Hello,
I was looking for some info and came across this site. I was tickeled to find a place where information was so specific to my needs reguarding my turtles.
I was introduced to turtles by my mother when I was about 3 or 4. She had a love for them for as long as I can remember. Unfortunatly, she was unable to keep any for many years. About six years ago, I rallied the family and we split the cost of getting her all set up for having turtles again. We got her out of the house on her birthday and got it all put together for her. We even built an aquarium stand out of white oak for her. When she came back into the house, she was brought to tears. She even moved her sewing table so that she could watch her turtles while quilting. Because her health was not so good, my brother and I helped maintain the tank for her.
Saddly, she passed away two years ago, and we were forced to sell the family home. My brother was unable to keep them in his apartment, so I stepped up. The turtles have great meaning for my brother and me. They are a sort of link to our mother.
I am unable to keep them indoors as I already have a small zoo going on. We have:
my bullfrog tank, with 6 frogs (most I got as tadpoles) and guppies, platies, a pleco, an upside down catfish and a female betta
a large container for gut loading crickets
my nursery tank for the baby guppies and platies
My oldest boy's 40 gallon tank for his large goldfish, a pleco and a clownknife
the small tank for gut loading the knife's food
a cockatiel and a budgie that share a cage
a pair of madagasgar hissing cockroaches
a chilean rose hair tranatula
two, a breeding pair, of ball pythons
my middle boy's pet rats (the babies are for the snakes and the overflow, we take to a local pet store.)
My malamute and newfie, and my brother's pit
my six cats and my oldest's cat
my youngest boy's two rabbits
We have created a make shift home for the turtles in my back yard where they are safe and happy, at least untill it got REALLY cold. The only room in the house that we heat is the kids room, so most of the animals that need a constant temputure are in there. The turtles just won't fit. So when they started to act as if they wanted to hibernate, we thought it was best, for the time being, to let nature take over. I talked to a local herp expert and she helped me to learn what I needed to do. They are in a bucket of organic stuff and seem all right. They scared me one day, as I went to check on them and a couple had burrowed all the way to the bottom. I am keeping a close eye on them and we are going to set up something better before spring.
Well that is the story of how turtles came into my life and where we are now. I am looking forward to learning more, and sharing my experiances with all.
Wila
). Those animals are so lucky.... On the turt aspect of things, i'm a real beginner but if it helps this is the ULTIMATE turtle place as far as i'm concerned. Struggling to even post a question given the answers that are already out there.... Anythin' you need i reckon you'll find it here, happy turtle times