File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Help, /an/!

I rescued this little guy from a friend of mine who (according to his roommates) hadn't bothered with it in over a week. I told him I was stealing it from him and said OK.

It's living in a tiny little plastic aquarium like they sell at any pet store, can't be more than 8 inches long. He had a piece of lettuce in his water when I took him but on the ride home it disintegrated and spread out in the water because of how long it had set in there.

According to a friend he's a red eared slider (I admittedly know NOTHING about turtles, which is why I'm looking for help) It is TINY, under the legal length to sell them from what I've been told. The only thing I know is that I need to wash my hand thoroughly after touching it or it's cage because of salmonella or other diseases.

He was really docile when I took him, mostly curled up in his shell with his eyes closed, but after holding him, talking to him and a ride to my place, he seems to be moving around and swimming a bit, which I'm taking to be a good sign.

I don't know for sure what species he is, what gender 'he' really is, what he eats, what kind of water he should live in, etc, etc, etc. I know that if he is a red-ear, he can live for decades, which I'm OK with. I just want to give him a good home and keep him healthy. :<

Help me /an/, how can I give this little guy a good life?
>> Anonymous
Google it, lotsa helpful sites and care sheets up on them there internets.
>> Anonymous
>>321931
Is it a red-eared slider, though? I want to make sure I'm googling the right thing.

Also, I always like to get feedback from other pet owners, and I've has really good feeback from this board before with other animals, oddly enough.
>> Anonymous
yes it is a red eared slider. you wont know its gender until its bigger. they're fresh water and need air, so make sure you have a basking dock or a rock it can climb up on so it can rest and bask. you can put a tank next to a window where the sun can hit the tank, or get a basking light. res babies are carnivorous. you can either get them petshop turtle food pellets, fish, or crickets. only adults are omnivorous. baby res have a reputation for being stubborn about eating, so many die. you can entice it to eat by getting a small feeder fish and cutting it or slitting it so the baby can smell the blood and feel more enticed to eat. make sure your not in the room cause many baby res are shy and wont eat in front of you..same thing with basking....they wont do it in front of you but after awhile they wont care. its also fun spying on them.

heres a good website that can help. good luck OP:
http://www.redearslider.com/
>> Anonymous
feed him the turtle food they sell at pet stores. you may need to break it up before giving it to him since he's so small.

put up a basking lamp and an area (like a big rock) they can climb up on to bask. he may not use it at first, but they like the warmth.
>> Anonymous
YEP he's a red eared slider, I have 2 big ones in my yard, they are somewhere between 15-25 years old :X I'd get at least a 10-20 gallon tank for now, it will be too small for life but it's better than that plastic POS imo.
>> Anonymous
OP here, Oh god, I dunno if I could slit up fish for it. ;_; Hopefully he'll be Ok with food I get him tomorrow and it won't come down to that. There's a small stone in there roughly the same size he is that I've set him on so that he isn't submerged. I knew as soon as I saw it that the little plastic crap thing wasn't good for it to live in, I don't think ANYTHING should live in those, I don't know why they sell them :|

I'm planning on going to the pet store in the morning, so I'm going to read up on everything I can. Thank you so much for your help and if anyone else and anything to add, it will be much appreciated!
>> Anonymous
it is a red eared slider, just make sure you keep his water clean, take him outside and let him walk around in the grass for a little bit (keep a very close eye on him..turtles are faster than you think) but yeah hes just lethargic because hes been in that disgusting water so long with his own poop and stuff around him.

Just keep the water clean and he'll be back to normal soon. Consider getting some little nutritional pellets at a pet store for him.
>> Anonymous
Juvenile red-eared sliders aren't strictly carnivorous, just predominantly. Greens should still be offered for when they do take them.

