Turtle tank and turtles general

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Here i s close up of the topper.

>>2166100
I wish I would have the space for taking care of a Turtle. Is there any smaller species that can be kept in a 50 gallon, suitable for beginners?

>>2166111
I don't know, don't have much of an experience since the one in the picture is my first and so far only pet turtle. Trachemys grow pretty big, especially females, but there are other acquatic turtles that stay a bit smaller.

>>2166111
Musk turtles are your best bet. IIRC some species of map turtles also stay pretty small if they are male.

>>2166100
Okay tank but it's gonna get real small real fast. Also no bottom cover or underwater features? Looks really plain.

>>2166117
Would recommend map turtles as this guy says. Some species stay small and they all have pretty nice colors/markings. Musk turtles are pretty whack IMO. Yes they are smallish but they tend to be drab and uninteresting. They are more chill on the bottom types than swimming types

>>2166111
Southern Painted turtles also stay really small

>>2166100
I like it but WHY DEAD TURTLE?
And you need more underwater decorations, unless cleaning them would suck.

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>>2166240
Wtf? The turtle is perfectly fine!
I didn't put bottom cover and underwater features because they are annoying when it's time to suck out the dirt from the bottom. I tried putting a few real plants, but the turtle already destroyed the floating one, and I don't want to risk with fake plants because he might likely try to eat them too. I could add some more rocks or woods tho.

>>2166280
THE DEAD TURTLE
IN THE TANK
WHY

>>2166289
You mean the white thing on the bottom? It's made of plastic, it's for decoration.

>>2166240
>>2166280
>>2166289
>>2166292
i dont know why i laughed so hard at this

>>2166739
Op here, in need of an advice.
The turtle not only devoured the floating plant, but also the anubias and I can assume the microsorum will have the same end soon.
Should I give up on the idea of having real plants in tha tank or is there any plant that the turtle could possibly leave alone? Some plant whose flavour is not appreciated by the turtle maybe? And of course a plant that don't need a soil to live.

>>2166752
Microsorum is supposedly among the foulest tasting aquarium plants. You could also try moss or a marimo ball, since they're pretty tough.

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>>2166769
Up until this morning Microsorum was the only one he hadn't eaten yet, he only ripped some leafs with his nails while swimming. If I see it is not eaten I could add some more of it, and I could give the moss a try.
I just hope the guy won't feel sick now that he has eaten all that stuff. Pic related, it's the fat fucker.

>>2166752
I've heard Sword plants are bitter tasting to turtles, but they need a substrate and a decent amount of light. Even then, your turtle might try to uproot it anyway.

Generally, turtles are really fucking destructive and will attempt to eat anything out of curiosity.

Mine has attempted eating my fake plants several times then leaves it alone when she can't eat it, but will still try again it it's been moved ever so slightly.

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>>2166280
>tho.

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>>2166752
You could do more emersed plants using a shower caddy or similar to hold substrate. Just use something light as the planting medium so it doesn't slide down into the tank.

>>2167125
He could plant it in a pot in the tank.

>>2167304
Those are good ideas, even though I have two and a half sides of the tank occupied by the tubes and the topper. Topper which my motherfucking turtle still refuses to use as basking area. I transferred him in this tank 4 days ago, he is perfectly capable to climb the ramp, he just does not want to. Could it be that he is disoriented by the new habitat? Or maybe he prefers to stay in the water since outside there are 40° celsius?

>>2167374
sounds like he's still getting used to it.
When I moved my RES into a new larger tank, she refused to bask on her platform for like a week, which is the same platform she had in her old cramped tank and even in the same position.
After the novelty of a new surrounding wears off, he'll go back to basking on it once he figures out what it is and that it's dry up there.

Otherwise, you can try a way to at least make that area a few degrees cooler if it's getting way too hot

>>2166100
How did you make that OP? My brother has 2 RES in a 50 g but they don't get along and have to be separated. Maybe this would give them both some more room

Has anyone ever had an success in having a turtle coexist with fish? I've seen videos of it but always questioned how long it lasted.

I myself have tried with a few fish before with my adult female slider. I tried 2 feeder goldfish but they lasted a week. Then tried +20 feeder guppies another time and their population plummeted within 10 days (though one gave birth before it got eaten but only 1 fry remained and is still there) Currently have a school of 10 gold zebra danios and so far it's been over two weeks without any casualties

>>2167649
Yesterday I caught him climbing the ramp. He stayed up within the room for a little while, and yesterday was the first day of a break from this hellish hot temperatures we've had.

>>2167661
Are you referring to the topper?

>>2167838
This is the exact same thing I was wondering about. That's also why I was hoping that the turtle would leave the plants alone, because an empty tank offers no places for the fishes to hide when the turtle chases them. I wanted to put fishes in my tank too, but considering how the turtle already destroyed the few plants I put, I am pretty sure he would eat them fast.
I am no expert on aquariums' habitats so if anyone has any advice regarding this topic it would be very appreciated..

