Hello Everyone!
I am a first time turtle owner. The name of my RES is Ralphy. He is about 12 years old. I adopted/rescued him around 2 months ago after my coworker brought him to work and told me she was going to release him into the ravine behind her mother's house. She told me that her husband decided that he didn't want to care for him any longer and told her to get rid of him. I was not prepared to take in a turtle, but there was no way I could let him be thrown into a ravine. So I told her I would take him and I went out that night and bought a whole set up. Kudos to my local pet store, the guy that helped me let me stay 30 min after they closed so I could make sure I had everything I needed.
I went into this completely blind. I had no idea how to care for a turtle and I am still an amateur turtle mom. Any bits of random advise or tips would be greatly appreciated. I feel like I've read a variety of different forums and care sheets, but I can always learn more.
Like I said, Ralphy is roughly 12 years old, however, he is still the size of a young turtle. I do not necessarily blame my coworker. The store that sold the turtles did not give correct care advise. He was living in a 10 gallon aquarium with no filter and no uva/uvb lights. All he's ever had to eat are pellets. His carapace is about 6 inches long. I'm not entirely sure about this but I think he's in the beginning stages of pyramiding due to the high protein content of the pellets.
I am not completely happy with the set up I have right now. I am saving up for a larger aquarium. Right now I have a 20 gallon breeder. Due to his size the gentleman at the pet store said that is the smallest tank he would recommend and only until I can afford a larger one. I am hoping to get a 40 gallon breeder by the end of the year. Would that be big enough? I can go larger but would also need to save up for a stand. I have a handful of plastic plants the he likes to rearrange to one side of the aquarium. He has a floating dock to bask on and has both uva and uvb lights. I keep the bottom clear to help with cleaning, save for a few smooth river stones. They're not very big but too big for him to eat. He loves to move them around the bottom.
Regarding food, I feed him a few pellets every other day and a leaf of red leaf lettuce everyday. At first I was only feeding him some pellets every day but then I read that wasn't healthy and too much protein. The first time I gave him lettuce was entertaining. At first he was scared of it but after a few minutes he got curious and poked at it for about half an hour. He eventually nibbled at it and once he got a taste he devoured it.
So that's where I am right now. Saving up to get him a bigger aquarium and trying to give him a balanced diet without shocking him or making him sick. I enjoy reading everyone's posts and I love learning how to make him happier and healthier!