As for basking, you'll need a heat lamp to stimulate the suns warmth and a full-spectrum fluorescent with UVB output to stimulate D3 production OR (if you get a large enough closure and want to be bothered installing it) a self-ballasted mercury vapor light to provide both. Sunlight is great if you can provide it direct from above and unfiltered but D3 is filtered through glass and partially by screens. Turtles require a LOT of D3 so a sunny window will eventually result in metabolic bone disease.

http://www.redearslider.com/lighting.html
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/lighting.html
http://www.anapsid.org/uvd3.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/whatreptilesneed.htm
>> Anonymous
OP here, don't mind answering, i accidently sat on it : /
>> Anonymous
>>322118
this shits boring, and was only funny the first few times

you know what, gb2/b/ shit seems to get funnier there each time its repeated
>> Anonymous
http://www.petmountain.com/product/turtle/502162/tetra-reptotreat-suprema.html

My red eared slider, Tama, loves this shit so much. I was originally feeding him some pellet type turtle food, which he would eat, but not a lot of. Then we decided to give him the shrimp as a treat and he completely refuses to eat anything else. Whenever we shake the container in front of his cage, he freaks out, swims over and starts rubbing his feed on the front of the glass. I believe they make smaller krill/shrimp food for baby turtles.
>> Anonymous
Real OP here again, thank you all again for the help! I went to the little pet supply shop near my house this morning and got him some pellets (these kind here, actually http://www.petmountain.com/product/turtle/105406/reptomin.html) and neutralizer tab things that are supposed to help condition tap water to livable conditions. I had to work today, but tomorrow I'm going to get get him a bigger aquarium and a lamp.

I think I'm going to get a UV-B Heat Lamps (Self-Ballasted Mercury Vapor) lamp like was mentioned in one of the pages posted, since it seems to be an all-in-one basking light and UV provider.. Would they have those at a big pet store, or would I have to go to Home Depot or something for it?

Also, since he's so tiny, should I keep the water shallow (it's about 3/4" deep now) or is it OK to have it deep enough for him to dive?

I changed his water this morning and broke up some pellets and he swam around for a little, but I didn't notice him eat anything. :/ Hopefully getting him a lamp will perk him up.

>>322301
Also, heh, I'm calling mine Tama as well. Hooray fellow weeaboo turtle owner. :3
>> Anonymous
>>322434
Terrapins are supposed to have water at least as deep as they are long.

You might also want to seriously look into how much heat and UVB those mercury vapor bulbs generate. I'm talking about 'cook your fucking turtle' temperatures. They aren't generally used with reptiles in aquariums because of it and are usually used with large aviaries, varanid enclosures, turtle pens, coral reef tanks (where they cause a lot of evaporation), etc.
>> Anonymous
>>322459
Oooh shit, ok, thanks. Didn't realize that. Guess I'll jsut go with two cheaper bulbs, then. I don't really have a taste for turtle soup.
>> Anonymous
rep guy here..

a reptisun 5.0- 8.0 will do you best of a UVB bulb..

get a decent basking bulb, or even a house bulb will get you the same affect 50-75 watt. make sure he hass a decent spot to ge up out of the water completly.

i used a plastic play pool to raise my turtles, getting a really good filtering system was difficult, because stagnant water will cause salmonilla. make sure you get a large enough pump to cycle the water numerous times a day.
>> Anonymous
>>322500
Unfortunately, space is an issue for me, I'm living in a tiny studio apartment that probably isn't more than 15 feet in either direction. I'll be moving out after I graduate next year, but until then I really don't have space for anything more than a 10 gallon tank. He's veeery tiny, would that be alright as a temporary home until I move into a bigger place next summer and can afford the space to give him a larger home?
>> Anonymous
You could probably get by with a 10 gal for a while, but a 20 gal long would be much better, it's 10 inches longer which will give you more room to work with and create a better heat gradient.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
OP here yet again, I bought a bunch of stuff for him today.