Bump. So nobody successfully keeps fishes with turtles here?

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>>2166100
First time ever on this board so HELLO!

I've been thinking heavily of purchasing a turtle and I feel like it would be a great idea. I have a 50gallon tank sourced out.. But, what do you guys recommend for the lights and the filter? The only filters I'm seeing at my petsmart have the shittiest reviews for the most jewish of prices.

Thanks for the help!! Also any tips for a first time turtle owner?

>>2169891
Hi. First of all, the one in your picture is not a turtle but a tartoise.
However, for the filter I myself bought it online, where you can easily choose the most convenient for you. For the lights, you must provide a UVB bulb for the correct basking and a spot bulb to warm the basking area. You must provide the basking area itself, it can be a turtle dock or a bank or a pier or a topper (google it, you can buy that too from an online seller), or you can make one yourself.
As you can see in the pictures I posted above, I made my turtle topper with plexiglass. I ordered the plates with the measures I needed from a site, where I also bought the joints that are made of plexiglass too. I attached the ramp to the floor of the topper with screws, I glued some synthetic grass on these to make sure that the turtle had some grip to climb on it, then glued some decorative poster to the walls of the topper, and finally I put together all the plates with the plexiglass joints.
It took a little effort but I am pretty satisfied with the result because a topper does not occupy space in the tank and leaves more for the turtle to swim in. Turtles are great swimmers so the more water, the better (in fact, the ideal situation for them would be a pond). 50 gallon tank is ok for a turtle, you can set a good habitat with it. Regarding the filter, remember it must be with a filtery capacity minimum twice the size of your tank, because turtle make the water more dirty and faster compared to fishes.
For any other question, keep the thread alive bumping.

>>2166100
that is awesome anon.

>>2169891
I had a turtle like that one, he had a lot of energy when I popped him in the tank for the first hour then he just fell asleep. I'm not sure how long turtles are supposed to hibernate but this one sat there for a few weeks before my parents sent him off to a turtle farm.

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>>2169939
Thank you. My first idea was to buy pic related, but I found out it doesn't fit my tank, so I was going to buy a turtle dock. But I really really liked the idea of a topper so I ended making it myself with the help of my dad for the assembly part.

>>2169891
Definitely research the kind of turtle species you'd want to keep, as some can grow larger than need for a 50 gallon. A female RES for example, will grow fuck huge and with the rule of 10 gallon per inch of shell, you're gonna end up having to get larger enclosures. While you can get away with them in smaller tank, you'd ultimately want a decent size still (My 8" female RES lives in a 90g and it's all I can have for now)

For filters you have several options, some pet stores can have decent filters, albiet expensive than getting it online. (I have two filters, one of which is a Hydor Professional from a PetCo. I could have found it nearly 50% cheaper online but either way, it's pretty good filter) The second filter I have is an Aquatop CF500, which is great as it's larger, and has UV sterilization along with the biological/chemical/mechanical filtration. A drawback to it though is it is a total bitch to start up (at least compared to my Hydor) but boy is it powerful.
Otherwise good sources for filters would either be online or snagging a used one from Cragislist (I did this for the 2nd filter) but just have to make sure it still works. Just look ones that are decent and good prices. The important thing is to have a filter much stronger than what your tank holds, as turtles are messy as shit. (at least 2x-3x stronger

Lighting, the fixtures really don't matter, you could use a desk lamp as long as it has a ceramic backing to withstand the heat. The important things is you need at least two lights: A bulb that provides heat AND a bulb that provides UVB. The UVB bulb is especially important lest you end up having shell and bone issues down the road. You can find them in any reptile section of pet stores.
Also a tip for heat lights: Unless you have one of those splashproof bulbs or such, make sure the heatlamp is a good distance away from the basking spot, as there is a chance if it's too close to water, the turtle can splash on it and make the bulb explode.

>>2169800
Not so much true success but this anon here again
>>2167838

It's now 3 weeks of the maiden voyage for the zebra danios and no casualties. At least based from what I've seen and heard about fish types, you'd either want something large but fast and possibly mildly aggressive (with the space to accommodate it) or very fast, schooling fish. So far the schooling thing I see fr myself as it depends to disorient my turtle when she tries to chase one.

Don't take my word though, just wanted to state my progress

>>2170080
Thank you anon. I was considering the idea to buy some fishes like Garra Ceylonensis or Corydoras Aeneus, but my turtle is pretty big and voracious so I've not made up my mind about it yet.

>>2167838
My 2.5" male western painted has only taken out one cory that was too small and two zebras that were potentially dying. It's only within the first week that fish were eaten. I've had 3 cories, 7 danios, and a 7" pleco for over a year now. I set up some bamboo that restricts the turtle a little bit in pursuit, and made some caves to hide in to help out. This is all in a 55gal so there is plenty of room for everyone. 6months ago I add 3 balas that are definitely way too fast for him. He definitely likes to check out what the fish are doing and chase them around. He also tries to mate with the pleco sometimes. This probably sounds like harassment but he has never nipped or scratched at him and I really think the interactions with other animals makes for a much happier turtle.

