General Care Discussion :: New Owner loads of questions!

[gooseme]

I adopted two male 6 year old yellow belly sliders a few days ago

i had the tank and lights set up for it and popped them in. I checked on them 8 hours later and took some pics so would be grateful if you can tell me if they look healthy. Also there seems to be pieces of shell at bottom of tank is this normal?

I never had turtles before. Do they look healthy to you? as soon as i turned the heat light on they scrambles to their floating dock, only thing was when both went on it it sank

Pics:
https://goo.gl/pZbY0B

Videos:
http://youtu.be/GqYXFyxSm1A
http://youtu.be/OcO_lnC94hM

I added another dock so it does not sink as much until I can figure out how to make a more secure one.

Today One of the turtles has been on its basking area for a while now (6 hours) and i noticed that many of its shell is peeling. this cant be right?

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYXUKF_MQ9w

How often should i feed them?, the previous owner gave me Supa Turtle Food
http://www.reptilejungle.co.uk/supa-tur ... -921-p.asp

its two days and I not seen any poo yet, is their poo so small it breaks up into nothing or have they just not pooed yet?

When I turn the UV and Heat lights off after v12 hours can I light the tank with a marine blue light just to light the tank up for a few extra hours till I goto bed or is it best to leve them in the non illuminated tank?

[steve]

Welcome to the forum! From the pics, they look OK (though we could use clearer pics). They are shedding, which is good and should happen once or twice a year. They should be thin and translucent. As long as they come off normally, you don't need to do anything to it. Resist pulling it off.

For pellets, look into Mazuri or Omega One. Reptomin is OK as well, but I would look for the other two first. You can feed them everyday, maybe a 1/3 of the size of their head. Are they getting anything else?

Poop might be eaten, so you need to keep a close eye on it and try to scoop it out before they see it.

You don't need to illuminate the tank, though they won't sleep if there is light over their tank.

[gooseme]

How long can they stay out of water?

If they breath on land why do they swim in water?

Can they be taken out of the tank and allowed to walk on floor of home?

Why do they have waders for rear legs and claws for front feet?

How good is their eyesight and smell?

Do they have teeth?

If it was to bite you would it be severe?

They seem gentle when they are in water grabbing food, are they gentle at heart or give nasty bite?

Why does it sometimes swim with its tail extended and at other times tail is folded into its shell?

If the basking area is not warm enough for them will they still stay above water or always go into water again?

I normally rear axolotls and when their stressed their gills face forward and tail is bent so how do turtles show stress?

if a turtle is on its back what causes that and is it fatal?

If a turtle is held upside down is that fatal?

[steve]

How long can they stay out of water?
Depends on location and temperatures. They can easily bask all day if they wanted to.

If they breath on land why do they swim in water?
RES have nostrils and breath when they stick their head out of water.

Can they be taken out of the tank and allowed to walk on floor of home?
Yes, but generally not recommended.

Why do they have waders for rear legs and claws for front feet?
I'm guessing it's for pushing while they swim. Females also need large rear feet to dig nests.

How good is their eyesight and smell?
Very good. They are omnivores and love to hunt live prey.

Do they have teeth?
They have sharp beaks, similar to birds.

If it was to bite you would it be severe?
An adult bite can cut you.

They seem gentle when they are in water grabbing food, are they gentle at heart or give nasty bite?
They are inherently wild animals. Always be careful with hands around the tank.

Why does it sometimes swim with its tail extended and at other times tail is folded into its shell?
Not sure.

If the basking area is not warm enough for them will they still stay above water or always go into water again?
They can bask without it being warm enough, though that is rare.

I normally rear axolotls and when their stressed their gills face forward and tail is bent so how do turtles show stress?
When they are stressed, they don't eat as much and tuck into their shell.

if a turtle is on its back what causes that and is it fatal?
If it's on it's back, it usually means it tried to climb out. It can be fatal in certain conditions. (Hot, shallow water, etc)

If a turtle is held upside down is that fatal?
It can cause a lot of distress, I do not know how long for it to be fatal.