Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: new guy with needy res

[GeePee]

saved a RES from bad care. they were calling her francis thought im sure shes a female. This is easily the best site ive found for info. So I hope to borrow from the collective wisdom as I continue to rehab her and upgrade her amenities. She is full grown about 9". was living in a 20 gallon tank with 2" of water (because they were "afraid she would drown") and a rough cinder block. no UVA/B or natural light, but she did get to go outside in a kiddy pool on hot summer days. fed only pellets.

She has massive shedding problems. her shell has a major defect in the middle. slowly improving. not sure if its entirely nutritional/environmental/stress related or perhaps an injury from a hard fall I know she had at one point. I finally figured out why shes so destructive in her tank as she seems to need help shedding her shell.

She won't eat any veggies except aquatic plants. got her 3 guppies yesterday, she ate one so far. likes to chase them. got her some duck weed too. shows no interest. sticks all over her. dont think ill get again.

I dont know how to upload pics. have a few to show her set up. which I know is not sufficient. 29 gallon tank. 28" uva/b light. ceramic heat bulb. 55 gallon rated stealth submersable heater. I have her water at right around 75 F, and her basking area about 82 F. One of those floating turtle docks that cant support her weight, so I reinforced it with a block of wood for buoyancy, and a PVC pipe pillar to keep it from tilting away from the suction cup stanchion. it works pretty well now. I was using a whisper cartridge filter 20-30, but since I got a python syphon ive just been giving her 25-90% water changes almost daily rather that filter it. Im going to be moving soon so Im putting off upgrading her tank as far as size until after the move. at which point id prefer to build a tank around 100 gallon capacity custom for her needs. a project im hoping to get advice on.

She seems happy. very social demeanor. great pet despite high maintenance and cost.[/img]

[megcornell]

Hi, glad you're finding the site helpful. How nice of you to save a turtle, have you named her?
Shell problems are common when turtles are kept in poor conditions. Once you post pictures it will be easier for people to see what the problems are and give you some suggestions on how to treat them. Her improved conditions will do her a world of good, especially having swimming room and a more balanced diet.
As for the pond, depending on where you live, there are several options. You can do a search and see the different ponds people have built.
http://www.redearslider.com/habitat_gallery.html that's a link to some outdoor set ups.

[notoch351]

It's great that your here to help her, and welcome. Theres a sticky on the top of the page in the photo gallery that will help you learn how to upload your pictures.

[GeePee]

"Theres a sticky on the top of the page in the photo gallery that will help you learn how to upload your pictures."

cant find it. dont want to enter photo contest. just add photos to post like i see other people doing. thanks

[megcornell]

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1811
Those are the directions for how to post pictures... if you need any further help just ask.

[GeePee]

[megcornell]

She is a big girl!
From the pictures I can't tell what issues you think her shell has, if you could post some pictures of her shell dry that would help. The shell does look a little misshapen but considering how she'd been living I'd say she looks pretty good, and pretty happy to have some more room!
On a side note: you will want to move the tank away from the window. Not only will the sunlight cause a mass algae growth in the tank but it can really cause temperatures to fluctuate wildly which can lead to sick turtles.

[marisa]

Welcome. She's a big mama who doesn't look exactly thrilled about having her picture taken in that first pic. Where is the shell defect you spoke of?

[GeePee]

not the best pics i know. she doesnt sit still much. and shes got duckweed all over her.

her shell is shedding in many places. but the place im worried about is in the middle. whitish. deep indentation. its looking much better. doesnt seem to be sensitive. maybe im crazy.

I didnt realize i also need to give her a place to lay eggs. thats why shes in that tub with the gravel. will that be an ok substrate to use? what a pain. shes at least 10 years old and as far as i know shes never had access to a nesting area. shes tough.

[wezeles]

She would probably preffer some wet sand or soil over gravel, I keep a litter box under the tank for mine if she ever starts to show signs "digging with back legs" When her new tank shows up in going to incorporate it into a secondary baking area instead..

I'd take her to a vet for the shell issue. Looks like a nice infections.. be it from bacteria,fungus, even algea eating away at her shell is hard to tell but the vet could tell you best.. Good luck and start looking for a bigger home for that big girl...