Urgent Care :: New Turtle Questions - Please answer

[smagster]

How big is your turtle? 1 1/2 inches in diameter
How long have you had it? 6 days

What is the water temperature? 78* to 80*
Did you use a thermometer? yes, a underwater thermometer
Are you using a water heater? yes, a petco submersible aquarium heater
How much water is in there? half of a 10 gallon tank, so 5 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? yes, "Petco water conditioner, for fresh and saltwater aquariums" I'm worried its for fish, I don't know how to check for that
Are you using any filtration? yes, a Tetra ReptoFilter which is used for up to 20 gallons, and I'm thinking its not powerful enough, so I'm going to try to return it and get a more powerful one.

What is the basking temperature? I'm not sure, what kind of thermometer do I need to check that?
Is there a basking light? yes, a Hallogen light with UVA/UVB and heat
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? a ZooMed Turtle dock
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? I've tried to feed her hatchling turtle pellets, which are quite small, but she spits them out and they balloon up and look exactly like her poop, so I'm avoiding that brand so I don't accidently fish it out. Everything has been too big for her and she has trouble biting and swallowing it, so I've tried to cut up strawberries, carrots, and banana as small as I can, but most of them she spits out, but she ate a little of the banana. I worried she's not eating enough because of this
When was the last time your turtle ate? today, she at the banana

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallons
Is the tank near a window? yes, but the window has curtains so the light doesn't shine through
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situtations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? a lot of sleeping, swimming purposely into the tank wall and heater, maybe as to get out?

Below I've written the story of the turtle's history in a paragraph, but if its unnecessary information you can just skip it:

My science teacher received turtle eggs in September from a girl who claimed her father's job had to do something with turtles and she raised them all the time. The girl kept about 5 eggs in a tupperware container for about 2 weeks with only a wet paper towel in it on the counter in the back of the room. Only 2 turtles survived and they were put in a 10 gallon tank with only a puddle of water. They started increasing the water over time so that the water was about an inch high. One turtle had some sort of skin infection that was raw and red and burst out of its bottom shell causing the turtle to not be able to stand upright, and consiquently it died. I knew nothing of turtles, but I felt that they were being treated incorrectly so I research and found that they were RES's. I made the teacher put in more water and a lamp with a fluoresent light bulb. Now I've got the turtle at my house.

Now I need help:

Please critique my set up; I would like to provide the best home for my turtle. There are not any herp vets in the area, but there are general vets that I can go to, but I feel as though they cannnot treat the turtle effectively. Is it correct to turn basking lamp on at 7am and turning it off at 7pm to provide the recommended 12 hours of light? As you've read, the turtle is about 3 months and has a small mouth that can't eat very big food, what should I give it that is super small? How much water does it need? I know the size of the tank but not the amount of water. Are filters supposed to filter out solid debris like food and poop? Mine does not.
There is a lot of debris on the floor of the tank, am I supposed to fish it out with a net or leave it there until I clean the tank out? Am I supposed to use soap when cleaning the tank?

If any of this info is on the website, please direct me to the page.

Thanks.

[SpotsMama]

Kudos to you for caring about the little turtle. What a shame that the others were allowed to languish.

Most of your questions are answered on the main site but I'll try to cover some of them for you here:

1. It's ok to use fish water conditioner for a turtle tank. In the future, look for Reptisafe in the reptile section of the pet store. It's perfect for a turtle.

2. I'm not familiar with your filter. Perhaps someone else can comment on it. A turtle does require a stronger filter than fish. If the filter isn't quite up to the job, then you'll need to do frequent water changes to keep the water healthy.

3. You can get a digital thermometer that will measure either air or water temperature. They are available in the fish section. An alternative is a remote probe - someone else on here will probably comment on them.

4. I doubt your Halogen is really providing UVB. Double check the packaging and see if it specifically says UVB and what percentage. Most people with small tanks use a regular household incandescent bulb for heat and a UVB specific combact fluorescent for UVB (which also, by the way, will provide UVA). A good UVB bulb is an Exo Terra Repti Glo 26 watt 5.0 compact fluorescent.

5. Being moved to a new setting is really nerve wracking for a little turtle. They usually won't eat or bask for several days until they settle down. At this point, however, she should start eating. The turtle pellets for a hatchling are exactly the right thing for her nuitritionally. Fruit isn't good as a steady diet but should be reserved for rare treats. Try soaking some pellets in tuna water to soften them up and make them smell great (from a turtle's perspective). If she is still have trouble with them, break them into even smaller pieces. Any food she hasn't eaten in 5 minutes or so should be scooped out of her tank so it doesn't foul the water. Read up on turtle nuitrition on the Nuitrition section of this site.

6. Swimming into the tank wall is standard for a turtle. They don't seem to realize that the glass is a barrier since they can see right through it. Some sleeping during the day is normal. If she's sleeping all the time, though, it means she's either cold or she doesn't feel good.

7. 12 hours on and 12 off for the lighting is perfect.

