Feeding and Nutrition :: winter feeding

[kc]

hi my name is kevin and i am a very busy university student in toronto. i have a red ear slider about 8cm or 4 inches, shell length. toronto has a very dramatic weather. it can be really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. about a month and a half ago i've noticed that the amount of food my turtle is willing to eat decreased dramatically. i suspect it is due to the decrease in temperature. as of today the water temperature is measured at 23 celsius or 74 fahrenheit but sometimes in the winter the temperature can go down to 20 celsius or 68 fahrenheit. i also do have a basking area for my turtle. in the past month and a half, my turtle ate very little food and it looks fine to me. some days it's active and some days it looks lazy. i find that somewhat nice that my turtle is not eating too much because the less it eats the less i have to clean the tank. enough been said, i just want to ask, should i be worried that it's not eating as much? maybe most of you will just suggest me to get a heater but for all the money i have, i have to spend on books. is there an alternative method to keep the water warm? like adding hot tap water? or at the very least, keep my turtle healthy and alive over the winter?
thank you.

[CountryGirl68]

The decrease in eating is normal during the winter months. My vet told me that during the winter months, temps as low as 65 degrees is safe for a turtle. It won't put it in hibernation but since turtles eat less during the winter, it will help with their digestion.

[cam722]

I'm curious as to the fluctuation with the water temp. Are you using a water heater?

[megcornell]

Hi Kevin, I'm a busy student too, I go to Cornell University. Unfortunately turtles do require some not so cheap set ups. Namely, a decent sized tank, filter, proper lighting, basking perch, and very importantly a water heater. Not only is it important to keep a 4 inch turtle's water about 75 F, it's very important for that water temp to be constant, the fluctuating temps that you describe ( especially with the sporadic weather everyone is having this winter) you will really want to spend the 20-30 bucks on a heater. If you don't the chances are your turtle will get ill and that will be a lot more expensive due to vets and treatments etc.
I also hope that you realize what a commitment a turtle is financially. I know a lot of poor college students (Cornell is not cheap hahaha) but I also know we always find a few bucks for what we want, be that a night out at the bars or spending that 20 bucks on our turtles. College is about budgeting those few spending dollars that you have, and the turtle has to be in that budget.
Good Luck with classes and the turtle!

[kc]

thanks meg! i go to university of toronto by the way and the tuition here is crazy for computer science. i don't know where you got a heater for $20. i've been looking around heaters and the ones that i see are usually $60-80. i guess i have to go buy a heater then. but if i get a heater, my turtle will start to eat like crazy, then i have to clean my tank more often.

[cam722]

You can get heaters online for under $20.. you can try

http://www.bigalsonline.com

[xsavingsaturdayx]

thanks meg! i go to university of toronto by the way and the tuition here is crazy for computer science. i don't know where you got a heater for $20. i've been looking around heaters and the ones that i see are usually $60-80. i guess i have to go buy a heater then. but if i get a heater, my turtle will start to eat like crazy, then i have to clean my tank more often.

Well if you are worried about the tank getting dirty fast you can always feed your turtle in a separate container,go to your local store and pick up a small 99 cents container that your turtle can fit in! Feed him theyre.A heater is very important please get one..You can always order one online.Turtles can get sick if the temperatures drop to low,meaning you would have to see a vet and etc,and it can sometimes be expensive.With a heater the water stays at a comfortable temperature and he will be less likely to get sick.

[CountryGirl68]

I'm curious as to the fluctuation with the water temp. Are you using a water heater?

The way I read his post was that during the winter the water temp can go to 68 degrees based on how cold it gets in Toronto. I didn't think he meant it fluctuates daily. But he did mention he's going to buy a heater so I guess that means he didn't have one.

[megcornell]

No Prob Tuition is crazy everywhere sadly, and it keeps going up!?!

But yes, if you have a petstore chain like a Petsmart or something they have cheap but good heaters, mine cost 15 dollars and it's for a 30 gallon tank, although it may have been on sale, I can't remember.

As for cleaning, I find my turtle eats everything so quickly it's really not much of a mess whether he eats or not . As other people have said, if messiness is an issue you can feed him in a separate container or feed him a few small meals to reduce wasted food. I haven't heard you mention your filtration, do you have a filter? And, if so, what size tank is it for ( with turtles you should get one as for a tank that is 3x larger than the tank your turtle is in... because they're messy little creatures).

[mkoby]

The Stealth Heater is less than $25 for the largest heater at petsmart.com. The actual store will do a price match.

[CrazyHouse]

Actually in Canada they wont because their online prices are in US dollars and they won't do the conversion (I've asked). Big Als is even worse, I hate looking at the american site because the prices are so much lower then here. For example the stealth 250W heater is 19.99 in the States but 39.99 here. Unfortunately that goes for pretty much all the equipment here. Personally I like SuperPet, they have better prices then Petsmart or Al's unfortunately they don't have an online catalogue or store.

[cam722]

OMG.. I just did a side-by-side comparison on the BigAl's site. I can't believe the price difference. Is that just because of the exchange rate? That's just unbelievable.

[BullDog]

Where are you looking that heaters are $60+?? I recently got a new one, which was only $35, and it's a big 300 watt. Check out Petcetera.ca. There's a bunch of stores in Toronto area, but I'm not familiar with To area, so I have no idea if any are close...

Out of curiosity, what do you pay for tuition?
Mine is ~$2200 a semester (also BSc Major in Comp. science) + at least $300 for books (That's if I find some good deal on amazon!) I'm in BC.

Yes, Big Al's is really a rip for Canadians. Their price difference is NOT because of the exchange rate, as $1 american is about .85-.90CDN. They seem to double the american price, and it really makes me mad :[ I was going to find out if I could order from the US site and have it shipped to Canada

[SpotsMama]

I'm amazed at those price differences.

You know, perscription drugs are a whole lot cheaper in Canada than in the US. Lot's of US citizens buy their medications from Canada. The Canadians on here ought to buy their aquarium equipment from US businesses and have it shipped to Canada.

[kc]

lol some interesting discussions here.

reply to xsavingsaturdayx: if i take my turtle out to another tank just for feeding, it will get stressed and won't eat.

reply to megcornell: yea i'v tried to order a heater on petsmart website. on there it's around $20 but they also charge me dest. charge which i have no idea what that is. the dest. charge itself is more than the heater. also, if they ship from U.S. canadian customs will have to charge me too so everything in total i'm looking about $60 - $70 for a heater. lol.

reply to BullDog: i go to university of toronto computer science software engineering stream. computer science program is not under the tuition regulation control so mine is about $8000 a year plus around $300 books plus commute plus food at school...