Other Turtle Discussion :: i rescued a turtle...

[theartbook35]

I actually never thought I would do this.

I rescued a turtle.

The owner did not want her anymore.

She came with a crappy 40 gallon tank (waaaaaay to small), two gigantic UVB hood lights, a water heater, and a filter than won't work cause we simply don't know how to use it.

Tomorrow we are going to bring it to the local pet store to ask them about it because they have Eheims there. If I have to, I'll buy a new one, of the kind I use for Hurricane and Typhoon.

Anyways, we named her Sadie She is about 7 inches long, maybe 8, I didn't measure. We let her run around on the living room floor for a while. She scared the crap out of my cat, Spike. Pretty funny, Spike when over to sniff her, and Sadie charged him, which made him run away.

Sadie is very active, relatively okay with being handled if you wrap her in your arms real tight. She thinks she can climb everything around her. We gave her a bunch of big seashells that she can't eat, and all she's done is move them around and bite them, which is what all RES do. She has a tiny bit of pyramidding, but otherwise, her shell is in an okay condition.

Tomorrow we are going to get a new basking dock, because her's is far to small. We are making plans to buy another 55 gallon, which is will a decent size for Sadie since she is by herself. The 40 doesn't fit on the bottom shelf of the tank stand because it's a 40 wide... She has really bad conjunctivitus, but I have those zoo med eye drops, and plenty of them. With a good tank cleaning, and a week of the drops, she should be okay. If not, I'll take her to a vet. Thankfully, she isn't showing any gravid behaviors.

My mother was the one who actually decided to have Sadie come to visit, and was very impressed with her size. We both decided to keep her. Sadie seems to feel more comfortable around my mother, and is more interested in looking at me than being in close contact. She is very strong, and scratched me up a bit.

I know what some of you are thinking- Yes, this is expensive. Yes, according to the ten gallon rule 55 gallons is technically too small. But what she has right now sucks so bad, and once we get her a heat lamp, better basking dock, and the new tank, she will have room to actually swim up and down. She's better off with us who will treat her like family, rather than the morons who didn't do a very good job.

[SINI5T3R]

You know, I think the 10 Gal per inch rule is BS LOL ... my turtles seem REALLLLY Happy in there 55 Gal tank and dont seem crammed at all ^^

Glad she has a good home. Its insane how some people think they can get a turtle and just throw it in some water and give it fried chicken and crap like that and expect it to be the happyst turtle in the world...it makes me mad.

When I rescued 2 of my larger turtles, they were BOTH in a 10 Gallon tank and are both 6 Year old turtles so there like...5-6 inches or so which is WAY Huge for a 10 Gal. both of them had claws and parts of there feet missing because they had been nipping at eachother so much from being in a small [---] tank. They are really happy now tho. Also my Female River Cooter LOVVEEESS To be Held, she loves to have her head pet too and dont even run or get scared when i walk to the tank and shes basking, she even lets me pet her while basking and never runs off into the water.

you should post pictures of her!

and Nice...Free 40 Gal tank! you gonna use it for fish?

[theartbook35]

The 10 gallon rule is okay, but, unnecessary in my opinion. Mine are enjoying their house and share 45 gallons aproximately... Turtles don't really think about the amount of gallons, they just know when they are cramped and when they aren't. In fact, in my opinion again, a turtle knows itself and how it should be treated and cared for better than people, anyways, and they do a good job getting that across.

I can tell Sadie is bored. She's sleeping during the daytime. I can't wait to get her rocks she can't swallow, tank ornaments, more water, and basically stuff to do besides hiding under her basking dock.

Wow, two six inch turtles in a ten gallon is just plain cruel and frankly, stupid. Good for you for getting them a better home and better way of life.

I dunno what I'll do with the tank... I've wanted a kenyan sand boa for the longest time, and a 40 wide would be nice for a full grown female. But it has the top part of one wall cut out for the filter... Granted, kenyan sand boas suck at climbing but, a sand boa could definitely escape through there. I am tempted to sell it, because when Cane and Ty outgrow their current 55 gallon, that would've been the sand boa's home, which is even bigger and better in my opinion. Lol, I was gonna name the sand boa Sadie, so, I'll have to come up with a new name in the future... I don't like reusing names... A 40 gallon with filter and hood lights plus the dock would get me a good amount of money.

I want a new filter cause I just like the Cascade 400 better, cause I know how that one works, and this one is just weird to me... We used to have fish years back, and my mother remembered you have to prime the pump, so she put water in the canister part and now it is working. It's actually pretty soothing to listen to. I'm so worried that, with the 55 gallon, that Sadie will use it to climb out of the tank, she REALLY is into the climbing. She even tried to climb up side of the couch earlier... I have a feeling she'll be wandering around my living room a lot, especially since Spike ain't got the guts to mess with her.