>>2170621
Interesting. Could you show us some pictures of your tank and its inhabitants?

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>>2170656

>>2170669
this was before I added the rock caves, etc. ill look for more

>>2170669
Your turtle is still that small? My hesitations about fishes is because mine in already big and basically my tank is empty, as you can see in the photos I posted above.

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>>2170675
Yeah Sal is only about 1.5yrs. My impression is that WPT are generally smaller, especially males.

Try Zebra Danio, they are quick and low risk. Get at least 6 so they can school. Also put a couple pieces of hardscape, a couple 6-8" stones stacked into a cave in the corner works fine.

Pic related was my 20gal setup. I might try to setup the wire topper again. I made it out of gutter covering.

>>2170681
I like it.
I myself have not enough patience to set something more elaborated in my tank, i.e. gravel on the bottom, planted stuff, growing grass or musk etc, because trachemys produces a lot of dirt and attempts to eat pretty much anything.

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>>2170703
I wish I had a very big garden to grow both turtles and tartoises.

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>>2170713
I have no garden at all.

>>2170719
unless he lives in an apartment?

>>2170720
I do live in an apartment.

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>>2170721
How do you keep the turtle/tortoise from escaping? Is this an open or closed garden like a courtyard

>my fantasy is to have a giant landscaped courtyard with ponds, turtles, tortoises, gardens, rabbits, and lizards but will never afford it

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>>2170731
Awwww

I love how their faces always seems like they don't give a fuck

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>>2170721
My balconies are small, look like pic related and I have cats in my apartment.

>>2171202
Is it yours? It's darn pretty.

How often do you feed your aquatic turtles?

>>2171412
I feed my adult twice daily, but in small quantities, with pellets every other feeding and veggies the rest of the time

>>2171442
you're talking about a tortoise, aren't you?

>>2166100
Do you feed it live fish?

>>2171472
Red Eared Slider

>>2171442
Op here. I feed him once a day, but not everyday (usually he eats at alternating days). Aren't turtles slow at digesting food? I usually feed him lettuce, defrosted fish and sometimes pellet. I don't want him to get fat. I never fed him live fish, unless I finally decide to put some fishes in the tank and see if the turtle will eat them or not.

>>2166111
Musk turtles
Reeves turtles
Spotted turtles
all of those can be kept in a 50 gall and maybe a male diamonback terrapin

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I have 2 Red Eared Sliders. I got my first one when my family had a crawfish boil and there was a turtle in the sack with the crawfish covered in algae. I've had him for a year and 3 months now. My second one was given by an aunt who got one on impulse and didn't know how to care for it. This is my setup in a 55 gallon tank.

>>2171928
I like it. Are you going to take a larger tank if the turtles grow bigger?

Op here. To this very day, my turtle did not eat microsorum. I guess I am going to buy more of it to enrich my tank.

>>2172689
I will most likely be getting a larger tank but idk when that will happen. I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I just hope they don't have a random growth spurt and rush the process of getting a bigger tank.

>>2172694
What plants are those in your tank?

>>2172698
Those are fake plants for decoration.

>>2173048
Do the turtles try to bite them?

>>2173461
They've never tried

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The tank I built for my Trachemys dorbigni

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>>2174090
here are them

Anyone know a cheap, easily workable material I can use to build a turtle topper?

I'm trying to build one large enough to span across my 90 gal so I can still use my screen top and giant ass light fixture for it.

I'd use plexiglass but I don't have a table saw or anything to cut it to size or cut notches for my filters

>>2174097
Wire mesh?

>>2174097
I believe wood is the cheapiest material to use but I don't know how long it would last with constant moisture (maybe it can be painted with waterproof varnish?).
If you can't cut plexiglas you can buy it already cut in the measures you need, that's how I managed to build mine >>2166103

>>2170681
For the love of God. Please get wood for your pleco

>>2174907
Mine did the same in the old tank, that's why I provided the new topper with posters on the walls. Now when he basks on it and I enter the room he can't see me and does not jump down.

>>2174907
>>2174977

Is it odd if my turtle seems to be chill with that? She never jumps off the basking platform unless someone enters the room quickly, shouts loud enough, or slams the door in front of the tank (it's in close proximity to the bathroom)

You can just approach the tank and stare at her, and all she does is stares back first, then after awhile doesn't care anymore

>>2175007
Are her eyes ok? Or maybe she just doesn't give a fuck.

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>tfw you can't have a nice big turtle tank.

>>2175184
you can make on pretty cheap
especially if you get a nice deal on a plastic pond liner, those things are fucking awesome

>>2175053
her eyes are fine, just seems like she doesn't give a shit.

