Hi all.
found this web site around a month ago and think it is just so useful and full of advise for us newby RES owners, just great!
Well think a fairly quick intro is in order (que ramble). I am living in China with my Chinese wife although I myself am a UK citiizen. Well my relationships with RES began when we were looking for somewhere to buy to live in just after we got married. I left her for around 0.5 seconds and on my return she had purchased a wild caught RES, around 5 inch long I suppose, off a builder intending it for the pot! Well to cut it short I 'rescued' it not even knowing if it was a tortoise or turtle or why it did not eat out of water! With the aid of another turtle forum I learned fast It also had a little shell problem which I was doing my best to treat. However one day it vanished and can only assume it escaped, I certainly do not recall the taste of turtle in my dinner!
So one move latter and still with the bug I now have two female RES. One 4' which I have had around 12 months from a hatchling and one around 2' long which I have had around 3 months. The newly aquired smaller one has a little shell problem, lost half of it's claws and also has some beak damage. Sure know how to pick em don't I??
Again trying to keep it short, I have just invested in a 90 gal tank which I have almost completed fitting out and hope to install the older RES into in a few days time. If I manage to cure the smaller one it will join it too.
The wife keeps saying I love the turtles more than her! I gently point out that when they are hungry they cannot pop into the kitchen to prepare themselves lunch so it is upto me to provide it. Nothing to do with loving them more than her, although I must confess they do not give me a hard time about having the odd beer...... or two.
Anyway I have tons to learn, already have some questions lined up so you will be hearing more from me!
meoldchina
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It's so cute.
such an expert! In China these hatchling RES are sold for under a $1 each and you choose one from a squirming mass in a dry shallow container. You can also buy much larger RES and other varieties of turtles, some I regularly see seem fully grown at 10' plus. (not to mention cats, dogs, hens, ducks, birds, rabbits, hamsters, snakes......... mostly kept in poor conditions of varying degrees) 