[SINI5T3R]

Yeah only one of my RES have climed out of the tank so far and I made sure it wont happen again. My girlfriend woke up to get water in the kitchen, passed the tank, was on her way back to the room and noticed one of our baby turtles ON Top of the light lol...it was just chillin...so I put it back in the tank and then we came back in the room and guess what, one turtle was once again missing..i looked all over for it and even looked on the floor around the house but nothing. Started moving some plants in the tank and boom, the turtle was stuck between the tank and the wall just sittin there tryin to run away but it couldnt move at all haha...now its escape proof tho so thats good.

If I were you ide use the 40 gal as a breeding tank for guppies or something for ur turtles. Breeding your own guppies dont take long at all and you save LOTTTTTSSS of cash on feeder fish. plus its cool to see your fish have baby's.

[theartbook35]

I thought about using it for breeding guppies, but, it's not my thing. My mother will never be okay with them eating live fish, it creeps her out.

I'm also worried pet store fish will give my turtles diseases.

The money for the tank can go toward the turtle fund, lol.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Okay, I don't want to be a spoil-sport, but the 10 gallons per inch rule is really because anything less isn't very humane. I mean, we are taking these turtles out of their natural environments, where they would have lots more water, the least we can give is 10 gallons per inch! And it's not like you can't squeeze the rule a little, but it's a good goal to strive towards. My turtle will be in a 90 gallon for the rest of her life, whether she ends up being 9" or 12" or something else. Yes, 12" in a 90 gallon is a bit too small, but she'll have an ATBA and she'll be more than happy. But keeping her in anything much less would be terrible.

And second, to SINI5T3R, how many feeder fish are you giving your turtles to make breeding them worth it?? My turtle gets about 8 feeder fish once every 3 months, that's less than $1. That's less than $4/year. I mean, really? I spend that on 2 cans of cat food ... and the cats get way more food than the turtle does.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

My thought on the 10 gallons per inch rule is that it should be tried and followed if you do not have ATBA. If you do have a ATBA then you can take off 20gallons.

[coreyvht]

be that as it may "The computer gremlin" domestic turtle don't know anything else
as long as there not cramped/not fighting there fine and how could someone calculate that in there head and even if some math was involved theirs no possible way to be sure and yes from my experience with a large 10 inch female res a 55 gal is a little small but is a big upgrade for her from a 40 to a 55 gal
and as long as your turtle/ pet is happy that's not cruel ..cruel is not feeding them changing the water,flicking them,burning them,etc..

[SINI5T3R]

Okay, I don't want to be a spoil-sport, but the 10 gallons per inch rule is really because anything less isn't very humane. I mean, we are taking these turtles out of their natural environments, where they would have lots more water, the least we can give is 10 gallons per inch! And it's not like you can't squeeze the rule a little, but it's a good goal to strive towards. My turtle will be in a 90 gallon for the rest of her life, whether she ends up being 9" or 12" or something else. Yes, 12" in a 90 gallon is a bit too small, but she'll have an ATBA and she'll be more than happy. But keeping her in anything much less would be terrible.

And second, to SINI5T3R, how many feeder fish are you giving your turtles to make breeding them worth it?? My turtle gets about 8 feeder fish once every 3 months, that's less than $1. That's less than $4/year. I mean, really? I spend that on 2 cans of cat food ... and the cats get way more food than the turtle does.

Well I have 5 Turtles and im not going to sit there and hand feed them fish so usually ill buy like 50 goldfish (yeah yeah goldfish..dun tell me how unhealthy they are lol thats why im breeding guppies now ^^) and ill just release them all in there at once and they will usually last a while..

I usually do that once or twice a month...sometimes ill go 2 months without feeding them fish because i dont go to the pet store alot when I dont have snakes.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Wow, 50 fish a month or less??? That's insane protein! Assuming each gets 1/5th of the fish, that's still 10 fish each. But it rarely works that way, and one will get a few more. I'm just considering the potential for pyramiding in your near future, I mean, pyramiding not only permanently damages the shell, but it strains their internal organs, leading to heart failure and a decreased lifespan. You may also see fatty deposits around the shell openings, looking like your turtle is chubby.

It's just not worth it, in my opinion, to overfeed. But to each his own.

And while I agree that a 40 gallon to a 55 gallon is technically an improvement, it's really not that big of one. A 10 gallon to a 55 gallon is a huge improvement, but an extra 15 gallons isn't necessarily an improvement unless it's a reconfigured tank (like a breeder versus a tall tank). I'm just saying that while we can't hear what they are saying, if you think about putting yourself in their shoes, imagine being contained to the equivalent of a small bedroom for your life versus having a whole house to live in. If a 10 inch turtle deserves 100 gallons, and you are giving half that, it really is like locking them in a bedroom. It's not like this is the only site that advocates it, pretty much most of them on the web do. I remember steve saying something about where that number came from, but I can't find the post.

[SINI5T3R]

Wow, 50 fish a month or less??? That's insane protein! Assuming each gets 1/5th of the fish, that's still 10 fish each. But it rarely works that way, and one will get a few more. I'm just considering the potential for pyramiding in your near future, I mean, pyramiding not only permanently damages the shell, but it strains their internal organs, leading to heart failure and a decreased lifespan. You may also see fatty deposits around the shell openings, looking like your turtle is chubby.

