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Post Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:58 am   Adopted adult RES

My 8 year old neighbor lost interest in his turtle so I adopted her. She seems very healthy and I have her in a 40 gal breeder tank w a Whisper 40i filter. I'm feeding Tetra ReptoMin floating food sticks that I just noticed is for babies (oops) and Tetra River Shrimp which is what the former owner fed exclusively. I put some aquarium plants in, the long stems w short leaves & I put a small piece of red leaf lettuce in every couple of days. One problem is that the water is very hazy and there is lots of food debris on the bottom of the tank. I checked the filter after just one week and it was full. I changed the filter and vacuumed out the majority of the debris and changed 3/4 of the water.

Suggestions??

Kathy Taylor
Springdale, AR
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:56 am   Re: Adopted adult RES

Hi Kathy, have you confirmed that the turtle is a female? You will have to upgrade that filter, and I would probably change her diet as well. Omega One is a very good pellet and doesn't leave a big mess in the water. You can do lettuce everyday, and use pellets sparingly every other day. Do you have any substrate?
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Post Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:13 pm   Re: Adopted adult RES

Thanks, Steve. Re: gender, I saw on line that females have a flat plastron & males concave. Is that right? That's what I went by. I don't have any substrate. What filter should I get? Re: feeding, are you saying just give her lettuce every day and only a few pellets every other day? She/he is a horrendous beggar. I guess all the turtles are.
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Post Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:04 am   Re: Adopted adult RES

No, don't go by the plastron curve rule... that's more true for land turtles. Male RES will have long claws and thick tales.

Yes, you can use lettuce everyday... if you choose to use pellets everyday, just offer a small amount. Maybe 1/4 head-size or less.
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Post Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 9:39 pm   Re: Adopted adult RES

Steve, I got the Omega One pellets. What filter should I get? Do I need to feed live food? I'm a little squeamish about that.
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Post Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 12:26 am   Re: Adopted adult RES

You don't have to use live prey regularly, though you can use it as an occasional treat (worms, fish, crickets, shrimp). You can find canned mini crickets as a treat.

The filter is tricky because if she is a female, you need to think about another upgrade. If the turtle is a male, you might be able to get away with a 40 gallon. Anyway, a simple choice would be an Aquaclear though be careful of turtle escapes as those filters need high water levels to work.
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steve
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Post Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:58 pm   Re: Adopted adult RES

She is definitely a female, short front claws and a shorter smaller tail. On the Aquaclear filter, do I buy according to the size of the tank? Or should I get a filter rated for a bigger tank? I don't have a heater. I bought a thermometer and the water temp is 72. She is very energetic and eats voraciously but should I go ahead and get a heater? I actually took her to the vet. The only vet listed on line as treating turtles is only about 10 miles from here. He laughed because he has no idea why he is listed. He has no special training for turtles. Anyway, he thought she looked fine and she doesn't have any parasites.

So, questions:
What size Aquaclear filter
Does she need a filter? What kind, type,brand?

Thanks for your patience.
kathyqtaylor
 
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Post Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:54 am   Re: Adopted adult RES

Usually go by 3 times what it's rated for, so for a 40 gallon tank, look for a filter that is rated for around 120 gallons. You have a lot of choices besides of an aquaclear, namely off brand canister filters but that depends on your budget and space. To be honest, I always try to shoot for 75-78F but adult RES should be fine in water that is a bit cooler. If you get a good heater, it will have an adjustable thermostat and requires no maintenance. Consider an Aqueon Pro, just remember to unplug them when you're changing the tank water.
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 9:08 pm   Re: Adopted adult RES

Thanks, Steve. Yes, thank you for realizing I was asking about a heater, not a filter. I definitely know I need a filter and I will upgrade it. She seems to be really happy and very healthy.
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