It's okay, Carole, I appreciate you trying to help 
Honestly, I don't know much either!
Honestly, I don't know much either!
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Magellan hasn't been eating! :/
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waterfaller1
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I do agree with Kelly, particularly because turtles are messy eaters, that a filtered tank is going to be far more stable than an unfiltered one. Good luck.
paperdragon
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You're welcome!
I've never bothered with chemical filtration except for getting medications out of a tank, but that's just personal preference. I just use polyester fiber stuffing or quilt batting from the sewing section of walmart. Its the same thing aquarium filter floss is made from and much cheaper. You can also use ceramic media (looks like little tan balls and is sold in fish stores),or combine different types. Are you using water conditioner? I've found Seachem Prime to be the cheapest and most effective.
paperdragon
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Oh, in case you don't already know this, you don't have to replace most non-chemical media unless it's really nasty. You can rinse it out good and reuse it a few times, and the ceramic is good pretty much indefinitely (but you'll want to buy a colander for cleaning it if you decide on that route. those thing'll roll everywhere. lol).
waterfaller1
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Rinse with tank water during a water change...
Thanks, guys! I remember using the sewing stuff while at my internship. I will try that out again, and yes I remember reusing it for quite awhile but we changed it I believe once a month.
I just ordered two of those filters, they shouldn't take too long to get here. Until then I will just change the water more frequently!
paperdragon
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If you got them off petstore.com, let me know if you can figure out how to track the shipments. I could never figure it out myself. lol It doesn't typically take long for them to ship fortunately.
That is where I ordered them, and I usually don't worry about shipping time unless I actually pay extra for the expediated shipping This time I didn't because the prices were waaay too much to be worth it!
This time I didn't because the prices were waaay too much to be worth it!If it is a male, if it is a female you could be looking at 13in.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider
Either way, that won't happen if you do not provide a container double that width - 2ftx6ft would be ideal - because unless you have them sexed (a painful process involving sticking a metal hook inside them and dragging out their genitals) you can't really know for sure if you have a male or a female.
What is in your tap water? If it is chloramines, (ammonia + chlorine) there is usually a lot of ammonia left over - this can burn turtle eyes, not great for their skin, either...
Most people don't have room for a set up like this inside for one turtle - if not - where do you live, could you set up a turtle safe outdoor pond? I could help you out, mine live in a 180g in my coral greenhouse right now, but I have been thinking of setting them up outside again - have another 180g waiting out there for them.
What kind of basking lamp is it, or is there any other lighting on there? I cannot stress their UV need enough...
Paperdragon, in all my years of slider care I have never seen one try to eat a sponge, lol...have you?
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider
Either way, that won't happen if you do not provide a container double that width - 2ftx6ft would be ideal - because unless you have them sexed (a painful process involving sticking a metal hook inside them and dragging out their genitals) you can't really know for sure if you have a male or a female.
What is in your tap water? If it is chloramines, (ammonia + chlorine) there is usually a lot of ammonia left over - this can burn turtle eyes, not great for their skin, either...
Most people don't have room for a set up like this inside for one turtle - if not - where do you live, could you set up a turtle safe outdoor pond?
I could help you out, mine live in a 180g in my coral greenhouse right now, but I have been thinking of setting them up outside again - have another 180g waiting out there for them. What kind of basking lamp is it, or is there any other lighting on there? I cannot stress their UV need enough...
Paperdragon, in all my years of slider care I have never seen one try to eat a sponge, lol...have you?
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paperdragon
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Mine will eat anything. Anything. She's been trying to eat the filter intake for around 7 years now.Paperdragon, in all my years of slider care I have never seen one try to eat a sponge, lol...have you?
And sexing sliders isn't really that hard when they're full grown. Redearslider.com :: Determining Sex It may not be a 100% accurate method, but most of the time its right.
How odd! Did it mostly have an empty tank as a baby? I notice that young sliders will try and nip at anything, but normally once they mature a bit they figure out what is food and what isn't...is yours actually swallowing this, (hope not!) or nipping at algae growing on it, or what? :0
I know, but anything but 100% accurate is not going to make me give an animal a habitat unsuited for them. What would you say if it was about your fid?
I know, but anything but 100% accurate is not going to make me give an animal a habitat unsuited for them.
What would you say if it was about your fid?paperdragon
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She's not actually able to get anything off, she just bites at it. She had a huge pile of junk in her tank before I got her, glass pebbles, a pirate ship thingy, that kind of stuff.
What I would say is you don't base your tank size on gender anyways because if you do you're almost guaranteeing yourself a freak 15" male turtle. Murphy's Law, ya know.I know, but anything but 100% accurate is not going to make me give an animal a habitat unsuited for them.
