Habitat - Indoor :: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Turtle tank setups and other indoor configurations.

Post Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 1:52 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

And what was the cost of a stock tank that size? I may look into those, probably after I get a job.
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Post Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 3:18 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

They are actually made for outside as tanks for cattle to use. Very strong ! Last forever ! I got about 25 years ago 6 - 150 gallon for about $ 75 each. One in photo is that old. As you see I use as indoor pond more like nature. I never seen a pond in the wild with glass sides and being wider than glass tank's you can so much more. To look better I have a bamboo window blind wrapped around it , you could paint the outside or just let it black. You could even dig a big hole to make it at ground level in your yard.
Today do Not look at big box stores or plant nursery's for them , way over priced. Look at farm shops online or like a tractor supply shop much cheaper ! These are Rubbermaid stock tanks very heavy duty ! Not those cheap thin ridged plastic pond type at big box stores. Rubbermaid are weather resistant structural foam fiber. Picture is a 150 gal , today I see some for $100 -$130 and some with free shipping. This type is made from about small 25 - 300 gallons. Use a price tracking app and watch for the cheapest with free shipping.
A regular cheap glass tank that size would be 200 used to 300 -600 new. Also a good quality glass can run 700 - and up . Then you need a stand also $$$ .
You can use cheap cinder block's to raise a stock tank. Some people say no way "not for me" but I say if creative you can make them look good. Piggley's home is fair to me but I'm old and retired , best I can do now a days. I got the bamboo window shade on clearance for $10 at first I used a $3 table cloth and still looked good. It's 3' x5' and Piggley at his age ( little over 4 yr old and at 5" male RES ) like's me to change it up every few months but most "babies" don't like change. I have a lot of people say it look's pretty dam good , Piggley likes it so do I.

Plant's in corner out of view is water lettuce , wild hornswort , a little anacharis , some pond weed from city park also some hyacinth but that's outside I'm trying to recover it Piggley at so much of it. Use to keep 30#'s of plants in it but to control his diet just a few now. For a 150 gal that's not many plants. Have a few plastic plants in there to make up the difference. Have a 70 gallon stock tank outside as a plant tank to keep it going and it's also my rosy red and shrimp breeding tank.

Here's a little different setup / view to show some other plants :
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litefoot
 
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Post Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 8:16 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Today I bought my first aquarium plant, Java Fern, it was grown on an aquarium Hide log too. I'm going to bike down to the bank of the town river to look for duckweed, how would one disinfect that? Also my friend stumbled upon some Spotted Turtle eggs, of which they have cared for and released several generations of hatchlings saved from the clutches of the local great blue heron.
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Post Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2017 9:09 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Java fern holds lots of micro organism's the shrimp will like , some have a hard time keeping it alive.
Duckweed looks nice but you will find it creates a big mess and will give you more maintenance. You just need to wash and clean plants , problem its so small almost impossible to wash duckweed so I would quarantine outside in some water and let any hitchhikers fall off for a few days. Stir it around each day then maybe use a colander to rinse.
Picking up and moving the eggs will create deformities of the shell and internal organs. It is best to have let nature take it's course. Yes hatched / released but will never know the end result. If they had proper training then they may have a chance to grow to adults.
When I would move eggs to the incubator I put a dot on top and extremely very slowly and carefully make the move and still seen deformities. A turtle egg can never be turned around or turned upside down once it's placed in a nest. Development already started.
What about worms from the garden , have you tried them. Or from a bait shop , even a Walmart sell live worms in fishing section. May be easier and cheaper than keep buying live shrimp. Snappers love live food ! He is small I would not let him eat a real large worm , take it away after he eats an inch or two. Just another idea ?
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:12 am   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Went to a Petco, and they said they had never heard of hornwort or duckweed. However I did find a store that is a thousand times better called the Fish Nook. However they had no hornwort either, or duckweed. However unlike Petco they said they could get some. This morning my baby turtle would snap up while pellets, only to cough them up whole again.
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 8:15 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

First of all at some big chain pet stores the worker's have no idea and or training when it comes to pets . They are there for a pay check ! Are told what to say and what to sell... You know More at a young age than they may ever know on turtles . People forgot how to do homework and learn. You should be Proud of yourself ! Me as an old man never stop learning. Keep it up through out your life.

Here's a web site I'm using just for the pictures of some plants : https://theaquariumplant.com/product-ca ... ts/page/3/

Also a link for SAFE aquatic plants : http://www.redearslider.com/plants.html

Sometimes on EBay you can find some deals too.

At times turtles how fast they eat cough them up. Even with Piggley at 5" I feed one at a time , if I throw all at once he will do his best to get all in his mouth at once. It's instinct from the wild never knowing where the next meal will come from or competition. When I had babies I would soak the food in tank water first to soften it up to be easy to swallow for them.

