Need Help with Baby Turtle Care?

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Discussion Overview

The thread centers around the care of a baby turtle, with participants sharing their experiences and insights on housing, feeding, and general care for turtles. Concerns about salmonella and the legality of selling baby turtles are also mentioned.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares their experience of receiving a baby turtle and expresses confusion about its care, particularly regarding its habitat and feeding.
  • Another participant mentions the importance of a heat lamp and a sunning rock for water turtles, along with specific water level recommendations.
  • Several users discuss their past experiences with turtles, noting the need for proper tank size and maintenance, including regular cleaning due to the turtles' messiness.
  • One participant highlights the necessity of UV lighting for the turtle's health, mentioning the potential for shell disease without it.
  • Another participant recalls their daughter's turtle and emphasizes the need for a suitable environment, including water depth and climbing structures.
  • One user mentions the emotional aspect of having a turtle and the joy it brings, despite the challenges of care.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the specifics of turtle care, particularly regarding the necessity of heat lamps and UV lights, with some participants asserting their importance while others share experiences of keeping turtles without them. No clear consensus emerges on the best practices for turtle care.

Contextual Notes

Participants share personal anecdotes and experiences with turtles, reflecting a range of knowledge and practices. The discussion includes both positive and negative aspects of turtle ownership.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers within the consultant community who are considering or currently caring for turtles may find the shared experiences and insights relevant.

tabnat80
tabnat80
Gold Member
Messages
839
My brother in law came home from his honeymoon last Wednesday with a baby turtle for my little boy. It's about the size of a quarter and he brought "speedy" home in this tiny little aquarium (about the size of 1/2 a loaf of bread). Anyways, I went to the pet store to get some turtle stuff and really didn't get a lot of help. They informed me that it was illegal to sell baby turtles because they have a higher likelyhood of carrying salmonella. So, I'm the only one here allowed to touch the turtle because I"m afraid ds will get sick. I asked my bil how he was able to get speedy and he said he paid 15 dollars for an aquarium and they gave him speedy for free. Yeah right. That aquarium sells for 4 bucks at walmart. Anyways, I just need some turtle advice. How do we care for him. How do I get the little feller to eat? He doesn't seem to be too happy. Although, the one time I let him out to play (before i learned of the salmonella), he acted so happy literally runny across the floor. I was just wonder if I need a bigger tank. How much water. What do I put in there. Basically everything. I'm clueless.
 
BTW- do you know what "kind" of turtle it is?
 
  • Thread starter
  • #4
Um. NO. I can probably find out. It's green and has yellow on the bottom. Really stinkin cute. I wish we could get him out to play. On the first day, before I knew about the salonella risk, ds got him out and put him in his pickup truck and pushed him all around the floor. It was so sweet.
 
What kind of turtle? We had a box turtle for awhile (my dd got it from a friend at school, who tired of it). The turtle attacked all the fish we put in the tank with it, so he ended up a loner. My ds felt sorry for him one day, so brought him out to the backyard for some fresh air - came inside to help me with something, and we've never seen the turtle again!

If this is a water turtle, be sure to get a heat lamp and a sunning rock. Also, only have enough water to cover its shell if it's standing on its hind legs. It'll spend most of its time in the water, but will come out several times a day to sun itself (meaning getting warm from the heat lamp). Keep one of those sticky thermometer thingeys on the outside of the tank and make sure the water temp is always between 60 & 80. Also, make sure you have a filter (and keep it clean!!). And, yes, turtles do make noise (a sort of barking noise by filling cavities in their mouths and blowing it out).

Wow, I know alot more about turtles than I thought!
 
Awe!!!! Sounds so cute! Sorry though, I don't have a clue how to raise them. You'll have to poste a pic. lol
 
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  • #7
Wow! You do know a lot. Thanks! I was thinking i needed a bigger aquarium, but never thought about getting a heat lamp. I'll bet little speedy is cold. I've had him lots of water in there too with a rock from the yard.




pampchefsarah said:
What kind of turtle? We had a box turtle for awhile (my dd got it from a friend at school, who tired of it). The turtle attacked all the fish we put in the tank with it, so he ended up a loner. My ds felt sorry for him one day, so brought him out to the backyard for some fresh air - came inside to help me with something, and we've never seen the turtle again!

If this is a water turtle, be sure to get a heat lamp and a sunning rock. Also, only have enough water to cover its shell if it's standing on its hind legs. It'll spend most of its time in the water, but will come out several times a day to sun itself (meaning getting warm from the heat lamp). Keep one of those sticky thermometer thingeys on the outside of the tank and make sure the water temp is always between 60 & 80. Also, make sure you have a filter (and keep it clean!!). And, yes, turtles do make noise (a sort of barking noise by filling cavities in their mouths and blowing it out).

Wow, I know alot more about turtles than I thought!
Click to expand...
 
