Hi! Introduce yourselves here. :: Adopted turtles

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Post Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 3:11 pm   Adopted turtles

Hello,

Just joined the forum. My first post was actually about some basic care.

I have kept a variety of animals as pets, from the more typical cats and dogs, as well as rats, anoles, snakes, turtles, and fish.

I just recently adopted a pair of RES from the son of an ex-coworker. He had decided that they were too much work for him.

Currently they are in a 40L aquarium, and come spring I may build either an outdoor environment for them or a larger indoor setup so they have more room.
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Post Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 12:52 am   Re: Adopted turtles

Welcome to the forum! Looking forward to what you do with their setup. Have you sexed them yet?
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Post Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:13 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

The previous owners had said one male and one female, but judging from the position of their cloacas and relative claw lengths, I am going with two females. They are both 6-7 inches in shell length, one being maybe an half inch longer than the other. The biggest is missing the tip of her tail.

The previous owner had named them Bonnie & Clyde, but as I already have a brother/sister pair of cats of the same names, thought I may call them A'Tuin and Morla, after the Giant Star Turtle of Discworld and the giant turtle from The Neverending Story.
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Post Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 3:57 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

Nice names. Do you have any pics of them?
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Post Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 4:26 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

Not yet, I will get some up in the next few days.
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Post Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:29 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

Was a bit concerned for a few days, as one (now known as A'Tuin) was eating food readily, the other (Morla) was not. There was no fighting over it, just seemed A'Tuin took notice of the food quickly and gulped it down. Morla did eat a pellet or two, but nothing much more. Even when food was dropped close to her, she didn't seem to notice.

I fed them today and both were eating readily. Probably was an adjustment period for Morla, and maybe A'Tuin didn't care.
I have their water at about 75F, and a basking area that is around 90F. I am using a 75W Exo-Terra Sun Glo bulb, but thinking of getting a larger wattage as the bulb is a bit close to get that temperature.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:56 am   Re: Adopted turtles

For heat don't waste your money on fancy bulbs. Just use a regular soft white light bulb. If you want it further away you could try 100 watt.
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 12:26 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

I did catch Morla in the act of basking today. I cracked the door to the room a bit a peeked in, she seemingly spotted me though and went back in the water.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:25 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

Yup, they do that. I try not to make eye contact and ignore them completely. After awhile they go back and usually stay up.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:43 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

I only have one that Basks. Every time I open the door real slow he goes right in the water. Havent seen my res bask in over a year ?
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:59 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

Wow, really? At least he's doing some basking.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:46 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

I haven't seen A'Tuin bask yet. The platform is about 10x13 inches, and while there may not be enough for them side by side, I think they could easily stack up and bask.
Madness will reign.
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Post Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:58 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

yea, my map does bask but not my res ?
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
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Kansasslider
 
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Post Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 2:23 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

Here is a picture of the turtles.

A'Tuin is the one in the lower left, and Morla is in the upper right. I took them out of the tank while I did a complete water change today.
Image
Madness will reign.
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Post Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 3:54 pm   Re: Adopted turtles

Why did you do a complete water change?
1 Male Mississippi Map/Mississippi
1 Female RES/Slidy.
1 DBT White Concentric Female/ Lucky
1 DBT Male/ Spots
(Housed in the same tank)

300 gallon indoor stock tank, FX6 & FX5 filters. Mega-Ray 100w UVB bulb.
User avatar
Kansasslider
 
Posts: 3043
Joined: May 10, 2012
Location: Manhattan,Kansas.
Gender: Male

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