As soon as I put him on the little floating dock, he almost immediately put his head out all the way, opened his eyes and bobbed his head up and down a bit. He's taken a few tentative steps around but hasn't explored enough to get to the water yet. The lamp on the left is a ReptoGlo 5.0 and the one on the right is a regular 60 watt bulb. I bought some baby shrimp and mini krill and put a few in the water for when he finally finds his way there. I'm just hoping he can get back up the ramp OK and isn't stuck in the water without my help.

Does this setup seem OK, at least for the next few months? Anything I should add? Do turtles play with toys like small mammals do?

Again, thanks for all the help. I like being able to get feedback instead of just reading from a site and hoping and most message boards for pets take forever to get a decent reply.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Another pic of him coming out of his shell. :)
>> Anonymous
It does seem like a good setup for now. You may wanna consider getting a small fluval when he gets bigger and starts making a mess.
>> Anonymous
>>323073
Looks good. That setup will definitely last for a few months. Since winter is approaching, if the water feels pretty cold you may want to buy a tank thermometer, or maybe get him closer to the basking light. Turtles are great swimmers, so don't hesitate to make the water deeper as he grows, and eventually you'll need a bigger tank. For now, it looks really nice.

Turtles don't need toys, they just like things to climb on and enough room for swimming. The tank looks fine as is, but you can always add some rocks or aquarium decorations or some plants. I don't advise getting gravel, even though turtles like digging, because it's near impossible to keep clean. You can also buy some snails since the turtle is too small to attempt to eat them, they help keep the tank clean, though they don't really offer much company.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>323073
>>323074

oh my he's so cute! wait till the little thing grows up T_T sooo much work.
>> Anonymous
they dont need toys but you can add some turtle safe aquatic plants. doesnt hurt for him to explore plants. if you want you can also put some ghost shrimp or feeder fish. my boyfriend sometimes puts some ghost shrimp and/or feeder guppies with his turtle. his turtles big enough to hunt them down but sometimes theres a few ghost shrimp or feeders that are too fast for her and everyone becomes like one big happy family. ....that is until the turtle decides fuck this and goes after the fish or shrimp again. other then that its not a bad idea having a couple of feeders or ghost shrimp cause they help keep the tank clean...and its just nice decoration. both shrimp, and feeder guppies finish eating any crumbs left over by the turtle or turtle poop. and we dont even bother buying fish food for the feeders....theyre happy eating crushed turtle food.
>> Anonymous
>>323103
I did get a little stick-on thermometer, it says the water is about 82-84 F

>>323115
HOLY CRAP, he's a monster! How old is the big one?

Thanks for the tips and advice. I think I'll wait until he seems more situated and active before I add anything else to the tank, but watching him hunt fish when he gets bigger seems like it'll be neat. >:3
>> Anonymous
that's a cool turtle you have and it's good that you rescued it... hopefully you will give it a comfortable life
>> Anonymous
I wish I could give you a hug OP.
>> Anonymous
Nice job rescuing the little guy, OP.

Your set up looks good. I would only change one thing: The water is too deep. I know he seems like a great swimmer, but Baby sliders get tired quickly. I know he has his floating basking deck, but turtles aren't the brightest.

Trust me, make the water only as deep as he is long for the first year or so. Otherwise there is a chance he may drown.
>> Anonymous
cool turtle bro
>> Anonymous
>>323073
I see Fight Club~
>> Anonymous
OP good job on the baby turtle setup. i have three medium sized turtles i got when they were just born, an have to new borns that im currently taking care of. great pets. also to those of u who own larger turtles, do u guys ever feed them feeder fish?
>> Anonymous
Is OP a dude and wants to get married? <3
>> Anonymous
I wish I could shake your hand. Good job on spending so much time/money to provide a better life for the little guy.
>> Anonymous
>>323303
OP here again. I lowered the water level as low as I could while still keeping the basking deck afloat, but it's still deeper than he is long. I'll have to take him out and try to move it down later tonight, I can't attach suction cups with the water in there.