It's just not worth it, in my opinion, to overfeed. But to each his own.

And while I agree that a 40 gallon to a 55 gallon is technically an improvement, it's really not that big of one. A 10 gallon to a 55 gallon is a huge improvement, but an extra 15 gallons isn't necessarily an improvement unless it's a reconfigured tank (like a breeder versus a tall tank). I'm just saying that while we can't hear what they are saying, if you think about putting yourself in their shoes, imagine being contained to the equivalent of a small bedroom for your life versus having a whole house to live in. If a 10 inch turtle deserves 100 gallons, and you are giving half that, it really is like locking them in a bedroom. It's not like this is the only site that advocates it, pretty much most of them on the web do. I remember steve saying something about where that number came from, but I can't find the post.

yeah i totally agree. and if i could afford getting a good 100 gal or bigger aquarium i would but i dont alwasy have the cash to catch the ad's and also i have to alwasy go super far to get what ever i get off craigslist cuz im out in the boonies where its all desert. Town is a good 45 min away. If you look in the photo area i got a pond but it prob wont be up for a while...wana set it all up b4 i fill it and start cycling.

[theartbook35]

Jax- I totally get what you are saying. If I could afford it, I'd buy a 100 gallon for Sadie right off the bat and that'd be her home for the rest of her life. But I do not have the room right now. I'm planning on moving out of this apartment within the next year or so, so, a 100 gallon tank or bigger can fit in my bedroom when I leave. For now, the 55 gallon will have to do. It's certainly better than the 20 gallons she has to walk around in. Her previous owner would never have been willing to get a bigger tank. He wasn't even willing to keep her, for that matter. Which is fine by me, she can be in my family instead.

Her eyes are already getting better. We aren't using the crappy Reptisun 10.0, which is definitely the cause of the problem. There are two other UVB bulbs in her other hood light that are a lower wattage, so, I figure with her being a larger turtle, they are okay. She still has no official basking dock at the moment. We are gonna borrow some big rocks from our friend's yard and pile them up to make a dock for her. I am keeping the lights on more to keep her active during the day. It gets dark in my living room and then she will just sleep after she gets bored. I want to be able to monitor her activity level, because if she is willing to be active, then I know she's okay.

She is eating some lettuce, but, I kind of have to wiggle it around like it's alive to entice her to eat it. She did eat half of what we gave her. She got some of the pellets we give Hurricane and Typhoon, a couple mealworms, and some dried krill. Head sized portion, of course. The pellets have all the stuff she needs in it, and we've given her cuttlebone too, which she likes a lot.

Her attitude has gotten peppier in the last day. She's becoming more interested in us, and more excited to see us, especially since we bring the food. We let her walk around the living room a few minutes ago, and she likes to walk up to us and stare, climb on us a bit, but prefers not to be pet. Picking her up is already getting me some battle scars, she scratches hard. She'll let my mother hold her though... I can't really tell if she is unused to being handled in general, or if she just isn't used to us.

It's kind of funny to me, the girl loves to climb, and could very easily pop out the barried on the wall with the filter and run off. She doesn't even make an attempt. She'd rather bite the giant seashell and drag it around the tank in her mouth! Hurray for stimulating the brain.

[seano997]

Sounds like things are going well so far with her. That's pretty cool that you rescued her and are giving her a good, new home.

[LilTurtSquirt]

[theartbook35]

I agree, the 10 gallon per inch rule should be followed as closely as possible. If you can make that happen, why have a turtle?

A 10 inch turtle in a 55 gallon tank is insane. Heck, Squirt is only around 2.5 inches, and he'll be going in a 125 gallon tank, whether he ends up being male or female. But I planned for this BEFORE I decided to take on a turtle.

Turtle's are a living, breathing, feeling animal. If you cannot provide it with proper space to swim, why have one? I think 10 gallons per inch of turtle is something everyone should give their turtle. It doesn't have to be a "rule", but it's a good goal to strive for, because the turtle will be getting ample space with those configurations.

When Squirt was 1.5 inches, I had him in a 10 gallon for the first 2 weeks he was here. I had so many people telling me, oh he'll be fine, keep him in that until he's around 3 inches. Ummm, no.

I upgraded him to a 30 gallon, and his activity level and sheer happiness exploded compared to how he was in the 10 gallon.

Humans can live in an 8x8 cell, doesn't mean it's good for them, or healthy. Same with a turtle. The more room the better.

It's not like I'm not making plans to get a larger tank. She is acting exactly like Hurricane and Typhoon mood wise, which means she is very happy. Happiness is the biggest deal to me right now, as well as health and safety.

Personally, I do think it lacks class to come in my thread and make comments about housing, especially after I've made it quite clear that I know the ten gallon rule, and have plans for a 100 gallon tank in the near future. I would expect a nicer person to say something in regards to the fact that she was rescued, and may have ended up with another poor turtle parent if it wasn't for my mother, me, and my mother's friend who felt bad for Sadie. I have medicine and knowledge about turtle health, and if anything goes wrong with her, I know what to do about it. This is far better than what she had before.