Urgent Care :: HELP! Don't know what to do..

[SpotsMama]

RES can only eat when they are in the water. They can't swallow except in the water, so their food needs to be in the water. And they eat on the surface and from the bottom of the tank with equal vigor.

If they don't eat their pellets or tuna right away, be sure and net out the leftovers so it doesn't foul the water. The veggies can stay around longer before they start to spoil Living aquatic plants can just stay in the water until they are all eaten or (more likely) ripped to pieces by the turtles.

You are really doing a good job of setting up temporary homes for these little guys. Maybe you'll miss them so much when they go back home that you'll have to get a turtle of your own....

[AliciaTTU]

I'm SO excited!!! So, I checked on the little guys periodically throughout the night and they seemed to be moving around and sleeping and stuff. Bully (the one I've been worried about) was actually sleeping stretched out of his shell, which was surprising because ever since I got him he has been withdrawn and hiding when sleeping.

When I went in the room this morning, he was swimming around and playing with BB!! I put some pellets in the water for BB, and was going to go get the tuna to see if I could try and entice Bully to eat, when he made a beeline for the pellets and started going to town!! I think all is well with both of them. They are even keeping their eyes open under water! Tonight, when I get home from work, they will both get special treats!

Thank you guys so much for your help! I would have been completely lost.

[AliciaTTU]

Oh, SpotsMama - you are correct. They have taken a keen interest in ripping the aquatic plants to pieces. I believe they think it is funny, and if I am quite honest, it is amusing to me as well. I watched them for a bit this morning, and they were really having fun with their plants.

I'm really hoping that I can just keep them!!

[SpotsMama]

Turtles are little rascals. I too take a guilty pleasure in watching them rip up a plant from time to time.

[SpenceMasta]

im concerned about you buying a reptile tank, as they are not made to hold water unlike an aquarium which is made with the proper glass thickness and silicone to withstand pressure

you've only had them for a few days so they probably aren't adjusted to their new environment, it takes my turtle a few weeks to start acting "normally" after set up changes

[AliciaTTU]

The tank said for use with aquatic turtles...? It's only filled about 2/3 full, which I understand is still a lot of pressure. And it will only be for about another week or two at the most... My only other option would have been a rubbermaid container or something of the sort, and I trusted a glass tank more than a rubbermaid container.

[AliciaTTU]

My biggest concern right now is that the tank was milky when I went to check on them this morning. I had fed them some pellets and tuna yesterday afternoon, and I allowed them to feed for about an hour, then I netted out everything that was left. Before I went to bed last night, I noticed a lot of skin-type material floating on the surface of the water, so I once again netted the whole tank. Either the filter that I got isn't worth a darn, or they are making up for lost time now that they have more room and are clearing their systems out. The only thing I can think to fix this would be to do a water change. There is no way I can get ALL of the water out of the tank - I did good to get the darn thing setup in the room it is in. I live alone and there is no way I can move that tank - even if I take the majority of water out. There are 40 lbs of rocks in the tank (just enough for a layer to cover the bottom of the tank) plus the weight of the tank itself....

So, I guess time for some creative thinking....

Any ideas on what else I can do to help prevent the water from turning milky?

[seanwb]

OK, firstly congratulations on getting so far, all you have done now is hit the next set of challenges which are easy to solve. Secondly good news is you do not need to change all the water. There are few things involved here.

1. Filters take a while to cycle (good bacteria to multiply to a stage where they keep ammonia and nitrites down), so the milky water is probably to be expected.

2. If you allow them to feed for an hour, then you are overfeeding. Feed them enough pellets to fit in their their head every other day (or half a head every day). Turtles are excellent con artists, and may beg like mad for more food, making you feel like you have to feed them more. My RES can eat 1/2 a head size of pellets in about a minute!. Like dogs, cats and even humans it is best to not overfeed them - they will get fat and unhealthy.

3. If you overfeed, more waste will come out the other end, putting extra load on the already overloaded filter

4. Cut out the tuna now they are feeding

5. If you give a turtle a nice warm tank after being in a cooler environment, they will thank you by shedding their skin. As a new RES owner I became very distressed for a few minutes until I picked up on a thread on here that it was normal. Nothing to worry about.

6. Never try and move a tank unless it it completely empty. There is a very high chance it will break.

7. If you tank is for aquatic turtles it should be fine.

8. What you need to do now is move to a series of partial water changes. If you change 30% of water every few days and cut down on the feeding, all will slowly settle down.

9. To anticipate you next question - how do you change 30% of water?
If the tank is on a stand, use a syphon to put the water into a bucket (do not start by sucking using your mounth; not healthy)
Otherwise just use a jug.
Ideal solution is if you can syphon the water out direct into a drain.

Looking forward to your next set of questions as you continue to make progress.

And on behalf of the turtles - THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AFTER US !!

[marisa]

They need to eat in water (they need the water to be able to swallow the food). Even if a RES takes food out of the water, he'll bring it into the water to eat it.

[AliciaTTU]

Ok, so I did about a 30% water change - I think I eyeballed it pretty well. Just used a huge stock pot that I had and carried a couple of buckets of water to my sink, then carried a few more with fresh water to the tank. The milkiness has diminished slightly, but there is still a bit of cloud to the water. And it stinks. I really think I need to get a different filter - I think this one sucks - no pun intended. Can someone recommend a good filter that is relatively low cost? The one I have now cost $60 and it's not worth a darn.

I have the tank in the room I call my 'office' - it's basically just where I charge my laptop and store my books or whatever. As I am typing this, I am witnessing BB bask. He climbed up onto his dock right in front of me. I'm shocked. When I got home from work, I know they were both on the dock because I heard two distinct splashes when I opened the door and walked in. I'm hoping this means that they have settled into their new home and are pleased with their accommodations.

[seanwb]

What filter did you buy?

You will need to be patient with a filter while it matures.

[AliciaTTU]

I got a ZooMed 501 or something like that. It was the one that the 'reptile associate' at PetSmart recommended for me. Seriously - this thing is horrible. I'm taking it back tomorrow. The tank smells so horrible, I can smell it when I walk into my house. And it is clear on the opposite side of my house from the entrance.

[seanwb]

You have 40 gallon tank with two 4inch turtles in it, and they sell you a filter for a maximum of a 30 gallon tank. Not good advice!

Try and get an external canister filter for an 80 gal tank or there abouts (I personally would try a Fluval 305 / Rena Filstar XP2 - some may recommend a medel up). You will still need to be patient, but at least the filter will have a chance.

[AliciaTTU]

I'm quickly learning that much of the 'advice' I got isn't worth a flip. Also - can you recommend a decent water conditioner? I'm having to change a good portion of the water out almost daily to keep the water clear and not stinky. I figure I should probably help the little guys out a little and treat it before I just drop them in...

I cut back their feedings to the amounts and intervals recommended on this site. They aren't happy with me - always begging for food when they see me. I stand strong though and don't give in...even though they are pretty cute when they beg Hopefully, that will regulate the amount of waste in the tank and will slow down the load the tank has to carry.... Who knew that two turtles could give me such a run for my money.... And they aren't even my turtles LOL

[marisa]

When I've used a water conditioner, it's been Reptisafe. Nova Aqua is also good, I'm told. It will not help with keeping the water clean, however. Water changes are still going to be necessary.