8. As much water as the tank will hold is the right amount for a turtle BUT...and this is important....don't fill it so full the turtle can escape. They are super little climbers and will get up on the basking platform or heater or filter and get out if you're not careful. If they can get their front feet on the edge of the tank, they can pull themselves out.

9. A right sized tank is 10 gallons per inch of turtle. You do the math. By the time your turtle is grown he/she will need a very large tank.

10. Filters filter water, not solid stuff. You need to syphon out or net out the solid debris. Don't leave it there or the water will get really nasty in a hurry.

11. Never use soap to clean a tank. It leaves a film. The best is either clean water or a mild vinegar solution. To disinfect a tank you can use a mild bleach solution, then be sure to rinse really will and let it air dry until you can't smell the bleach before refilling it with water.

12. The whole website has useful info. Look through it repeatedly as you get used to being a turtle keeper - you'll keep finding new stuff.

Good luck and have fun!

[joeybsmooth]

What she said .

But I would add this when you can get some pictures and post them and we could help you even more. And it is a shame what happen to the others. However I am glad that you took the time to look into their care.

[smagster]

Thanks for your help. I'll try to get some pictures.

I got a new hang on Aqueon Power Filter 30 (for 30 gallon tanks) and it has biological, mechanical, chemical, and wet/dry filtering. The problem is that it's so powerful that it's creating a current in the tank, making it hard for the turtle to swim. It also makes me fill the water all the way to the brim, and I'm afraid it's too high and the turtle will get out. What should I do? Its my second filter and this is getting pretty expensive and frustrating to my mom. I think I can still return it.

[Kemul]

I think your options to prevent escape are:
1. Lower the water level.
2. Build some kind of enclosure around the top of your tank.

Suitable filter for a turtle's tank is one that can circulate the water at least three
times the water volume in one hour.

Try to adjust the water outlet to minimize current. Some current won't be a
problem, I'd think. That'll keep debris circulated and sucked into the filter,
resulting in clear water. Good exercise for your turtle too

[SpotsMama]

One other comment - if there isn't a guard over the intake pipe it can be a big hazzard for a turtle, which can get stuck in it and drown. We've seen several cases like that on here. As long as you have a good guard on the intake (superglue it in place to be sure your turt doesn't knock it off) it will be fine.

[bigG]

I used to keep the water level well below the top of the tank but I believe my RES (4 in male and 7 in female) are quite domesticated. I have filled it up to within one to two inches of the top with a floating dock. My female has basically looked over the edge of the tank and even put one leg on the edge, but never climbed over. In fact, when I take her outside to romp around she usually heads for the door and if it's open she walks right back in the house.

My male RES sometimes only eats a couple times a week (warm or cold weather) but will always nibble on dried shrimp or krill. My female will eat daily and continue eating if I feed her.

I originally only had a small 10 gal aquarium when the female was small and had to clean it out every other day. And I fed her outside in another tank. I now have a 40 gal with a Fluval 205 and a small Whisper "15". I still feed them outdoors when the weather is warm. I only need to thoroughly clean the tank every two to three weeks if I feed them indoors.
I use the Python for cleaning, filling, and emptying the tank.

I used a basic UVB bulb in a round reflector hood which provides the light, UVs and warmth on chilly days.

[smagster]

Ok so,

Kemul said that a "suitable filter for a turtle's tank is one that can circulate the water at least three times the water volume in one hour"...my tank is 10 gallons, so I'd need one good for 30 gallons. This one filters 200 gallons per hours........so, I think that's a little much? ha, but the filter does say that it is recommended for 30 gallon tanks. I'm confused :/

The water is sucked in through a filter tube that has bars across it. Can that suck a turtle in?

I'm thinking about feeding my turtle in a separate container to keep the water cleaner...I've read on the site about it, but how exactly do I do that? Should I just put the turtle in a low and wide tupperware container with water in it?

[Kemul]

Actually, after reading several other posts, the recommended filter is one that can
circulate water five times in one hour. My bad.

Well, your filter is a little too strong, but the good thing is that you can use that
filter when you upgrade your tank. The 10-gallon tank will be outgrown by your
turtle soon if not already.

With that kind of inlet, I highly doubt a turtle can be sucked in. You're fine.

Yes, that's how you feed a turtle in another container. Just get the water from
your tank, so it's the same temperature and all. Some people do that, including me.

[smagster]

Thanks (:
I saw your pictures of Ramen's tank, and I was wondering what kind of plants are you using, and how are they living in those cubes? Unless those are fake, haha.

[Kemul]

Well, I'm only about 75% sure that the plant is Anacharis. Those are not cubes,
but tiny clay pots. I bought the plants in the pots. Need to rearrange them and
figure out how to put the plants into the pots myself. Some are floating in the
tank already.

The plants grow! Not really expected since the seller said it needs substrate
underneath to hold it. I didn't want to do it since I don't want to put small things
at the bottom of my tank. Anyway, the plants now have thin roots growing out
from the middle and some branches grow too. Good holding place for Ramen and
hiding place for some guppies.

[SpotsMama]

Ramen and the guppies will be providing fertalizer for the plants.