turtlehk wrote:Hi Tampa Bay Turtle Fan,
For the time being we don't have a heat lamp/water heater at the moment so the water is on average around 23 degrees depending on if the tank we have is outside or inside. Being in HK - the temperature at this time of the year ranges from 23-27 degrees (75-80 degrees Fahrenheit) all day and night and 80-99% humidity. I have a makeshift 'basking' area where they can climb up and dry off.
I don't know if the shop sells local or imported turtles to be honest - it's just a local pet store that sells reptiles among other pets.
Just an update - my wife went back to the pet store - and they gave her some (what appears to be) iodine solution and advised to apply it to both the shell and foot.
I'll apply this solution for the next week and see how we go. There happens to be an exotic veterinary very close to us so if all else fails - we'll take them there.
Just to get a gauge - what is the maximum age/length we can keep our 2 RES in a 40 gallon tank?
Thanks,
JP
Hiya Back Turtlehk,
A diluted iodine is actually very good for this and there is a few ways to utilize it for better results. Normally I would use it in other ways then just applying it really for a stronger and more effective approach however the pet store may be right in this case where it appears to be such a minor case, just applying it this round as they described, may be the best way to go. If it does not work or if the problems remains, I will go into strong detail with you step by step. My visual observations though indicated that it really looks to be very minor.
Okay now for you to blow my mind a bit. I know at the National Breeders Expo in Daytona, Many and I mean many Japanese dealers come over and they buy many 100 groups of reptiles at a time. For the snakes at least, they will order their C.I.T.E.S paperwork way in advanced knowing the general weights of all species before they hatch and this is a question that is on the paperwork is the current weights of the animals. So with that said, since reptiles are generally the same weight at birth or hatch times or close to it, they can get by this question easily even if the animals are not born or hatched yet lol. If the governments wanted to really throw a twister at them, simply asking for photos of each baby would throw the buyers off really bad lol. The Japanese I must say are the smartest dealers when it comes to the Governments paperwork. Most other Countries wait to get the paperwork done at the last minute then realize that they can not go back with the reptiles they purchased until the paperwork clears and gets approved therefor causing more issues all the way around. Your dealers come over and instantly pretty much take the animals upon their return. It has always fascinated me business wise on their skills and how they handled everything.
But anyways, For a normal red ear slider baby like yours, How much money in a pet store do they cost? How about prices from the pet stores on the Albinos and or other morphs? I can convert your money to ours online if you do not know what the conversion already is. I just heard that the prices over there in reptiles and other things is so high.
I am half British as well and I know that the prices there are high as well in general and the VAT tax the British has is also unreal and I hated that growing up over there just outside Manchester England in a town called Ashton Under Lyne.
Your question in regards to: " what is the maximum age/length we can keep our 2 RES in a 40 gallon tank? "
I am against overfeeding any reptile in general, however most people want them to grow fast to be able to breed them quicker. People doing this are not looking out for the health and life span of the turtle in general. I heard a turtle breeder recently near me who known me back from when I was breeding boas tell me that I can get a male ready from a baby in less than two years and a female ready in three. My statement to him was, number 1, you are simply putting health issues that you could avoid by raising them right and slow and second I told him as a breeder, You will see more clutches long term with bringing them up their natural growth rates then you would see a few clutches and then dead breeding adult turtles in a much shorter life span. I asked him politely being that I was against this with being a former vet tech to not talk to me again on that issue as I do not support his thinking pattern with my own animals. Regardless if you want the turtles as pets and or breeders or both, doing things right is not only the right thing to do but you will be more productive on the areas you want to be in.
Now they have a general rule of thumb out there for turtles that for every inch of a turtles shell equals to 10 gallons of water. Your little ones for a few months anyhow , maybe for around 6 months would be fine in a twenty gallon at least with my experience even though it is a tad smaller than recommended. 40 Gallons is great for the two and will be fine in my opinion till they are just over 3 inches (my albinos are that size now just over 3 inches). I found my 55 to be perfect for the two albinos and my baby hybino which is not much bigger than yours at the moment. However here shortly, I will be placing my albinos outside in a waterland turtle tub with them becoming large enough to be there of course in my back yard that has a high wood fence so I feel safe enough to keep them outside while preventing theft . The only people who know where I live and what I have, are those very close to me. When I sell animals periodically, I always do it away from here unless I get to know a person first and then even, I will bring my animals inside and never show them my outside areas.
But anyways, the 10 gallons of water to every inch of a turtle theory is great howsoever I really do not think it is accurate in my opinion. Lets look at the largest waterland tubs available. 200 Gallons right that could hold a group of large RES for breeding and has proven to do so. Using the 1 inch per gallon theory , you could put only say two large females maximum. Take a look at the size of these tubs and you would see and think in your mind, for groups of RES proven to breed steadily in them, there is in no way shape or form that the general rule of thumb is utilized. Yes they need a lot of room, yes they need depth, yes they need a basking area and nesting area but what is the true size needed is questionable really. The larger their domain also results in more aggressive and dominant issues you will see as well, proven fact and Steve the Admin for these forums stresses this and is very much accurate for the facts he presented which I found to be interested in. Dominance , aggressive and territorial issues from my experience comes with age however this is not the case for many others. All my turtles from my babies to my adults get along well. Maybe I am like a good turtle daddy and make sure all my turtle kids play well lolol. I have no idea. When it comes to any breeding of reptiles and months in advance and depending on species, I kept my breeders always separate and not for dominance and aggressive behaviors that I never had a issue with, but for the fact it made it so much easier prior to breeding season and during breeding cycle temperature simulations. To phrase it differently, It would be like you or I during our teenage years as young males. If you seen a girl over and over in school, around the neighborhood, hang out times and just so very often, I am sorry but unless you are attracted which I always went by , by their personalities and interest, just looking at them as lust and seeing them all the time, that particular girl, became old to even look at therefor you just remain friends and nothing more than that.
Now in the case, you seen as a teen, another attractive female that you just met and you really wanted to be with her, of course the game plans change and you go all out to achieve just that. Well reptiles are like this way as well sort of speak. They see each other daily and they have less interest sometimes in breeding. Keeping the reptiles separate in their own domains and after the temperature cycle prior the the courtship times occur, a rule of thumb is to always introduce the female to the males domain therefore while she is exploring this new domain out with never being there prior, she sends out her scent while exploring and he with already knowing his own domain, does everything in his power in courtship leading to successful clutches and outcomes. This is what you need to think about regardless on choosing the right size of your turtles enclosures. I would think having two set ups in time to avoid the dominance and aggression that is suitable to say with his being the bigger of the domains. Right now the 40 gallons is perfect though and they are only babies. These are just ideas for you and I see that you are in the long dedicated commitments with them.
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2016 1:26 am