Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We recently incorporated new white rocks in our tank and for some bizarre reason, one of my females decided to take it upon herself to eat a few. So, I'm very concerned about this. We have always had multiple size rocks in our tank, but for reason, these white rocks appeal to my turt. I'm very concerned about the consequences. Any suggestions?? Any feedback is appreciated, Michele

If they are small ones, they probably pass through.. nothing out there in wild to stop a RES from eating them.. Are you sure that she ate it.. mine like to bite them, swim somewhere and drop it along the way.. I've never actually seen mine swallow.. But if yours actually did swallow.. and it's a fair size.. you might want to get her checked out.. I have heard that it can cause serious problems..I'm sure someone else here will comment too.

I had a softshell, Gustoff. I went away for a week and my room mates who were suposed to have fed it, didn't. It got a couple little rocks lodged in his throat and choaked to death. I came home to find him lying on the bottom of the tank. It was late so I just went to bed but he was still there in the morning, and one of them said that he thought he ate some rocks. I saw my RES turts going after them, so I went down to hte beach and dug up a bucket of sand and put that for a substrate. It's very slightly harder to clean, you just have to be more careful is all, and if you do get it from the beach or wherever, you must clean it very well. Hope this helps. -Chris

think about it in the wild turtles dont have white rocks amd really the only thing white would br fish bones or other animals and turtles are always striving for calcium so they eat bones and yor turtle may think that the rocks are bones. I would get brown rocks either really small or really big because what we are trying to do in all cases with reptils is to immitate their natural environment so i dont put anything that is not natural looking in their tank like pink plants, white rocks, or plastic basking things I like cork bark and brown or natural looking rocks.
good luck

We had river rocks in the natural colours of black, brown etc. in the bottom of our tank and our guy ate them anyway. The rocks were a fair size,so we thought he couldn't eat them but he's too smart and some how managed to break them down. We have since removed the those rocks. Trying to keep with a natural enviroment he now has two large rocks and a tree branch to bask on. We have put in a few smooth stones for him to push around etc. We know he can't eat the stones but to this day I am still finding small rock bits in his poop. We have been to the vet and he says he is okay.
We don't know, RES are funnyMy friend has three RES and they have never eaten the rocks she has.
All the best.