Also, I'm kind of concerned. It's been a day since I put him into the big tank and as far as I can tell, he hasn't eaten anything. He doesn't climb up the ramp himself, I need to put him up there, and he doens't go down into the water himself, I have to put him in there. (unless he went in the water last night and went back to the same spot I left him in while I was sleeping, which I suppose is possible)

Still, he seems very lethargic, only walking a few steps or swimming for a few seconds. Even when food is right in front of his face, he won't try to eat it. :/ Is this normal adjustment, or is my little guy dying?
>> Anonymous
>>323454

yes this is very normal of baby res. they are REALLY stubborn about eating. take my advice and try the fish thing. just cut a piece of the feeder and leave it in the tank in front of the baby and spy on him. he will be shy to eat in front of you. if this fish trick fails, try again. keeps failing....your may be stuck with a baby thats sick....may not make it.
>> Anonymous
Try live crickets
>> Anonymous
>>323574
;_;

Allright. I counted the pieces of food floating tonight before I turned the lights off, if he hasn't eaten anything by tomorrow when I wake up I'll suck it up and go get some fish.

Do I just... cut off the head and drop it in or slice it down the gut or what? Do I have to do it while it's still alive? ;____;

God dammit this will be the strangest thing I've done for a pet, but I'm determined to do what I can for this little guy. If he dies on me I'm gonna bawww for days.
>> Anonymous
>>323583

Don't worry, turtles are virtually immortal. I didn't feed mine for upwards of a week and he was still up and kicking.

He vanished from his aquarium somehow a few days ago though. Oh well, not like I worry about him. He's immortal, like all other turtles, tortoises and terrapins.

Pity, though. I was going to test what it would do if I removed that ribcage shell (Turtles are invertebrates and thus lack nerves, so it isn't inhumane. ) I need a new turtle.
>> Anonymous
you are adorable, wanna make out?:$


Good luck with it though, keep us posted.
>> Anonymous
>>323620
facepalm.jpeg
>> Anonymous
this thread made me D'awwww
>> Anonymous
>>323639
No worries, a troll from /b/.
>> Anonymous
>>323666
They seem to be around a lot more lately...

Also, lol 666 post.
>> Anonymous
OP here yet again. I woke up this afternoon (It's my day off, so I'm being lazy) and he was swimming around his tank like a madman! :D It also seems that a few pieces of food are gone, too. I hid nearby and watched him swim all over the tank, even to the opposite side of the ramp where ha hasn't gone before. I'm so excited! I guess maybe he just needed to adjust to the move and not have my big fat head peering in at him every five minutes.

He doesn't seem to be able to climb back up the ramp, though, or at least hasn't figured it out yet. I think he only got into the water because he slid off the basking dock after I set him on it last night. Right now he's resting on top of a rock elsewhere in the tank that he swam overtop of. I guess there's really nothing I can do to help that except just stick him up there when he seems to be done swimming?
>> Anonymous
>>323854
Dear OP,

You're adorable.

Love,
Anon
>> Anonymous
>>323854

Hey OP,

I don't know much about turtles, but I came across this from Wikipedia in my travels regarding your set-up. It's good so far, but the article contained some useful info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider#Environment
>> Anonymous
Fuck /an/, I think he died.

;________________;

I put him on the rock earlier and then he went swimming again for a bit. I just checked up on him and he wasn't moving at all. I picked him up to put him on the rock and he moved his legs a little but now seems limp. He's just laying there, all limbs out with his eyes open, not doing anything.

ffffffffffffffffffffuck little guy.... ;________;

baw. I don't know what to do. He seemed so lively earlier today, wtf?
>> Anonymous
>>324016
D8
>> Anonymous
>>324016
HE WAS TAKING A SHIT YOU NIGGER AND HE DIED OUT OF PURE EMBARRASSMENT FROM BEING LIFTED WHILE SHOOTING SHIT OUT OF HIS BOWELS
>> Anonymous
OP here again. He's been sitting on his rock now for about 15 minutes. His eyes remain open, but it seems like he's moving his front legs a little and his head keeps moving up and down occasionally and opening his mouth. When I picked him up, his legs started to go back into his shell and they went back out when I set him down and he lifted his head up and 'gasped' again.

