Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Good afternoon all. I recently acquired a new RES. She is about 2 inches (give or take) from head to tip of tail. This is my second RES, my first is now 9 years old and happy and healthy. That being said...I have forgotten everything from when she was a baby. I obtained her through a friend of a friend. The baby was kept in a tiny plastic cage with one of those horrid palm trees. She is now in a 20-gallon long tank, with a basking spot, basking light, and filter.

She is currently swimming lopsided. Isn't this indicative of a respiratory infection?

Also, what does shell rot look like?

How warm should I keep the water?

How often do I feed him/her?

What should his/her diet consist of?

I am getting ready to leave this weekend. I will leave Friday afternoon and return on Monday afternoon. Should I get someone to feed him/her?

Thanks in advance...I feel as though I'm starting all over..I guess I am.

The temps should be between 70-80F, and it should eat raw meat, cooked chicken, raw fish and chopped worms. Try insects too, perhaps crushed ReptoMin pellets.

You can do this by taking it out and putting it in a little bowl, so that it is faced with the food. It's probably just very malnourished.

shell rot I wouldn't worry about, for now. Its shell is too fragile, that's all.

Raw meat? Can he/she be given hamburger meat?
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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals"
--Immanual Kant

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1 Dog (Tyson)
1 RES (Sigmund)
1 Hamster (Lenore)

BTW, it should eat twice a day, and I would have someone try to feed it while you're gone.