Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have an adorable RES we have named Louie. My questions as of this moment are:

Do they sleep? She had her eyes closed and I watched her until I knew she was breathing...lol....she opened one eye and looked at me like I was crazy.

How much time do they spend in the water? (Louie really likes swimming and I wonder when she will bask, or when should I worry...I wonder if she can get up on her basking spot, etc.)

We are having a great time with Lou, and having a husband that loves to buy toys, nothing is too good for her. We are upgrading to a 30 gallon tank this week with all the bells and whistles (good filter, UV light, basking area...etc. She is tiny right now and is in a 10 gallon, but we already want her to have the best environment possible. She is so friendly and loves to watch us watching her. She is really outgoing and has such a sweet personality.

Any suggestions are welcome. What a great little creature!

Get a bigger tank! A thirty gallon will last a couple of years, but if you're really into it get the biggest tank you can afford. If Lou turns out to be a female she could grow to be 12 inches (hopefully very slowly over a long period of time) and require a 120 gallon tank (ten gallons per inch of turtle). Get a big tank with a huge filter (Filstar XP3 comes to mind) and fill it up. Even tiny turtles are awesome swimmers and will spend lots of time doing it, I have a family of guppies swimming around with mine (both entertainment and food).

Glad to hear you are enjoying your turtle. Lou is a lucky guy/girl! Nancy

Ok, will do. And, in regards to the questions I asked in my original post:

How much time do RES spend swimming, and when should I be worried about her not getting onto her/his basking spot.

I found out through net research that they sleep alot and can sleep under water. She/he likes to put his/her feet on the smooth stones at the bottom and tuck her hands into her shell and close her eyes. She/he is SO friendly and just seems to love us...(ok, I'm just gonna call her she until we figure it out....)She comes to the tank wall like a puppy when the kids and I come over to see her, and she doesn't cower or hide from me when I put my hand in the tank (to move a rock, or adjust the heater, etc.). She is so curious and sweet. WHO KNEW these adorable little creatures were so sweet and friendly. What a kick....

RES are individuals. Some swim a lot, some sleep a lot, some bask a lot. If you have proper water temp (low to mid 70's) and proper basking area (heated to about 90 with UVB source) then you don't have to worry about how much time your turtle spends swimming or basking. If you think your turtle is basking too much or not enough AND it is accompanied by other symptoms (puffy eyes, wheezing, lopsided swimming, something like that) then you can worry. Until then, just enjoy your turtle. There really isn't a "norm" for how much they should bask or swim.

"If you have proper water temp (low to mid 70's) and proper basking area (heated to about 90 with UVB source)"

That I do! I've got a swimmer. Her eyes are bright, her skin and shell are vibrant, and she looks to be breathing normally. Last night she "yawned" and our whole family said "AWWWWWWW" at the same time. My husband put his arm around me like he used to when the kids were babies and did stuff like that. She is so damn cute. So much personality and she just KNOWS that we are all here for her entertainment!

I love that thread about "you know you're a turtle person when....". We knew the moment we got a $10 turtle (who is actually priceless IMHO) and then were spending in excess of $300 on the best environment for her...LOLOL! I love it.

i would say the BIGGEST mistake that newbies make with their turtles is OVERFEEDING... please, whatever you do... don't overfeed your turtle. you can permanently damage their shell. when they are young, you can feed them mostly protein (the reptomin pellets are mostly protein) and only feed as much that would fit in their head (even though these guys BEG for more... don't do it). after the turtle is a year or older, you can start changing their diet to mostly greens (dandelions, lettuce, collard greens, and even some fruits). if you overfeed your turtle their shell may start to pyramid (which means become bumpy through the scutes not being able to shed properly) and overfeeding can also be harmful because it can damage their inner organs. also, just for future reference, your turtle may shed a little bit (if there is too much shedding, that's a sign of overfeeding). they say on average a turtle should grow about an inch per year. also, for a great source of calcium you can either get a cuttle bone (bird department of a store) and take off the hard backing and let that float in the turtles water and he/she will eat it, but even if he'she doesnt eat it... it will dissolve and get calcium that way. or there are 2 other ways. one is feeding the turtle some eggshell broken up, and another is to buy some calcium powder and sprinkle it onto the pellets or other food. hmmm... im trying to think of other things that i wish i was told as a newbie. if you have already heard any of this, i am sorry for repeating it! i just want you to know the 'basics'. i think that's it, if you have any questions, please ask (as you are obviously not afraid to ask questions)... hope this helps

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~ Evie

Pets:
0.1.0 German Shepherd {Dusty}
0.1.0 German Shepherd/Collie mix {Shadoe}
0.0.2 RES turtles {Booger and Snot}
1.0.0 African Clawed Frog {Bingo}
0.0.1 Snail {Gary}

That's how it goes. And it is nice to see someone putting such an effort into this animal's well being. Glad it is a great experience for you and your husband and I wish you many happy years with your new little friend.

Steve

Thanks guys!!!!! I appreciate it...I will not overfeed Louie. I will make sure she gets the calcium ( I saw something at the pet store that looked like a little chalk white turtle, I think it was called Dr. Turtle? It has calcium too, would that be good?).

The kids just love her (I don't let them handle her...they just watch her in her tank, and she loves to come up to each of their faces). We are making sure the water temp, and the basking spot temp, are correct and constant, and that her water is clean. I already took out the blue gravel so she doesn't eat it...and now she has some nice smooth rocks to nose around and stand on. She likes to curl her "feet" over the rocks (each foot on a seperate rock), then pull her hands in her shell and go to sleep. LOL...tooo funny. She loves her basking spot too and she seems to be spending equal time swimming and basking now, which makes me feel better.

I SO GET why people are into these turtles. They have so much personality and she acts like the Queen of Sheba. I wonder if she knows she is loved and that all the nice things she has are so she'll be happy? I hope so. She is so adorable and our family just loves having her be a part of our home. We're getting a huge tank for her this week...my husband loves to get stuff like that, and of course since we got her and fell in love with her, nothing is too good for Lady Lou. I want her to have a nice basking spot and PLENTY of room to swim...she loves to explore.

Skip the Dr. Turtle. What you need is cuttle bone, it is white and oval, found in the bird section of the pet store. Pick the hard backing off (easier said than done) and toss a piece in the tank. You can break it into small pieces if you want to. Just let it float in the tank and eventually your friend will eat it. It might take her a while to figure out what it is. Keep some in the tank all the time, it is a great source of calcium for your lucky turtle.

Dr. Turtle claims to have some medicinal value, I think. But if your turtle is healthy, you shouldn't need it.

For the moment 30 gallons will suffice. It will take Lou time to grow. I agree Filstar is a good filter. I use them. They are easy to manage and clean and do a good job.

Glad you are enjoying your new family member and trying to provide him with all the essentials for a happy life.

Steve

Ok, 30 gallons it is. (although those massive tanks are SO COOL!). And I will get the Filstar filter. You learn pretty fast how important a good filter is!!!!