Are these just reflexes/death throes? Or is there a slight chance he maybe just... swallowed some water or something and will be OK? ;_;
>> Anonymous
>>324030

sounds like he has a respiratory infection. call vet...maybe lower the water since he has a hard time getting air. for now get rid of the dock and make the water go slightly higher then his shell.
>> Anonymous
>>324076
Is it even worth it to spend the money on the vet? I mean, from everything I've read and been told, baby turtles die incredibly easily. What could the vet even do for him, as small as he is?

I have gotten rid of the dock and lowered the water so that ha can just crawl if he wants to, and I put in a seashell I had so that he can easily crawl up it.
>> Anonymous
give it CPR
>> Anonymous
>>324082
is it worth taking the turtle to the vet? its up to you, i never experienced a respiratory infection from my turtles before so i dont know how much that would even cost. just try letting it heal on its own if your feeling reluctant. make sure your turtle eats and has a nice warm temperature.
>> Liska !!LIVFOETqL8j
>>324082

take him to the vet. you never know- you could save him too. The vet will ask you what you want to do before treating him- then make the decision.
>> Anonymous
....oh no :(

DON'T DIE LITTLE GUY!
I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING YOUR PROGRESS!
>> Anonymous
oh no ;_; please don't die
>> Anonymous
Noooooooooooooooo, baby turtle, don't head towards the light! :(
>> Anonymous
>>324030

post on: http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=c02f23265f2cd35dc6e2daf84612b4a8
>> Anonymous
Way to go batshit over a lazy turtle that just wanted to bask a bit. Leave him alone, I told you turtles are hardy (If yours isn't, let natural selection take place. ) I had one from a swamp as a kid for perhaps a year in supplied-by-7-year-old-kid-who-knows-nothing-about-turtles conditions (Which makes species impossible to determinate, but he about the size of a baby RES) and he was still doing well.

Until he was returned to the swamp, that is. If he can survive what a 7 year old considers taking care of a turtle, he can probably wrestle with crocodiles and come out on top by now.

My new turtle (Not dead, not stolen, named Akupara) is also following his predecessor's footsteps.
>> Anonymous
They're fine with living in water from the shower/tap.

No turtle food? Feed it veg instead.
>> Anonymous
>>324216
OP here again. He wasn't 'just basking', he was floating upside down in the water and his limbs and head were completely limp and he wouldn't move, even when I picked him up.

Aaanyhow. He seems to be fine now, like nothing happened. He was swimming/crawling around in the water again today and when I set him on a dry surface he started to basically run. I still can't tell if he's eating stuff or just smashing it so it disintegrates, but he's got energy again and is moving around fine.
>> Anonymous
Dude, you need to give that shit to proper people NOA! They're a protected species I believe. I know this because my school gets 4 of them a year for our enviornmental class, and the teachers are insanely strict with their handling. I might be wrong, but consider it anyway.
>> Anonymous
>>324372
>They're a protected species I believe.

They're red-eared sliders. They're the most common species of pet turtle in the world, are an invasive species in many places, and are farmed for meat in southern states like Louisiana.

also, underage b&.
>> Anonymous
I've received two red eared sliders from a shop in china town. I've heard RES's from these types of shops usually are very sick and many have a horrible birth defect (from being born out of season, apparently) that kills them in a few months, but my two turtles have endured for nearly 5 months. Each of them are about 2 inches long and live in a 29 gallon tank(yes, I know they're going triple in size within the next few years)

They've been on aquatic turtle diet for the last few weeks, but looking at the nutrition facts(posted at the end of this post) I think guppies might be a better choice.
TD;LR, help me feed my turtles.