>>2175184
i made a 6x7 pond for 80 dollars

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>>2175184
If cost is your problem, and you don't mind aesthetics too much, you can set a turtle tank in a plastic box like pic related.

>>2169891
LONDON
O
N
D
O
N

>>2176330
U wot m8

Bump for turtles.

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>>2178394
Post turtles?

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>>2178574
Ok

>>2174090
youre a great pet owner

>>2175184
Sometimes you can buy a tank for a dollar a gallon at petco

>>2179386
doesn't it only go up to 55g though?

>>2175556
I'd be super worried about the light falling in, but otherwise this is a great idea

>>2167940
>Are you referring to the topper
Yes

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Anyone know what the consensus of these things as a food source?

I feed these every once in a while and my turtle loves the shit out of them, though it's messy as shit.

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>>2179110
Why?

>>2179397
Does it? I'm not sure. Its still a great deal for when you have a smaller turtle.

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>>2179571
because you did all that for your pets, silly

>>2179409
light is screwed into the handles, anon.

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>>2179409
That is a possible solution, if you don't like how the light is set, you can make your own, i.e. using clips

Concerning the topper, see >>2169927

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>tfw I will never have the skills and money to build a luxury turtle enclosure

I'm thinking about getting a turtle, what would be the best to start out with?

>>2181554
Depends on whether you'd want an aquatic or a terrestrial.

For aquatics, I recommend a Southern Painted if you want a swimmer, as they are really small (especially males) and don't get fuck huge as most active swimmers and can do well in a 40-55 gallon tank.
Otherwise, Musk, Mud, and Reeves turtles are all small turtles but are not as strong swimmers (Musk and Muds stroll along the bottom as opposed to swim) and as such you can have shallower waterlines (or at least have enough things for them to climb to the surface) They can do well in much smaller tanks, like +30g
If size isn't an issue, then the common as fuck RES or any slider, mostly because they are hardy as shit and forgiving to a lot of fuck ups. (At the cost of requiring fuck huge tanks)

Plus basking turtles (Sliders, Painted, and Reeves) tend to be somewhat more chill than others but your mileage may vary

I'm don't know much about land turtles though.

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>>2166100
>>2166111
>>2167288
>>2169800
>>2169944
>>2170722
>>2171499
>>2174977
Let me check these first

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>>2181655
>mfw when I am OP
>mfw I made 4 of this dubs

>>2181655
>checks dubs
>gets dubs

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Pro tip; don't get a snapping turtle, they get huge they eat a ton, they bite real hard, and they are really messy, but here is a photo of my 7 year old snapper.

>>2182550
That's a great looking dinosaur

What's the tank size?

>>2182550
that's tiny for 7 years

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>>2182573
It's a 200 gallon tank, I use a heavy duty custom filter I built.
>>2182574
He's a good 7 inches across his shell, there isn't much in the way of scale.

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>>2182550
>>2182591
Where did you get one of those?

>>2182550
Do you have by any chance a shot of the whole tank. Cool looking turt.

>>2166100
oh

Danio anon again.

After a month and a half, the first casuality out of the school of danios happened. Either it got careless or my turtle actually felt like chasing one for once. Now just waiting to see how long the rest of the school lasts, may add more danios to replenish if the school survives a long time because they see like really quick buggers
Also the lone guppy fry is now an adult guppy, which is a pleasant surprise

>>2185514
OP here.
Waiting to collect some extra money to buy some more microsorum plants to enrich the bottom of the tank. After that, I may or may not add some fishes and try the cohabitation.

>>2183465
I got mine from a breeder at a swap meet, but I don't recommend getting one

>>2186059
Have you ever considered to return the snapper back to some pond if you find difficult to keep it?
Meanwhile, would you post some more pictures of the lake monster pl0x?

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Hello /an/ please help me identify this abandoned turtle.

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>>2186658
Upon further research I found its a tortoise.

>>2186658
sulcata

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>>2186695
Thank you very much Anon! I'll read up on this species.

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>>2186316
Releasing him isn't really an option as you never release long term captives to the wild and when I picked him up as a hatchling I knew I was in for a good 30 year + commitment. Also he's not native to my area so I don't want to be responsible for introducing any pest in my area.

>>2166131
So my? My mom has kept two red ear sliders in a 10 gallon tank for 3 years with no filter and no basking area and only changing the water once a week.

>>2186885
Your turtles are lucky not to get ill and die, those are no good conditions for them to live. Since they cannot talk or express their feelings you think they are fine, but they are not. If your mom can't afford a glass aquarium, there are cheaper options, some of them shown in this very thread. Or you could search online for seconhand aquarium+filter.

>>2186876
I understand. I am curious to see a picture of the tank he is in.

>>2185514
So I was doing some tank cleaning today and found the 10th Danio. Looks like I was wrong.

