My Story
I had always wanted a turtle, for as long as I could remember, so when the opportunity arised I quickly grasped it. A family friend brought one over and I was able to keep it. I quickly started to research on his care and came upon redearslider.com where I join July 14, 2006. Being 17, not working and being a student I provided for my small hatchling turtle who I named Turquoise, with any means possible. luckly I had a 20 gallon stored away. Turquoise trived in my cared, and grew at a very fast rate. (Later I would learn that poor living condition result in lack of growth amonged other things, so turquoise might have had a lot of catching up to do)
I wanted a companion for Turquoise, so on September 24th my friend, knowing I was looking for a turtle calls me to tell me about a person selling baby turtles on some corner. Me and my dad quickly rushed to the location to get my new res. The guy had apparently sold out of red ear sliders, and only had Mississippi map turtle hatchlings. It wasnt what I was looking for but they where so adorable that I decided to get one. Even though I wouldnt know the sex of my new turtle until he or she was quite older, I named her Ebony but if she turned out to be male would be renamed onyx, the reason being that ebony and onyx are dark stones, and all the pictures of adult mississippi maps online showed a very dark looking turtle.
Turquoise was about 4 inches at this point and Ebony the size of a quarter, so I housed them separetly until ebony was at least 2 inches. And when I did, they got along perfectly, I would always find Ebony (looking so tiny next to Turquoise) basking on top of Turquoise shell.
Sadly in January Turquoise became lethargic and wouldnt stop basking and didnt move much. My heater stopped working and we had these 2 nights where the tempature outside would be crazy low. I put both ebony and Turquoise in a shoe box with me on my bed, with the desk lamp I used to keep ebony warm when she was in her seperate container. I took her to the vet who told me to get her warm and make sure she had a ubv light. Thats all she could say to me, she wouldnt run test on her until we brough her internal temp up. Turquoise passed away the next day. I woke up to find that she had gone in the night. The days before her passing I had spent crying. Turquoise came to me in a difficult time in my life, My devotion to her helped me through it. But in a way I failed her, and I still beat myself up for it. I feel if I would have taken proventive measures earlier on rather then when it was too late, she would still be here with me.
I still had ebony to think about, who was still very little. she was maybe 2 1/2 inches at this point, growning at a much much slower rate then Turquoise. My parents bought me a 30 gallon tank which was more then adequate for my mississippi map. If I didnt have Ebony, I think a would have stayed away from turtle keeping. But seeing her being a healthy and active turtle gave me hope that maybe I wasnt a bad turtle keeper.
In May I got a job at petsmart, where I felt closer with the community of people that call themselves pet parents. I thought I wouldnt be able to get another turtle after Turquoise, feeling Ebony would be all I can handle. But sure enough, the moment I saw baby turtles for sale, In an inpulse buy I got 3 turtles. Originally I was only going to get 2 but parents allowed me too purchase 3. (Later I would find out it was because they didnt think they would last)
A week later after explaining how to take to care for a turtle to a customer, they felt that it would be to much to hadle for them, I found myself with another turtle. (which was nephrite) she was a little lethargic when I got her and as much as I wanted to quaritine her, I knew that she would have a better chance at getting better in the 20 gallon with the rest of my baby turtles, that had the correct temp and lighting that she needed. For the most time I could tell everyone apart. Zoisite, malachite, jade and my lethargic baby nephrite. They were all named after green stones. I always knew it was nephrite basking, she was less active then the others, but soon enough she became as active as the others that I couldnt tell her apart from Zoisite.
Time passed quickly and before I knew it my red ear sliders surpassed ebony in size, except Jade who grew at a much slower rate but was healthy and active. Where I moved my turtles moved with me and outlived my parents expectations, 2 years later I gave Jade to a fellow co worker where from what I heard was able to grow even more. He grew to 5 inches in my care, while his sisters wouldnt stop growing, i never found out if he was a boy or girl, i only assumed a boy from his lack of growth. A years later, spring 2010 my 3 res all female where each 8 inches big and Ebony who I assumed to be a boy look so smalled next to them. Male Mississippi map only grow about 4 inches. I still called her ebony, never renamed her onyx. I was all ready to built them a pond, their 55 gallon tank being to small for them. But unfortunately I had to move states and as much as I wanted to take them with me, I new that I wouldnt be able to buy them a bigger home, since i was moving to a very small apartment and it would selfish of me to keep them in such conditions, so I think I did the best thing I could ever do for them and that is find them a better home. They now live in a 18 ft long and 5 ft deep pond with other turtles, except I couldnt part with Ebony. The guy who took my turtles rescues them and he assured me if I ever wanted them back I could. But I couldnt part with ebony, who had been there since the beginning.
So now its February of 2011 and in September Ebony will turn 5, who at the end actually turn out to be a girl, she is nearly 7 inches! I have commited myself to take care of her in her long life. She is a very curious turtle, and is un afraid of my dog, even when he trys to move her from her basking spot, she wont budge.
So now you know my story. Taking care of turtle is not so much a hard jod, but it is one that you have to commit yourself to doing. Even now, I keep close watch of ebony. Looking for signs of illness, making sure she doesnt get too cold and that everything in her habitat is working. And now after 5 years I find myself back at this forum eager to discuss and educate people about these wonderful creatures with so much personality.