Crude Protein - 43%
Crude Fat - 10%
Crude Fiber - 3.0%
Moisture - 11%
Ash - 13%
Phosphorus - 1%
>> Anonymous
>>324362
That is definitely not normal, and probably not a good sign. However, the fact that he recovered and acted normally afterwards if very good. He may have become limp because he was basically drowning, with his head underwater and unable to flip back around, depends on how long he was like that, but I don't know. Good luck, keep watching him.

>>324385
Have you considered earthworms? My turtles love them. If you have young turtles, they probably don't like veggies yet, and guppies can be stressful for your turtles because they have to chase after each bite. Continue to feed them pellets as well as live food. You can also feed them ghost or brine shrimp, blood worms, but only once in a while. Also, buy your turtles a cuttlebone if you haven't yet.
>> Anonymous
Have you thought about setting up a terrarium for your turtle? His home appears to be a touch spartan.
>> sage
>>324404
I bought them one, but they didn't touch it. In fact, they were happy RIDING on it instead of eating it.
>> Anonymous
>>321936

"make sure your not in the room cause many baby res are shy and wont eat in front of you..same thing with basking....they wont do it in front of you but after awhile they wont care. its also fun spying on them."

That made me go "d'awwww."

Good luck, OP. T_T
>> Anonymous
Good luck with him, OP. ;O;
>> Anonymous
I'm so happy he didn't die.
>> Anonymous
dis thread is awesome enough to keep me in track of your tama in a psp ;_;.
>> Anonymous
wish you the best with that little guy :)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
OP here again. I figured I'd make another post since people seem to be interested. I changed his water today and he was swimming around in it for a good half an hour. I'd poke my head of every so often and he'd be zipping all around his 1/2" deep tank. :3 I guess with all the energy he has, he's got to be eating something.

It's probably too premature to know if he'll live into adulthood, but I just wanted to thank all of you again who gave me advice and tips, you helped me save the little guy, at least for a little while. /an/ is seriously the best board on 4chan, even though I guess that's not saying much, haha. You guys have always helped me out a ton when I've had animal issues. ilu <3

Here's a crappy cell phone pic I just took of him swimming around. :3
>> Anonymous
>>324955

aw shucks.
>> Anonymous
Good luck OP. It's a good day in /an/ when someone who wants to be a responsible owner pops their head in. Take care.
>> Syd2K !yHzbaFtyPA
>>321927

I know who you are, OP! Why aren't you a trip fag here?
>> Anonymous
>>325249
Fagging up one board is enough for me. I actually like /an/ and prefer to remain anonymous so I can get good responses like in this thread :)
>> Anonymous
OP here one last time. The little guy has died for real this time. :(

I was at work all day and my boyfriend, in an attempt to help, moved the air stone from under the dock, leaving open a hole that the little guy swam into and couldn't get out of. I found him when I got home from work and he had drowned. :/

Thanks again for all the help, /an/. I may get another turtle later since I have most of what I need and all. I'm just really upset by the loss of this little guy. :( A friend of mine wants to take him and make his shell into a necklace, heh.

I'm gonna go bawww some more now. :|
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>325932
>my boyfriend, in an attempt to help, moved the air stone from under the dock, leaving open a hole that the little guy swam into and couldn't get out of.
>> Anonymous
>>325932

if i were you my bf wont be getting any for a week....and he better deal with it for being an idiot.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>325932
I'LL KILL HIM
>> Anonymous
Yeeeeah. The most ironic part is, he generally pays no attention to my pets, so I didn't even think to mention that the stone was there for a reason. He thought he'd be sweet and attempt to help the turtle and ended up causing his death. -_-;

But yeah, I told him the only way to truly make up for this would be to surprise me with a baby skunk or something equally as awesome in the future.

Seriously, he killed my turtle. D:
>> Anonymous
You have very male hands.
>> Anonymous
>>326080
Maybe OP is gay!

But really, from only that shot of their thumb at an angle, you can't really determine what gender their hands are.
>> Anonymous
>>326007
A week? Try a month. TWO MONTHS.