General Care Discussion :: Need some advice...

[Callipepla]

I took in a little RES a couple years ago from a friend. The friend had the little turtle in what I would consider inhumane conditions, and I wanted to give the best I could. Hes gotten much bigger, and I cant seem to keep up with his tank requirements (size) and Im finding it more difficult to clean the tank because Im not strong enough to lift it on my own. I dont want to keep him if I cant give him the best care possible, and I dont want to just give him away. Hes the sweetest little turtle, I want to make sure he gets what he needs. Does anyone know of a rescue or some way of adopting him out safely? Any help would be appreciated...

[steve]

How big is he/she? Is it a male or female?

[Callipepla]

My vet says it is most likely a he, I would say about 4 inches, maybe 5.

[steve]

Well, a male RES could theoretically have a 55 gallon as a forever home. Maybe you might be able to find a family member interested, especially if you can help with the initial setup? You might also want to check with the local California Turtle and Tortoise Club chapter, though we all know RES are hard to rehome.

[Callipepla]

I dont have any family that could take him, and I still wouldnt be able to clean his tank as often as he needs if I get a 55 gallon tank...
Ill check on the turtle and tortoise club and see if they have any ideas. Thank you!

[xcristina]

You don't need to lift the tank in order to clean the enclosure, a decent canister filter should do the job for you.
My is 8 inches and lives in a 80 gallon tank. I could barely lift her first 15 gallon tank, it got dirty pretty fast because I had poor filtration. At first, I was a bit terrified at the idea of such a large tank, thinking how on Earth could I clean that monster and, needless to say, the 80 gallon is impossible to even move an inch! But after reading a few threads here, I realized that it is actually easier to clean the monster than a small tank. And it really is, believe me. Now I only have to clean the filter every two months (rinse the biomedia and sponges), change the carbon monthly, and scoop the mess that falls to the bottom of the tank if Bobo is too lazy to swim and raise it into the filter intake...
Don't feel descouraged, it's obvious that you care for the little one, there are solutions!