Reptile & Amphibian Forums

At the end of August I recieve two res as supposed hatchlings. I was feeding them protien everyday (enough to fit their head) along with greens. I noticed that they seemed to be growing a little fast so now I have cut down their protien intake to once a week. I give them as much greens as they like (a wide variety), some fruits as a treat. I've checked their shells and they seem to be forming fine, they are not overweight, very active and love to bask but I still worry they could be growing too fast and I know the rule of thumb is an inch a year and recieving them at the end of August (I think they were 1 inch) they are now 1 1/2in and 1 3/4in. Does this sound about right? Just want to make sure that I am doing right by them and yes I have uvb/uva light, basking lamp, 40 gal tank which I will soon be upgrading from, filter, frequent water changes. Thanks for reading.

Don't worry about growth rate so long as the turtles are healthy and happy and you can accomodate the growth. I've seen healthy sliders that were 3" by four years old, and healthy sliders that were 7" by three years old!

So long as they are receiving the proper nutrition and have the proper habitat, I'd worry less about growth rates.

Katrina

Your regimen sounds fine. I wouldn't worry too much. They are not way off in terms of growth rate and that is only a rule of thumb. It does not mean that something is wrong if they grow an inch and 1/2 in a year instead of just a single inch.

Good husbandry, good diet and don't overfeed and they should be just fine. It sounds as though you have things in hand.

Watch for signs of obesity and shell malformation rather than worry over whether they are exceeding the 1/2 inch a year growth rate.

Steve