Also caught my turtle just fascinated in the algae scrubber, staring at it and bobbing her head up and down/side side side while I was cleaning.

Was the cutest shit I've ever seen her do

I was thinking of making a home for some turtles in my new apartment. It's currently in demolition and I get to decide where everything goes. There's a corner where I'm not gonna have anything and I don't want to waste space. So my idea is the leave that corner barren from the rest of the apartment, just dirt. The put a small wooden picket fence around the dirt corner, plant flowers that turtles like to eat around all the edges except 1 corner, in that corner I'm going to put 2 large turtle cave style homes. In the center I'll dig a pound and have a filter connected to it underneath, the tub will be underground and propably run outside or something. And I'll cover the dirt Wil a material so the turtles don't start digging in. I'll try to mount some sun lamps on the wall above that'll extend to the turtles water, but idk. What do you guys think? Depressions in the found next to the pond will hold food and water.

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>>2187287
This is an example of what I'm describing

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I finally filled my entire house with water and built myself a cuck shed

At least now sheldon has adequate space to swim around like a faggot

Please kill me

>>2187291
>>2187287
Sounds pretty cool. If you will proceed with this, please post your progress in the building.

>>2186931
I tried to convince her to move them into this 4 wide kiddie pool but they would get eaten at night. I may take a trip to her house at night and take the turtles and give them to someone with a pond.

>>2187934
Eaten by who? If you want to keep them indoor you can buy a cheap plastic box and a secondhand filter. Stealing them is not so kind of you.

>>2187322
U wot m8

waddup /an/
newbie here, I want an aquatic turtle that doesn't cost over 100$ and with simple maintenance. I can get a ~60g tank.
Any recommendations?

>>2190433
Sternotherus odoratus maybe?

>>2188393
My mom doesn't want them in the house. She won't move them into anything larger than the 10 gallon. She lives in the middle of the forest. Tons and tons of wildlife especially at night.

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For some reason, swimming turtles piss me off.

But I find tortoises so adorable. I think it'd be fun to have a backyard enclosure for them but I worry something might try to prey on them. Lots of shitty raccoons out here. I wonder if wire would be enough... it's also quite ugly.

>>2190433
probably a musk or a painted turtle, they stay small and the maintenance is no more different than changing some of the water reguarly and clean the filter everyone once in a while

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My little brother just got a new enclosure for his Russian tortoise.

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Any advice? I don't know shit about tortoises and I don't think my parents do either. The tortoises skin is peeling, and my parents submerge him in water daily for no more than five minutes, I have a feeling that's why his skins fucked up. He does have some calcium intake though.

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My RES 'Galapagos' turns 2 years old next month so I upgraded his tank to a 55 gallon. The basking dock is pretty shitty right now but he loves it.

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>>2179562
They're okay but you can make your own for really cheap.
Maybe consider feeding your turtle in a separate container so the tank doesn't get messy. I feed my turtle in the sink or tub when I know the food is messy.

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>have friend who's always wanted a turtle
>he ends up getting a terrapin
>from pics its tank looks small
>visit him
>it really is pretty small
>him and his gf get pregnant
>he loses his job
>they have like no money
>hear they've taken in two more terrapins as rescues that others they knew couldn't cope with or didn't want
>imagining them crammed in that tiny tank
>visit after the baby is born
>they have a new tank and its fucking huge
>3 healthy and happy looking terrapins
>nice amount of dry space
>snap away when you get near their tank because they associte it with feeding

Was so happy when i visited and saw the tank and terrapins i sort of forgot his fiance had given birth only hours earlier.

Pic related, he sent me a picture of his son in front of the tank in the tmnt onesie i bought him.

>>2191868
Good to know when people actively care about them. I have a neighbor who has two 4" RES in a 1/2 filled 30 gallon and a friend's gf has two 5" in a divided 55g that's only 1/4 filled, both with severely underpowered filters and one of those sets don't even have a basking light.

I'd rescue them but I barely have room for my one 8" female by herself in a 90 gal

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>>2190438
>lives in the middle of a forest
>does not set a little pond outside with wire on the top to protect turtles from predator

>>2186710
>>2186658
Is it me, or is his/her shell seriously fucked up due to long term malnutrition?

You did good anon, I hope you and your new friend live long happy lives.

>>2186876
The expression on his face in this pic is absolutely priceless.

>i'm sorry dad, i didn't mean to snip you with my snipper snapper. i thought your hand was a fish. it won't happen again, promise.

>>2191353
Is that HAY they're feeding him? The fuck? Get the poor tortoise some fresh vegetables!

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my tortoise keeps making whistles when i pick her up or when i get close
there's no exotic/reptile specialist in my city, is a common vet good enough? how much is it for a check-up?

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Just found this dude strolling across my yard. He looks like he's seen some shit.

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>>2194905

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Can i get some love for my softshell hatchling?

>>2186683
kek

>>2196276
Cute. Used to have one, I miss it dearly. Once I start up my 60G tank I'll probably get one again.