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  • #8
I just talked to the pet store and they said that speedy needs a heat lamp. Anyone familiar with these and how much they cost and where I can get them cheap.
 
Several years ago my daughter had one of these turtles that we got while in Myrtle Beach. It doesn't take alot of water, just enough to cover it but still able to stick its head out of the water when it is on its back legs. We never did have a heat lamp for our turtle and it did fine. It does need a rock big enough for it to climb on and get out of the water. Just remember the bigger the tank you put it in the bigger the turlte will get. Our turtle started out being the size of a quarter and by the time we got rid of it it was the size of a small saucer and we had it for several years. Also the bigger they get the stinkier they get and it gets harder to keep their tank clean:yuck:
They are illigal to sale at pet stores because of the salmanella which I didn't know about at the time we got it but we was lucky our DD never got sick from the turtle.
Good luck with Speedy
 
We had two of these turtles and just got rid of them after a year. You will need a heat lamp and they do best when they are at 80 degrees. You will also need a UV light so they can have vitamin D for their shells. Without this their shells will get soft and they will get diseased. We got a 10 gallon aquarium, heat lamp (the kind that clips on the side of the tank) and the uv light for $130. Then you have to have the drops to put in the water to get the chlorine out and also algae drops or you will have a mess with algae growing from the heat and light.
I kept about 4 inches of water in the tank and had a floating rock suctioned to the back wall of the tank. That gave them enough water to swim in and still get out of when needed.
They need to swim for the exercise. The must eat while in the water. I used the dried shrimp and the stick food for them.
the aquarium had to be cleaned on a weekly basis because they are dirty critters.
I got so tired of the stink that comes from them when they get a little bigger that I talked my son into us taking them to the city pond and letting them loose. Now he wants a Gecko!!
I wonder how hard those are to keep??
Have fun with the turtles but my 6 year old was scared to play with them as they got bigger because they started hissing and trying to bite when I would get them out to clean the tank.
 
crissy11; said:
We had two of these turtles and just got rid of them after a year. You will need a heat lamp and they do best when they are at 80 degrees. You will also need a UV light so they can have vitamin D for their shells. Without this their shells will get soft and they will get diseased. We got a 10 gallon aquarium, heat lamp (the kind that clips on the side of the tank) and the uv light for $130. Then you have to have the drops to put in the water to get the chlorine out and also algae drops or you will have a mess with algae growing from the heat and light.
I kept about 4 inches of water in the tank and had a floating rock suctioned to the back wall of the tank. That gave them enough water to swim in and still get out of when needed.
They need to swim for the exercise. The must eat while in the water. I used the dried shrimp and the stick food for them.
the aquarium had to be cleaned on a weekly basis because they are dirty critters.
I was going to say pretty much all of this. My sister found a turtle when she was lifeguarding, swimming in a chlorinated pool (his name is Einstein :)), and this is the set up he has. I'm not sure the light we got him was quite that expensive. I will say he loves the dried shrimp and these little red pellets. You have to feed him his "real" food first or he'd eat shrimp all day. I will warn you that when they are "sunning" they dry out pretty good. I can say more than once I went to check on him and thought he had died. Nope, just catching some rays. The filter is a must. Ours has never been mean. He swims around the bathroom sink while his tank is cleaned out. There were many times my sister would have him out on her bed and he'd run all around. He's been in our family for just over 8 years now. My sister has moved out and my dad takes care of him. He loves that little guy!! Enjoy!!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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  • #12
8 years! Wow! I had no idea their life span was so long. I could kick my bil for bringing him here without any instructions. I feel bad for the little guy now that I know he's probably cold. It's too late to get a heat lamp but I'm getting him one tomorrow. He's been trying to get under the rock and smushing his arms and legs in his shell. All the while, I thought he was acting werid, but had no idea he was cold. LOL. Dh thinks i'm silly talking about him like he's human, but I do want to take good care of him.
 
Actually after I posted the last message I realized, he's been with us 9 years. I read somewhere they can live several decades if taken care of correctly. Oh, and don't worry about him being cold...he'll be fine :) We didn't know for a while that he was supposed to have a lamp. He lived in a little round bowl with some rocks. Compared to what he used to live in, he's in the Taj Mahal now :) Even though they can't be sold some places, there should still be plenty of turtle supplies at a place like petsmart. Good luck!!
 
Well, I work at a Science Center and we have a fresh water aquarium with turtles. It sounds like you have a yellow-belly slider. Like the PP said, you will need a heat lamp and a rock for the turtle to go and sun on. There is a risk of salmonella, but as long as everyone that contacts the turtle washes their hands well, it shouldn't be a problem. Our tank is actually a touch tank and we've never had anyone get sick.
You can get food for the turtle at the pet store.
Turtles can and do bite, but the more you play with it, the friendlier it will get. Just stay away from it's head and feet, they don't like it when you touch or play with either. If it does bite it probably won't break the skin, just hurt some. Good luck and have fun with it!! If you do decide you can't take care of it, try and find a good home for it.
 