Unfortunately some turtle's never get one on one time with a owner. Yes they want a pet but never spend time with them. Feeding time is a chore to them , poor turtle. I feed one stick at a time gives me and Piggley more and better time together. I keep a chair next to the tank I read to him I play with him. He's a member of the family ! He knows his name , like today I had him in his other tank while I did my full maintenance. He was cutting up , I just call to him and he stops. He's spoiled always wants to be near. Most of the time I leave him in for regular maintenance and he try's to help. As I scoop out things he helps to push the net or may even try to take something out. Move an air line , if he doesn't want it there he digs it up and moves it. In time I learned he was telling me where to put it and when I put it where he wants it he stops digging it up. I make a cave he knock's it down and try's to move it. I put it where he wants and all is good. Today he's strong enough he just moves things to his liken. I never change a tank fully I always leave two or three things that he loves the same. Make's him more comfortable ! That's why I like stock tank's give room to do things that can not be done in a glass tank. Observe well and you will see the expressions a turtle have and personalities they do show. And at times the Look's if I don't respond fast to what he's trying to tell me. Observing Piggley he jumps , so I made part of basking area about 5" above the water. When he wakes up he dives off it several times , everyday ! Going out for the Olympic dive team ? Yours may be young yet but what better time to start , when he's older things will be great. He'll remember that giant thing outside his tank that always gave him food and played with him took care of him.
Sorry for the long post I just love Piggley he's a member of my family !!!
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Post Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:36 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Prickles likes weding himself between things, be it between two rocks, between his heater and the bin wall, in a small pool behind a wall I put up to PREVENT him from possibly snapping at a wire and harassing the shrimp I just added, as one is pregnant. Thinking he was stuck I moved him, and he did not like me after that, turns out he must like cramped spaces because he went right back to where he was before I moved him. Most people would say to give him lots of space, when I do, I find him in the nearest wedge or cramped pool. He is way too slow to catch any of the shrimp by the way, my eye can't even track their movement. I put some supervivium in the rocks, would that be toxic in any way? I now also have permission to eventually convert an old sandbox pit into a pond.
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Post Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:43 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

I garden to . Supervivium ? Never heard of it , googled and (x). They do have Semperviviums most all are succulents. What you have is unknown to me but its not a succulent. So I can not say if it's safe or not. Looks a little like a staurogyne but not sure ???

Prickles will never be a turtle that wants interaction with you like other turtles want. As you just stated on how he reacts , his instinct is kicking in now and rather hide if he had the spots to hide. Snappers would rather hide most of the time under mud / grasses / fallen logs and ambush prey. They have very weak legs and not great swimmers. In the wild you will see some just walking on the bottom most will be hiding.
Offer him safe things he can hide in. Take some of the rocks out and dry well. Say take two and silicone some twigs on top make it look like a tree fall into a pond. Caves , take your time on a table arrange rocks in several ways , find best looking for Prickles and silicone them together for safety.
I never wanted a snapper for these reasons but to save him from the stovetop I took it. Ended up in my in ground pond , nothing I built made him happy. They love the mud and leaf litter to hide in ! I enjoy talking to you but you may want a snapping turtle forum. There are several. I only had the snapper for 12 years until Hurricane Katrina took him and several others. I will try my best to still help. How much have you researched , do you understand it's requirements as an adult ? Maybe do both forums ? Yes it's cool to have a snapper ! When we make a wild animal a pet it's our job being we made it captive to offer the correct diet and habitat that it needs to be happy and healthy.
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:38 am   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Saying a snapper isn't a great swimmer is like saying pigs aren't great at walking because they would rather lie in the mud all day. An aquatic animal is perfectly capable of swimming, even when they prefer to walk at the bottom.
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 9:20 am   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

I can only go by my 12 years with my snapper . Capable yes but no where swimming like a RES. Prefer to sit on the bottom and ambush prey and walk around on bottom yes. Musk / mud turtles are bottom walkers to and are mistaken for snappers . Yes they are capable of swimming to but often seen walking on the bottom.

How and what does your snapper do mostly ?

Does your always swim around to catch food ?

Like to hear how some other snappers do things !

One can read ten books , 5 say one thing and the other 5 different thing. That's why forums help some beginners , it provides first hand experience from observations of turtles from long time turtle keepers. My qualified experience is with my snapper. Over 50 years of turtle keeping. I also volunteered for 18 years at the Reptile Nature Center here and would not be asked to keep coming back if I imagined things to be true.
Please contribute your experience with your snapper , all experiences are welcome. Lets help this new person with practical first hand knowledge so he may enjoy decades with Prickles.
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 11:13 am   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

I'm just saying that snappers can swim just fine ;) I'm not saying that they swim to catch food or anything. Although I did see some videos of snappers swimming to catch fish when a fisherman gets one. Or when they get very curious lol. But they are ambush predators after all so of course they prefer to walk at the bottom ! But, and this is my personal opinion, I wouldn't say they aren't great swimmers, instead I would say they are slow. You do see them swimming to have a bite, but only if it's not moving. Like pellets or a piece of meat floating. But they wouldn't chase a fish cause they are so slow !