>>2194905
>>2194906
Seems like this guy has been through a lot. Might be ill or wounded.

>>2196463
It was wandering through my yard, and i cant figure out how it got here. Im not that close to water. But i stuck my hand down and the little thing crawled into my hand and just kinda stayed, so.. I'll play along.

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How do I recognize if my turtle is fat?

>>2197541
The skin will be squeezing out of the shell around the limbs

I have had a male 6.5" red-eared slider for 12 years now and am starting to think of getting him a friend, but I don't want to get the same type of turtle.
So my questions are:
>what goes with him better, painted or yellow bellied slider or map turtle?
>will he attack the new young turtle?
>should I get another male or is a female ok too?
>if I get a female will it end up laying eggs?

>>2166240
>>2166289
>not wanting to leave twisted reminders that your turtle's prison sentence is so long it will outlive the warden

>>2198401
>>what goes with him better, painted or yellow bellied slider or map turtle?

First of all make sure your tank is big enough. The minimum rule of thumb is usually 6 gallons to an inch of straight carapace length (length of the shell taken with a straight ruler from dorsal aspect).

Most painted turtles, besides maybe southern, get as big as RES's, including females of all races.

Yellow bellied are probably the most compatible, being the same species, but get large.

Map turtles can grow to a decent size, but Texas map males are among the smaller aquatic turtles.

I think any of them could be a suitable companion, with enough space.

>>will he attack the new young turtle?

This depends on your current turtle's temperament. Some can be pretty nasty biters, but in this case species doesn't really make the difference (two RES's here, one often wounded the other).

If the tank is big enough this shouldn't be a problem though.

>>should I get another male or is a female ok too?

Male if space is a concern, otherwise female is fine, especially since you will be getting a different species.

>>if I get a female will it end up laying eggs?

Only if you get a yellow-bellied slider or other slider subspecies is this a possibility, and even then it is rare. You typically need to provide a burrowing medium for your turtles to lay eggs; if your tank isn't set up for it, don't worry too much.

>>2197886
He seems pretty big to me. I'll try to take some pictures of his skin.

>>2198401
Turtles are reptiles, they don't "need" companionship, conversely they are territorial and putting a new turtle in the habitat might trigger aggressions.

>>2198445
Some reptiles actually require companionship or suffer from a lack of it, and yeah if you post your little fatty here I can probably tell whether they're overweight or not.

You should be feeding adult turtles every other day or so, one meal about the same volume as their heads.

>>2198451
I already do that. I feed him on alternate days, mostly lettuce, fresh shrimps and sometimes pellet. But on some forum I read that I should feed him only twice a week.

>>2198452
How old is he? Are you sure he's male? Species? Carapace length?

Iceberg lettuce is generally not recommended; if you want to feed him greens, and you should, get some water plants (duckweed, water hyacinth, etc), or if you can't, but romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, etc from the market.

You can google to see what more you can feed him.

I wouldn't recommend feeding an old turtle shrimp at all, maybe once a month or so as a treat.

Either use a reputable pellet food (Reptomin and Mazuri are the best, the latter is superior and cheaper though, order online) supplemented with greens, or get some top notch greens, lots of variety, and use the pellets to supplement.

>>2198456
I don't know the exact age, I took him 3 years ago and he was already adult, so I assume he is at least 4 years old. Carapace is 16 cm (6 inches) long.
I try to feed him radicchio leaves everytime I can, I recently bought seeds of tarassacum and lepidium but I haven't planted them yet. Why not the shrimps? I use the fresh ones, not the dried type.

>>2198460
He is probably much older than 4, if he was 6 inches when you got him; at least 6, I would say, but I'm no expert.

Shrimp is high in fat and cholesterol; it's not terrible, but use it sparingly, and move him onto a greener diet. Young turtles=meat, old turtles=plants, as a general rule of thumb with basking turtles.

I am assuming throughout that this is a RES, since you haven't told me otherwise. Other species might be more carnivorous, and feeding them shrimp often might not be a concern. If you want to feed him animal food, maybe play it safe and stick to worms/crickets for now.

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>>2198467
I am posting the pictures of him I just took. 1/4

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2/4

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3/4

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4/4

>>2198604
He is beautiful; the carapace especially is incredible.

The level of melanin would suggest an older turtle, perhaps 10 years old or so. He does not appear overweight.

Since he appears to be on the older side, I would advise investigating a quality herbivorous diet (water hyacinth, etc) and supplementing it with Mazuri pellet food.

You can treat him to shrimp, fish, or insects, but don't let it become routine.

>>2198415
Thanks for the info
Maybe I'll wait a bit and save up for a bigger tank just to be safe

>>2192320
I hope so too. Yes you are probably right, he pooped the following day I found him and the poop was very dry and had a a human hair in it, absolutely horrible. I can't imagine what they were feeding him, or rather not.

