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hi everyone, i just visited a friend who has all these pets, everything from hamsters to cichlids... the problem is that he has two turtles about the size of your palm, 4-5 inches, in a 5 gallon! the water is very clear, no uvb (i dont think it was a uvb, all he had was this long flourecent light to a lamp) and a cheap filter... now he's not a bad pet keeper, all his other pets seem to be living it out right but his turtle's habitat is just wrong! i tried convincing him and telling him about all the books and websites that tells you what you need to have but he wouldnt listen, he's playing on the fact that he's had them for a couple of years now with no problem. i checked the turtles' shells and stuff and they look pretty strong and healthy, no soft shell or anything... how long do you think his turtles will last before something bad happens?

You could try printing off a couple of care sheets and leaving them in random, easy places to find. Maybe he might catch the hint, or at least read them.

There is no exeption for a bad keeper.

i never said it should be an exception, i was just wondering why they are still doing well after so many years, maybe its the internal problems he might run into soon

As my signature says.. we don't want our turtles to just survive we want them to thrive. Some turtles "seem" to be healthy in an inadequate environment but their life span may not equal that of a turtle in the proper environment. This is why it's difficult for some to accept the 10 gallon per inch rule because they've seen others who turtles seemingly were doing well in even those death bowls.

I actually saw a picture of a turtle kept in a round bowl that it grew too large to even get it out of.. I have no idea how they even cleaned the water or fed the poor thing.. yet the turtle grew and "seemed" healthy.. until they couldn't get it out and it died in that bowl.

Turtleboy: you said your friend has cichlids, my guess is he doesn't have the proper environment for them either.. a breeding pair should have a 20g long tank to themselves.. bet there are more than 2 in a small tank. (Yes, I have them too!!)

My cousin had the turtle i have now, i convinced him to give her to me so i can take better care of her, he's only 14 and doesn't have enough money(neither does his mom) to properly take care of her, nor does he really know how to. the day i got her, her tank was filthy, slim and gross stuff all over, all the rocks in her cage were slick with filth. to top it off the water wasn't deep enough for her to swim in, and she had no uvb light, no basking light, and he barely kept the lights on. he had her for 2+ years(!!), obviously she was able to live, but any longer in those conditions who knows what kind of disease or sickness she could have developed.

as for your friend, you should try to keep pushing the fact that these conditions are definetly not suitable, and that one day they're going to end up dead. let him know it's very serious, and if he cares about them as much as he says, he should take action asap. also let him know you're looking out for his best interest also! hope this helps!! ;]

Don't really know. You might tell your friend, though, that even though the turtles don't have any problems (yet), their quality of life is miserable. How do they even turn around in that tank? How would he like to live in a room/home the size of a closet?

5 gallons is terribly small for two turtles of that size. They must be so cramped in there. Keep trying to change his mind. If it's a money issue as to why he won't get them a bigger tank then suggest looking in the newspaper classifieds or at garage sales. Many times you can find large tanks for incredibly cheap. You can also get those plastic bins that they sell at wallmart for like $10. Thier not as pretty but their big and would adequately house the turtles. Good luck changing your friends mind.