so be ready for it. Remember to cycle those filters with a few guppies for a week or two before adding the turtles! Beneficial bacteria take a while to grow.

Oh, and you definitely want that lid for the tank. I had a spectacled caiman (see end of post...sheesh) when I was younger, and he escaped on a regular basis even WITH a lid. You don't know fear until you've blindly reached under a chest of drawers to see if your pet crocodile is under it. Noodlers got nothin' on me!!

Besides, parakeets, budgies, whatever you call them, are curious like all parrots. If that bird should happen to fly into that tank trying to get a closer view of his new housemates (it can happen, believe me), he probably won't last long enough to drown. He'll probably be eaten. Turtles can be dirty little predators. They don't act that way around us, because we're 1000 times bigger than them. They're in prey mode. When you go to work...things change.

About the Tegu...dear lord, that thing has "9-1-1 call" written all over it. Why people keep snakes and lizards will forever escape me, but that's just my personal opinion.

[BigBassin144]

WTL, while it is probably not competely essential for the turtles to live, but problems can arise from not being able to properly control calcium levels.

I only know what I've read since I've never owned a Diurnal reptile, and nocturnal reps don't need UVB to create Vit. D3 to process calcium. right now, all I've got is a Ball Python, and they get all the vitamins and minerals they need from the mice/rats they eat.

BB

[crankybait]

Alright folks, so I went and got a 20 gallon tank today. Didn't decide on a filter there because they had pretty much nothing (none of the brands that were mentioned here... Guess an Out of Business Sale isn't the best time to buy specific things). I hear it should be half land, half water? or should I just go with all water? I'll probably be getting a heat lamp of some sort as well

[WTL]

Fill the tank up 3/4ths (just low enough so they cant climb out, and they are better climbers than you think) the way up with water and get a nice big rock for them to bask on. Make it easy for them to climb up. I have a large log and a peice of a Vatican mint manger scene with corinthian columns that my turtles climb up on. Also get one of the walmart clamp lights, they are 6 bucks, or 12 for the good ones with the ceramic insert, and about a 100 watt bulb. You want the basking spot to be around 90 degrees. They bask to bring their body temp up, they jump in the water to cool down and do their business.

Also check out austinsturtlepage. Now they are enthusiests, so they will tell you how to do it by the book, but for a couple RES hatchlings you are ok.

[Bryan]

Some very good info here already.

I suggest feeding them in a separate tank/container than their living quarters. Turtles are extremely messy and by feeding them in a separate container you will keep their home much cleaner.

Remember that the best source of UVB is natural, unfiltered sunlight. On warm days give them 30 minutes or so outside in a tub that's shaded on one side. This can be their "feeding tub" as well. UVB may not be as important to aquatic turtles as it is to some other reptiles, but it should definitely be helpful for little guys who are still developing their shell.