A lot of times people who have snappers put them in very shallow water and small spaces (like this: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/08/7d/9f ... b0d6b0.jpg), when in the wild you can find them in deep waters. I personally think that since they can swim to breathe some air, it's better to give them more space. I'm saying this because I've read some posts on different turtle forums that you shouldn't give them too much water otherwise they would drown, which is so wrong !
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 1:13 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Maybe I should have added the word "some" are not , would be better. I'm old give me a break , please. My fingers don't always type what I am thinking. Bottom line I since retiring I do what I can to help beginners and mostly the turtles. It's truly about the turtles to me ! No matter what book or a person says it comes down to doing homework yes but mostly observing your turtle. If one is good at it a turtle will tell you what they want and or need. Some may need something different. Observing is the key and prevention is the practice before things go wrong.
My snapper was a very poor swimmer , awkward at best , my doc said nothing wrong with it. Observing more I made a 5'x8' shallow pond on my breezeway and he loved it. Used 2"x12"x8' and a pond liner. Horse liked to dig in mud so in it went ! It took Hurricane Katrina to take Horse from me and my house but we had a great 12 years !
I try to explain no two turtles are alike and each require what they want / need. I go with my first hand experience from My turtles and the one's at the center that I see first hand. Photo's and some peoples explanations are not always clear. I'm not at there homes to see directly myself. I do my best in most post to get people to observe there turtle's. Not necessary do what a book says (yes the basics) or what I say but observe !!! There are some pretty poor books on turtle care out there.To me what I observe from My turtles is what counts on my end. Getting others to observe well is hard sometimes. As you may of read I pointed out some snapper instinct that is showing up in Prickles on what he rather do. Giving your personal pet what it's needs / wants by observing is what will work for a happy healthy turtle.
Thanks' forums are for different points of view , I personally can only go with my first hand experience over my 50 plus years and do my best as stated already to get others to observe and observe ! We need more thought's and input on this forum hope you , Shellby and Shelldon stay a long time.

ScorchedDragon what's Prickles doing today ?
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:07 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

He liked showing off in front of my parents and my brother's friend, he gave them a look, stared for a minute, then slowly went over to the branches on the rocks in the picture, he climbed up enough so his arms had a grip on it, and boom, walked back enough to pull it into the water, looking back at us like he was quite proud, he then gave us a show of how he can rip up every leaf of the java fern, and flipped the second branch into the water much like the first. He likes swimming between the intake and the wall in order to scratch his back, it's his first shed. He comes up on the rock when he wants me to pet his shell with a rubber glove. He also now eats pellets by hand, and responds to his name.
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:38 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Sounds like you got one that will be a show off ! Then those teen age years will come (juvenile) and want no part of you but into adult stage some get attracted back to there owner. You are past the hard part with him getting comfortable with you. You are now known as the source for food ! In time his instinct will kick in more and enjoy the hunt for the shrimp. You will surprised at how well he will hide to ambush them. That's why I recommended making some safe caves for him , something you can modify as he grows.
Get a camera you will want some pictures of all those looks he will show you! They will be priceless especially when he's an adult at 30#s.
Snapper's like to squeeze between things , just make sure he can't get pined in. There will be plenty of sheds while young they grow fast for the first few years then after the juvenile stage it slows down.
I find keeping a note book for shedding times and changes on him or tank even bulbs helps over the years , with photo's. You can do it on your computer and save it easy. It will help you learn what shedding looks like because bacteria problem to some look like shedding. I've been keeping records for decades and I use them to remind me of certain things. It helps me.
Watch what he does with the things he tears up could be trying to make a hide. Observing well helps you understand what's he trying to tell you. Maybe even help him rebuilt what you have , he has his idea for it. Once he has it where he want it will leave it alone and use it the way he wants to. It's his home . Like Piggley he has me trained to do it his way .
Feeding by hand great. I would hold food being a snapper with your thumbs finger nail facing his mouth , if done side ways he could get part of your finger. Yes a baby , just a good practice while you can , they can draw blood. Adult no hand feeding to me , they can take a finger with no problem , all of it ! Safety first is a must especially with a snapper !
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Post Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 3:22 pm   Re: Cleaner fish? Baby Snapping Turtle Prickles.

Just bought a Zoo Med Kit tank for aquatic turtles, it came with all kinds of new treats and toys, like a floating dock that he would rather hide under than bask on. And finally he has a UVB and Heat light at long last! Not that he has been using them much, but still, good to have! I have a substrate of Aquatic turtle river pebbles, and printed out a swamp backdrop,
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