Urgent Care :: new turtles

[pamiam214]

I went to South Carolina this past week and in a gift shop I saw a tank of cute little res', I fell in love with them! So two days before I left, I bought two and kept them in a little plastic cage they came in, poor things. I fed them but it was a 5 hour drive home and they were shooken around a bit. Ive been home about four days now and I have them in a 5 gallon tank with a basking light, a floating thing for them to go on, and a filter. They are acting skittish though, like when I or my family enters the room they dive into the water and swim all over franticly. I also notice one of them sits under the light all day and the other is swiming all the time. Are these things normal turtle activities, could they just be adjusting? Also, I have read it is ileagel to sale them if they are smaller then four inches? One of them looks like it is about an inch or smaller and the other a little less then two.
Do you all think they will make it? They are so cute, ive already bonded!

Thank you

[bradhart]

read up on the stickies for proper care/diet 5 gallons is WAY too small for youer turts. they should ideally be in a 30 gal at least. and they will grow to be 8-10 inches each... so you're gonna need a huge tank in the end. be thinking 150-200 gallons. you need a heater and uvb light in addition to what you already have. Read up on the stickies and ask any questions you have.

[marisa]

Yes, read the posts here, many are by newbies, to give them the best of care and increase their chances of making it.