Urgent Care :: Help :( Turtle separation

[Arisu]

Okay- as some of you know, I have 2 turtles. One is like a monster: doesn't care about anything but food, doesn't mind being handled, isn't one bit scared of people, is not shy, extremely active, etc.

The other one, however, is more skiddish: eats and basks ONLY when nobodys watching, doesn't like to be handled, gets freaked out very easily, and so on.

The monster, we'll call him BigTurtle, is definitely a male (his claws are killer). The smaller one, we'll call him LittleTurtle, however, is a bit too small for me to determine its sex.

Ever since BigTurtle reached 4"+, he became increasingly interested in LittleTurtle. He would follow LittleTutle (I would call it stalking even), sniff its tail, try to go on top of it, flutter his claws, etc. LittleTurtle never seemed like it minded much- it would simply push BigTurtle out of its way.

Now, heres my dilemma. It's Sunday afternoon and I just came home from a teahouse. I find LittleTurtle hiding in one of the corners, with ONE eye closed. I have a feeling its BigTurtles doing. I decided that I need to separate them NOW. My question is this: should I keep BigTurtle in the 55gal and move LittleTurtle back into the 10g? Or the other way around?

I feel that if I keep LittleTurtle in the 10g, it'll be easier for me to check up on it. Also, feeding would be easier and it wouldn't have to look all over the tank (LittleTurtle gives very little effort into hunting food). What are your suggestions? Please help!


How big is your turtle? 3" and a 4"
How long have you had it? 1.5 years

What is the water temperature? 76*
Did you use a thermometer? Y
Are you using a water heater? Y
How much water is in there? 3/4 of tank
Are you using a water conditioner? Y
Are you using any filtration? Y

What is the basking temperature? 85*-90*
Is there a basking light? Y
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Y
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Plexiglass
Is there a UVB light? Old one burnt out, getting new one

What have you been trying to feed it? 3" eats only pellets, 4" eats mostly lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate? Yesterday (LittleTurtle) and today (BigTurtle)

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 55g
Is the tank near a window? Y
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? N

Have you read the Basic Care section? Y
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Y

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? LittleTurtle is hiding in the corner with one eye closed.

[SpotsMama]

Put the big turtle in the big tank and the little turtle in the little tank. One of many good reasons to do so is that Big Turtle will produce big quantities of waste, which will quickly foul the water in a small tank and make it impossible to keep clean.

Little Turtle may have an injured eye. If it doesn't look too bad, get some of zoo Med's Turtle Eye Drops, available at most pet stores. Follow directions on the box. If it looks bad, best get him to a vet. In any case, keep the water extra extra clean while he heals.

My guess is Little turtle has been feeling intimidated. Once he has a tank of his own and begins to feel safe, his personality will probably bloom. He may also grow. If the two turtles have been fed iin the same tank, big Turtle may have been hogging all the food. Also, Little Turtle may have been feeling stressed which would interfer with his appetite as well as his personality.

[steve]

I agree with SpotsMama. I would consider a 40+ gallon storage container for the little one. It only needs to filled halfway (they're not meant for water), they are translucent (should help him feel safer) and they're very cheap to get.

[Arisu]

Spot's mama, thanks for mention the eye drops. I totally forgot about those; I'm gonna definitely stop by pet club (an extremely recommended pet WAREHOUSE found around the bayarea - everything is super cheap and they are filled with animal-experienced employees) tomorrow after school and pick some up. It doesn't look bad at all; Little Turtle opens them from time to time and its eyes are still clear.

Steve, I think a storage container is a great idea, and inexpensive. For now, I wrapped newspaper around the 10 gallon in order to boost his security

I should have done this a long time ago! But better now than never.

[Arisu]

Updates:

Bought some Zoo Med eye drops. Little Turtle's eye was open the very next day. Shes a lot calmer now that shes alone and in a non-see-through enclosure. Her appetite is also improving.

Went around looking @ storage containers, found a bunch but Target was the best. They had a 50 gallon that was flat and long for $20. I really want it but I need to figure out where the put it and figure out how I'll be able to pay for extra commodities such as stronger heaters and filters.

Also, has any one tried "Appetite Plus" but Nature Zone? Its supposed to boost your turt's appetite... not sure if its any good tho.

[untsmurf]

Why would you need to increase their appetite? Is one of them not eating?

There are other ways to fix problems like that. And I would try everything before going to some artificial supplement.

[Arisu]

Well, kinda. Little Turtle never STOPS eating completely but shes been iffy with her eating; meaning she'll give me hunger signs (like coming up to the front when she sees me with her ReptoMin container) and will attempt to eat. However, she'll sometimes chew her pellets then spit them out.

Should I tempt her by soaking pellets in tuna juice? I just don't want to open a can of tuna just for the juice, feel me? Any suggestions are appreciated!

[marisa]

What pellets are you giving? If they're larger, like Reptomin, break them up. I've had to break up even Reptomin Baby pellets for really small hatchlings.

Have never tried the Nature Zone product. Is it something you spray on the food to give it an appealing scent? If the turtle is at least attempting to eat the pellets you're giving him, then it may be the size or consistency of the pellet that's giving him problems (some pellets like Reptomin get a little sticky as they soften). Buying the product is up to you. It seems to me that if you wanted to add scent to the pellets, opening a can of tuna would be cheaper though (you eat the tuna).

[Arisu]

I'm giving her baby reptomins now because they're softer and higher in calcium. I've always broken up my pellets for Little Turtle when I used the regular sized ones and am very consistent with how I feed her. I give her 6-8 baby pellets every day. Her appetite is improving tho; shes been responding well to the baby reptomin.

The Nature Zone product is a liquid formula that is meant to be dropped directly into the turtle's mouth. The ingredients are "water, cyanocobalamin (not gonna pretend I know what that is)". Said its a "concentrated vitamin solution".

http://www.petmeister.com/item3482.htm

[TurtleLover_S&B]

Yeah,I agree with SpotsMama also.Anyway,glad littleturtle is better!