>>2166100
Hi, I've got a question:

Are turtles sensitive to loud music? Like it could harm them or make them feel uncomfortable?

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>>2198617
>10 years old or so

>my face when

The carapace did get darker since I took him, in the beginning it had more yellow lines crossing it, now it is mostly dark green.
Soon I am going to plant those seeds I bought to feed him more greens and slow down with proteins.
Thank you for the advice.

>>2197886
different anon here but I just realized my turtle is indeed fat (prominent skin squishing out when retreating into her shell)

With that, how do you even make a turtle lose weight?

>>2200142
Less food, more space to swim if he lives in a small tank.

>>2186876
donate him to your local university's biology department! He will make a great specimen

>>2186658
>>2192320
>>2198797
What are you guys talking about? The shell looks fine. I mean theres a tiny bit of pyramiding but thats pretty normal and it's very minor.

>>2200206
well she did spend years in a smaller tank and became kinda sedentary (she's in a much bigger tank now and she only swims around sometimes. Otherwise she'll either bask for hours or sit around in a corner she sleeps in). Would letting her roam supervised outside the tank in a backyard or something help?

I'll still do less food though.

>>2194906
will you take care of him anon?

>>2196276
what a cute guy anon
make sure that termo does not hurt him. I keep my RES separated from touching it directly

>>2200827
lel no, I ain't taking in a wild snapping turtle

He's probably chilling in my pond though

>>2200327
Not a good idea, moving her from her tank is stressful for her. If she has the space to swim now it should be enough. Just focus on a lighter and greener diet.

>>2200829
Its either on the heater or on the filter. Sticking to shallows still, my best guess is 8 days old. I grabbed the heater the other day while it was on and its mostly the bottom half that gets toasty. Still want some sand but i dont want to fuck up my filter either

>>2166103
How much was the topper? I am a pretty amateur owner. I have a African Sideneck and this would be perfect for her. I have a heat lamp/basking rock set up for her, but she somehow manages to rip the suction cups off the rock and bury them. I'm getting tired of rooting through the rocks to find the suction cups and am looking for a more permanent solution

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>>2201084
I have ordered the plexiglass plates and joints online and considering those + the screws + the synthetic grass + the glue to stick it to the ramp + the poster for the walls, I spent 85€, approximately corresponding to 95 dollars. If you don't have the patience or the abilities to do it yourself you could try and check if the Reptology turtle topper fits your tank ( see picture here >>2169950 )

Before this topper I had a turtle dock, but I had to modify it to not let it float around and the turtle had some difficulty climbing it. So I decided to change everything and now I like this solution much more, plus the ramp I made is long enough to function as sleeping/resting place for the turtle. If you're tired of turtle banks or docks, I recommend this solution for your problems.

Little update: I tried to put these little plants in the topper as decorations, but the turtle knocked over the pots and tear off some leaves, so I had to remove them.

>>2175184
>used to have a big turtle tank that was pretty tall and allowed for branches and shit to be suspended in there for geckos to gecko around on and in the summer i could let my turtles enjoy the pond we made just for them but i moved out and my tiny apartment doesn't have enough room for that anymore
suffering

>>2203894
what did you do with all the herps?

>>2203894
The thought that one day I may have to leave my comfy apartment and relocate the aquarium and 3 cats would make my suffer as well.
What about your geckos and turtle?

>>2203894
You kept geckos with turtles? Doesn't sound like the best idea, but damn if that doesn't sound cool as fuck. I've never really thought about "community" terrariums; anyone got stories or ideas and shit?

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Bump for turtles

Since you people around here seem to actually know your stuff, is a 10 gallon tank enough to hold a Razorback Musk Turtle? He's about a year and a month old now.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Gallon-Aquarium-Tank-Kit-Reptile-Turtle-Frog-Lizard-Snake-Exo-Animal-Habitat-/142085138744?hash=item2114ef2938:g:IeIAAOSwmmxW30xK

This is the type of tank i'm thinking of, but take the rock out and fill his tank up a lot more, then add a piece of cork or wood at the top so he can get out of the water, if he wants to.

I feed him ZooMed's Hatchling feed, tried feeding him meal worms for a while, but he almost choked on them once, so I don't give him them any more.

>>2207489
10 gallons is too small for any type of turtle. If it's just a baby, it'll be fine for now, but it will eventually need more water, and it'll be cheaper to just up-front buy an adequate tank and just have it be over with. The absolute bare minimum I'd do for a musk turtle is 20 gallons long, but even that is pretty small. I'd say 30+ is going to be better for the turtle and for you in the long run (larger tanks don't get dirty as quickly, and turtles are vile, filthy little beasts).

>>2207496
I was thinking this as well, but for how long would it be a viable option? I've had him for quite a while, and he's only gotten up to 2.5 inches yet. The thing I have him in now can't even really be considered a tank, though, so anything would be a better option.