Absolutely! But if I need a leg to stand on to prove to someone their animal needs a larger enclosure I will take what I can get! I think, though, at 11 years, Mabel is probably stunted and won't grow more - though I would certainly give him/her the opportunity!
Okay, whew, you had me concerned about impaction for a sec - I get sooooo mad when kids throw rocks in my turtle pond - my guys know better than to eat them, but still, one hungry day and blam, off to the vet we would go if they couldn't pass it. I even hung a sign once "Please do not throw rocks into turtle pond, if they think it is food and swallow them they could die". Didn't stop it, fresh load of rocks in there that day. I don't get it - my mom woulda smacked my butt something fierce if I tried half the stuff these kids pull at the shop!
Just waxed my pair yesterday - you guys use the turtle shell conditioner? I love it!
Edited to include pic!
This is in a greenhouse, so plenty of natural light for their UV needs - and of course, plenty of space. You can see the yellow belly, but the red ear has decided it is not feeding time and retreated under the log. Bubble wand and heater in one end - thought about adding a sponge when I cleaned it the other day. There is also a school of breeding guppies in there - free food when they can catch one and a great clean up crew.
I think, though, at 11 years, Mabel is probably stunted and won't grow more - though I would certainly give him/her the opportunity! Okay, whew, you had me concerned about impaction for a sec - I get sooooo mad when kids throw rocks in my turtle pond - my guys know better than to eat them, but still, one hungry day and blam, off to the vet we would go if they couldn't pass it. I even hung a sign once "Please do not throw rocks into turtle pond, if they think it is food and swallow them they could die". Didn't stop it, fresh load of rocks in there that day. I don't get it - my mom woulda smacked my butt something fierce if I tried half the stuff these kids pull at the shop!
Just waxed my pair yesterday - you guys use the turtle shell conditioner? I love it!
Edited to include pic!
This is in a greenhouse, so plenty of natural light for their UV needs - and of course, plenty of space. You can see the yellow belly, but the red ear has decided it is not feeding time and retreated under the log.
Bubble wand and heater in one end - thought about adding a sponge when I cleaned it the other day. There is also a school of breeding guppies in there - free food when they can catch one and a great clean up crew.
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MAGELLAN (not Mabel , she is an explorer not a southern belle) is most likely stunted, though I never really thought about it. I assume she is female due to the thick red stripes on her head and also her big fat tail.
She grew up for 11 years in a pretty large pond-type tub like your's, Grace, which was too large to fit in the car for me to bring back to Jersey, but she was never given a heat lamp before she moved in with me. She had a UV lamp that was about 50 watts for a long, long time. I currently have a 60? watt daylight bulb for my parrot, he does not like it... I think it scares him. I could move it on over to Gelly. She was also not fed as often as she should've been as a little lady.
As for a larger enclosure, we don't have a safe outside area that I would be able to create one for her, though when I have my own place that is my dream to have a koi and turtle pond! (if she is around that long, otherwise I probably wouldn't get another one unless it was another rehome!)
And as far as a larger inside enclosure, right now space is pretty limited because she is in my bedroom. Believe me that I would love her to have a whole swimming pool to herself! But that won't be happening on this student/part-time work budget.
The guppies idea I have always liked! However, and believe me that this is 100% true, my grandma's shih tzu HATES FISH! He will bark at them all day long and drive himself nuts!
, she is an explorer not a southern belle) is most likely stunted, though I never really thought about it. I assume she is female due to the thick red stripes on her head and also her big fat tail. She grew up for 11 years in a pretty large pond-type tub like your's, Grace, which was too large to fit in the car for me to bring back to Jersey, but she was never given a heat lamp before she moved in with me. She had a UV lamp that was about 50 watts for a long, long time. I currently have a 60? watt daylight bulb for my parrot, he does not like it... I think it scares him. I could move it on over to Gelly. She was also not fed as often as she should've been as a little lady.
As for a larger enclosure, we don't have a safe outside area that I would be able to create one for her, though when I have my own place that is my dream to have a koi and turtle pond! (if she is around that long, otherwise I probably wouldn't get another one unless it was another rehome!)
And as far as a larger inside enclosure, right now space is pretty limited because she is in my bedroom. Believe me that I would love her to have a whole swimming pool to herself! But that won't be happening on this student/part-time work budget.
The guppies idea I have always liked! However, and believe me that this is 100% true, my grandma's shih tzu HATES FISH! He will bark at them all day long and drive himself nuts!
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I'm so sorry, I guess my brain gave me Mabel as she does seem to be quite the little lady!
Heat lamps are enjoyed, but optional - they are not needed for turtle health indoors. UV, however, definitely is - I would recommend putting one on there. Be sure to change out about every six months or so - most of the UV will be gone by that time.
Aw, stunted from lack of food is just as sad. I am Italian, I have a tendency to overfeed. Okay, well, I would just say monitor her size vs. container - a good rule of thumb is they tend to stop growing when they reach half the width of a rectangular shape.
