Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I hope this isn't a dumb question...but I just got three youngster RES's last weekend. (I only wanted one, but the guy gave me more because my son asked so sweetly) Anyway, one of the three will sometimes (not all of the time) sit underwater with the legs pulled in and his eyes closed. Not just at night either...if I take him out, he'll eventually open his eyes. I just got these little critters...but what could already be wrong with him? Right now, they are in a temporary set up until I get the 20 gallon long set up for them. I wanted to do a really neat set up with the land (basking area) on one side, separated by acrylic or something...then the water area on the other. They have 5.0 UVB light, basking light and a rock to bask on. They also seem to really like hanging out under the rock where it is shaded from the light.

I'm feeding them Reptomin, and occasional crickets. Have to get them going on the other types of food soon. They don't seem to like the Reptomin, but gobble up the crix (large pinhead to 1/4"

Anyway, thanks for any input.
Kristen
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1.1 pygmy leaf
1.0 carpet
1.0 jackson

Mine will do that if they are scared, like if I take them out and then put them back in. I hope you have a large pond for those three eventually, RES get huge, and a 20 gallon tank won't last all that long. I would get a 55 gallon instead, that would at least last you a few years. Don't bother with land area, unless you have a breeding female sometime in the furture, RES need water, lots of it, with a basking area. I use a floating island, so they can swim under the basking spot which maximizes the swimming space.

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Just one comment to be sure this is understood. True, a dirt area isn't needed for immature females. Mature females can lay eggs even if they've never been with a male. They WILL need dirt access. If no dirt is provided for mature females they can become eggbound and get very sick and even die. Just something to consider for the future. Don't stress a mature female by forcing her to be with more than one male. Sometimes even one male can harass a female too much. Females need a hiding place so they're not constantly bothered to breed. I rehab turtles and presently have a wild female RES that is about 1 foot long and about 5 pounds so yes, they can get quite big so this is more "food for thought" for you. Here's a link for some good care info.
Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society