And for a 30 gallon setup what would I all need for it? Gravel, plants, heat lamp, and a filter is what I can think of now.

>>2207502

Musk turtles seem to have a slower growth rate than sliders, so you might be good for another couple months or year or so. Though there's much cheaper options for temporary habitats, hell a big enough plastic storage tub can work.

As for what you'd need, you pretty much got all points covered. Strong filtration is important, heater if it ever gets cold were you live (warmer climates don't need 'em), a basking spot, and a UVB lamp can help out. Don't go gravel, most turtles will attempt to eat and either choke or die from impaction. If you want a substrate, go sand or rocks way bigger than its mouth (especially once it's an adult)

>>2207517
Yeah, I'd rather go for rocks since I don't trust sand all to much. Just any old rocks, or like buy a special kind from some pet store?

>>2207524
nah, you can use river rocks found in hardware/garden center stores, or even dollar stores. Just rinse it and you're good to go.

>>2207535
What kind of filter would you recommend for a 20 gallon tank?

>>2167838
Ausfag with 10 month old RES
Have tried the following cohabitants:

6 x snails- 1 remaining
4 x neons- extinct
2 x goldfish - extinct
6 x feeders - 2 remaining
3 x plecos - 1 remaining

The snails help clean well but are pretty tasty apparently

Goldfish lasted a night (too slow)

Neons small but gulped easy

The remaining pleco has been there since day one, growing well and seems to have reached a truce with turtle now, same with the feeders apparently. Have a cave for them but he only seems to harass newly added fish now

I found feeding turtle early in the day mitigated some of his murderous tendencies
;

>>2207551
one rated for 60 gallons

Rule of thumb is to measure in turtle gallons - 3xactual gallons because messy faggots

>>2166752

If the nigga don't want plants in his tank, then don't put plants in the mother fucking tank

>>2207641
Different anon, but how often does one clean the filters at that much capacity?

My 90 gal has two filters totaling up to at least 275g of filter power and I find myself cleaning them every 2-3 months. Not really sure if that's considered too much or too little

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>>2207658

>>2208600
But I slide, and I slide, and I slide, and I slide!

>>2207654
Eh. The only plants still there are lucky bamboos and microsorum. I will eventually add some more microsorum, since apparently he does not like to chew it. Maybe I'll give marimo moss a try.

>>2207639
I'm giving up on the idea of adding fishes. I am sure my turtle would kill everyone.

>>2209687
I think for fish it's largely hit and miss as it depends on individual turtle's temperament and whether the fish git gud. Kinda means be ready to sacrifice a couple of cheap fish (or more expensive large fish if you got the space and funds)

>>2209774
I am probably going to spend my extra funds for more plants and decorations before trying to put some fishes, since tha tank is too empty right now.

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my red eared slider turtle WONT eat greens - how do i get her onto a greener diet? i can sometimes get her to eat a bite of kale or a dandelion stock but thats about it, she basically just eats pellets, how do i fix this??

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ey boys, encountered this lil dude in the park today. snapper unless i miss my guess, about two inches long, had wandered onto a bike path so i set him back in the reeds before going on my way.

>>2210364
How old, how often fed and has he eaten greens before? Maybe wrap the pellets in green?

>>2210393
Good man.

>>2210393
What a cutie!

>>2210364
Her carapace looks in bad shape, it seems the chips are retained, probably for the bad diet. Provide more calcium and try stopping with pellets, give her only greens until she is hungry enough to give up and decides to eat them.

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>>2210503
shes 4, and used to be fed twice a day of only pellets (now only once a day, slowly going down to 3 days a week) - i just got her a month ago, the old owners neglected her.

>>2210522
i know :/ trying to get her back in good shape - i bought her one of those sepia bones but she hasnt nibbled on it once , and those calcium blocks dissolve in like 2 weeks.

>>2211176
Jesus Christ, that fucking shell.

Are you sure she has a proper light source that provides UVB light? Heat and UVA are kind of optional, but UVB certainly is not.

If you don't, take her out in the sun, not through a window, for a few hours daily until you get one.

What brand of pellet are you feeding her?

Mazuri is probably the best there is and is quite cheap ordering online. You could easily get a month's worth with a very hungry turtle for less than 10 bucks USD.

>>2211375
This.

More light, more calcium and more fresh food (greens and fish) for her.

>>2194906
Looks undead

>>2211375

shes sittin under a exo-terra sun-glo, its 120w, is this not good enough? also, shes currently on the tough-love diet where i only feed her greens fpr 3-4 days untill she gives up and eats them.

>>2211856
Yeah I think that diet is okay, she looks like she's a healthy weight and can afford not to eat for a few days at a time.

I don't know about your bulb specifically, but there are some great online resources for determining the intensity of your bulbs over the spectrum.

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm

^they have it down to a science

>>2211856
Since when is the bulb running? Remember that uvb bulbs lose their irradiation within some time, usually a year.