Magellan is lucky to have you!
Heat lamps are enjoyed, but optional - they are not needed for turtle health indoors. UV, however, definitely is - I would recommend putting one on there. Be sure to change out about every six months or so - most of the UV will be gone by that time.
Aw, stunted from lack of food is just as sad. I am Italian, I have a tendency to overfeed.
Okay, well, I would just say monitor her size vs. container - a good rule of thumb is they tend to stop growing when they reach half the width of a rectangular shape. Magellan is lucky to have you!
paperdragon
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Looks like a great setup, Grace! My girl, Valentine, came to me in a 35g hexagon tank with a filter rated for 15g. She was at least 5 years old and just slightly under 6" carapace length. She had been living on nothing but Wardley pellets and freeze dried krill. I put her in a 75g with a canister filter and put a UVB bulb in her basking area for the first time in her life. I was planning to move her to a 120g stock tank once she started outgrowing the 75g, but after 7 years she's still 6" (just measured her today).
Magellan looks like she's in pretty good shape, so if she is stunted she's at least better off than Val. No pyramiding that I can see, no scute buildup (Val had so many unshed layers it looked like she had never shed in her life. it took two years of good diet and lighting just for her to lose the top layer).
The daylight bulb isn't going to be enough, they have very little UVB output. You really need a reptile UVB bulb with about a 5% UVB rating. Taking her outside on warm days (70+) would also work if you have a clean outdoor area (maybe someone that will let you walk your turtle in their yard. lol) and watch her like a hawk, and make sure she has the option to get out of the sun if she gets too hot.
Magellan looks like she's in pretty good shape, so if she is stunted she's at least better off than Val. No pyramiding that I can see, no scute buildup (Val had so many unshed layers it looked like she had never shed in her life. it took two years of good diet and lighting just for her to lose the top layer).
The daylight bulb isn't going to be enough, they have very little UVB output. You really need a reptile UVB bulb with about a 5% UVB rating. Taking her outside on warm days (70+) would also work if you have a clean outdoor area (maybe someone that will let you walk your turtle in their yard. lol) and watch her like a hawk, and make sure she has the option to get out of the sun if she gets too hot.
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Thanks for the feedback, guys! Now that you mention shedding scutes, Kelly, Magellan has been shedding them like NUTS since she got here. At one point they were so flaky that I gave her a little scrub with a toothbrush to help her out. As far as pyramiding though, she is smooth and her shell is otherwise very healthy looking. She doesn't have any damage or scratching to her plastron, either, which surprised me because her old enclosure was set up in such a strange way that she would crash into a rock when she slid into the water.
The guppies have me intrigued still, Kelly! I would really like to add them in with Magellan, but she seems to have enough going on in her space without adding fish to the mix. What kind of plants do you have with her? That's something I definitely want to improve for her. I was thinking about duckweed because it is so easy to maintain and also is a natural filter. Do you have any experience using it?
When it is warm enough, I have a kiddie pool that she will be going outside in for a few hours a day when the birdy goes out When I was interning, I could see how much going outside for a few hours on nice days really improved the turtles' health so I definitely won't miss out on that for Gelly!
And as for the bulb, I will have to pick one up before I head out to school tomorrow afternoon. I'm on campus until 9pm tonight and have an hour drive home... She will have to forgive me
The guppies have me intrigued still, Kelly! I would really like to add them in with Magellan, but she seems to have enough going on in her space without adding fish to the mix. What kind of plants do you have with her? That's something I definitely want to improve for her. I was thinking about duckweed because it is so easy to maintain and also is a natural filter. Do you have any experience using it?
When it is warm enough, I have a kiddie pool that she will be going outside in for a few hours a day when the birdy goes out
When I was interning, I could see how much going outside for a few hours on nice days really improved the turtles' health so I definitely won't miss out on that for Gelly!And as for the bulb, I will have to pick one up before I head out to school tomorrow afternoon. I'm on campus until 9pm tonight and have an hour drive home... She will have to forgive me
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paperdragon
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Never ever ever ever ever buy duckweed! Ever! That stuff is a nightmare! It clogs filters, sticks to everything, and multiplies 1000 times faster than tribbles. That was the only plant that Val refuses to eat, and I don't remember how I finally got rid of the stinkin' stuff. I've never tried fish in the turtle tank because of her pyramiding issue. I have to be careful with her protein intake, and I know every fish would be gone in a day with her. The only plants I've added were her food, because anything I put in there will be food whether I intend it or not. Honestly, that girl is like a little green garbage disposal.
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I admit I know nothing about turtles, but is water lettuce safe? It is a quick growing, floating water plant without plugging up the filters. I had them in my freshwater fish tank for a long time and I loved them!
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