So if they are illegal to sell in stores, how do you get one? This might be a great idea of a pet for my son. I had a turtle in college and the pet store was of no help, I had no idea what to do for it and despite my best efforts it died within a week. :( That was before I started using the internet of course! I went to contact the pet store and it was closed down. Figures...
 
I googled it and the ban says that the sale of turtles smaller than 4 inches is prohibited, so I'd say that you would be able to find a bigger one somewhere.
 
Here's a turtle site that I have gotten a lot of information from...

We have two Mississippi Map turtles, and have a 55 gallon tank for them, now. We started out with a 10 gallon tank... buy a cover for the tank ... a basking light ... and some type of turtle dock or rock that the turtle can bask on. Fill the tank 2/3 to 3/4 full and then put everything in it. Don't use an undergravel filter ... it actually takes out the good bacteria and is bad for the turtle.

Feel free to PM me with questions! :)
 
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  • #18
Amanda, the way my bil got ours is the suvinor shop, Alvin's Island, down in Gulf Shores, AL, sells the aquarium and you get the turtle for free. However, he paid 15 dollars for a 4 dollar aquarium so really, he paid for it, just not on paper to keep it legal. They are cute but I'm scared to let DS touch it since there is such a risk with the salmonella. My son is a daredevil and if I say, don't put your hands in your mouth until we get to the sink, he will. The first day, he put his hand in the aquarium and then shoved it in his mouth. I about threw up. LOL anyways, so now, We just look at speedy until DS is old enough to understand that it's dangerous to drink the turtle's water. lol
 
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  • #19
Coriatc-do you know if i need to be putting the water purifier drops in the tap water? I have been when I clean it out but when I called Alvin's island last night, they said just plain tap water. I thought, you know with fish, you have to put the purifier drops in. What do you do?
 
tabnat80 said:
Coriatc-do you know if i need to be putting the water purifier drops in the tap water? I have been when I clean it out but when I called Alvin's island last night, they said just plain tap water. I thought, you know with fish, you have to put the purifier drops in. What do you do?
Click to expand...

I only do tap water...
and, when you change the water, you are only supposed to do 50% changes at a time. We only do a whole tank change 1x a year. They do have "Turtle Clean" which will help with the biological waste breakdown ... probably more useful for bigger or multiple turtles! :)

My boys love the turtles, but they do not know that they can come out of the tank ... so really, they are just entertainment inside of the tank! And, they are the big draw when people come over too ... they just hang out by the tank and watch the turtles!
 
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  • #21
Shoot, I've got just the chepo tank that came with him and it has to be changed every single day to keep from filming up and stinking
 
One thing to keep in mind is that turtles only grow to their environment, so if you keep him in a small area, he will stay on the smallish side ... if you put him in a large tank, he will get bigger, but should not outgrow his tank!
 
I have not read all the way thru but FYI... If you take good care of speedy your ds will probably have him stil arround when he has kids.

My dad found a turtle this size in the parking lot of his work when my baby brother was 5. That baby brother is now 22 and "turtle" is still happy as well.... a turtle.
 
I'm an administrator on a pet forum so I posted your question there too:
http://penny.myfreeforum.org/sutra35984.php#35984
 
  • Thread starter
  • #25
Thanks for all the helpful info. I got speedy a new aquarium, heat lamp, and sunning plank today. He is so happy. He's swimming all over and eatting really good. :)
 
I know you thought it was doubtful that BIL got him with the tank for $15 but I remember some deal like that on tiny turtles in some shop in Myrtle Beach. (That is where we were married) I thought they were so cute!
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What do baby turtles eat?

Baby turtles typically eat a diet that includes commercial turtle pellets, leafy greens, and small amounts of protein such as insects or cooked fish. It's important to provide a balanced diet to ensure their healthy growth.

How often should I feed my baby turtle?

Baby turtles should be fed daily. Offer small portions of food that they can consume within 15-20 minutes. Be sure to adjust the amount as they grow, and monitor their eating habits to prevent overfeeding.

What type of habitat do baby turtles need?

Baby turtles require a clean and spacious habitat with both water and a dry basking area. The water should be deep enough for them to swim and should be filtered to maintain cleanliness. The basking area should be warm and well-lit with a UVB light to help with their shell development.

How do I maintain the water quality for my baby turtle?

To maintain water quality, use a good filtration system and perform regular water changes, ideally 25% of the water weekly. Test the water for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, and ensure the temperature is appropriate for the species of turtle you have.

When should I take my baby turtle to the vet?

You should take your baby turtle to the vet if you notice any signs of illness, such as lethargy, lack of appetite, abnormal swimming, or any visible injuries. Regular check-ups are also recommended to ensure their overall health.

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