Herps

[Ironcat]

...as in reptiles... not the disease... sheesh!

Anyway, we had such fun with all of our fish info I was wondering if anyone keeps herps as pets?

My daughters are staying with me for the summer so I just put together a turtle tank for them.
It looks like this...

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/_ironcat_/tank.jpg

We currently have 3 little turtles (actually they are terrapins but turtles works too)...

This is T-Wrecks... He is a Sabine Map Turtle
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/_ironcat_/T-Wrecks.jpg

This is Cowboy (a Yellow Bellied Cooter) and Daffodill (a Red Eared Slider)
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/_ironcat_/cowboyanddaffodil.jpg

[Computer-Geek]

will they get any bigger? if not i sure will like them i was planning a 55 gallon viviarium for frogs but my mom sold my tank and said i can get a smaller one in the summer hopefully she was telling the truth she doesn't do that alot to me :| are u using an aquaclear 20 ? also what size tank is that ? 20 gallon ? I only keep fish for now though

[Eclecticos]

Kewl! I was thinking about getting a Kamelion before I found out how hard they are to take care of.
They will only drink from a waterfall.. LOL

Looks like your turtles are devising a plan to get out.



http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/_ironcat_/cowboyanddaffodil.jpg


Turtle on the Right "Were bustin outta here"

Turtle on the Left "I will keep an eye on the Humans"

Turtle in the water "Did someone just fart?" . . Im outta here :D

[Ironcat]

will they get any bigger? Yes.
The map turtle has the smallest adult size, about 8 inches long. The other 2 will get a foot or longer within a few years.

are u using an aquaclear 20 ? Yes.
The few fish in my tank are feeder guppies and a couple wild caught mollies for the turtles so filtration is not that important, as long as i can get the girls to keep the tank clean I will not need to change my water more than once a month or so...

also what size tank is that ? 20 gallon ? Nope.
It's a 10 gallon. The side panel has been cut in half to allow a slot for the filter but otherwise it's just a normal tank. To keep these turtles for more than a couple of years or 2 I will need to go up to at least a 29 and probably a 55. To keep them to adulthood, I'd need a pond... and 30 years...


I was thinking about getting a Kamelion before I found out how hard they are to take care of.
They will only drink from a waterfall
Chameleons are no harder to take care of than any other pet, you need to do your research before getting one is all... They don't "only drink from waterfalls", they get most of their moisture from their food and the rest they lap off of leaves and plants, I had a Parson's once who would hang upside down when I misted him and drink the water ass it dripped off his head.

[AJ@PR]

I LIKE IT!

Do the turtles have names!?

I had a turtle once... I named her Rush.
:?

I like the tank... :bunny:

[nil8]

One of my sisters has a land turtle of some type that went from being tiny(she was underfed by her former owner) to actually being normal turtle size in a couple of years. Shy little booger, but still easy to take care of.

I'm still amazed at how long turtles live.

[Reyer]

hahaha, i thaught when i clicked this you were going to tell me some story about an STD. Oh well

[xRyokenx]

How easy are turtles to take care of? If they're really different, how's about a comparison of turtles and (reasonably sized) tortoises? lol

[Computer-Geek]

thanks for the info when and if i create a turtle tank in the summer it will be awesome and i will post it over here.

[simon275]

I'm still amazed at how long turtles live.

Yeah like 230ish years ago the english explorer who discovered the east coast of Australia Captain James Cook gave a sea turtle to the Tongan royal family as a pet. The turtle died when most of us where alive.

[AKA_RA]

My parents got some little turtles about that size one time. they're the size of small dinner plates now, lol.

[Ironcat]

How easy are turtles to take care of?
As long as you do your homework before you begin, they are pretty easy to take care of.
1. They are reptiles and don't actually breathe the water they live in so if you're lazy, it can get pretty bad before they can't tolerate it anymore. You don't actually NEED filtration at all but it does keep the smell down. All reptile poop stinks!
2. They are omnivorous, so although you should always feed them the best diet possible, they will eat anything from turtle food, to minnows, to lettuce, to old hot dogs when you're cleaning out the fridge...and they are slow growing and cold blooded so they won't eat you out of house and home.
3. At least for right now, they are in a pretty small tank, if I need to, I can put a 10 gallon on the kitchen counter, so space isn't a concern for quite awhile.


Is it an acryllic tank? or a glass tank? How did you cut it?
Glass and I didn't. It is sold this way as a turtle tank, they also make them like this in 20 and 29 gallons. This 10 gallon was 16 bucks, the others are probably double that. Shop around online or even at aquarium stores and you'll be able to find all sorts of tanks with various holes and windows already cut into them for filters and whatnot, might help with NemoTank

[Spawn-Inc]

so after they get to be 10" in diameter what do you do with them? just through'em in a lake or something?


and on a side note ironcat, by 2 bala sharks and ghost knife are doing good. no fights or eating tales, etc.

[Ironcat]

That's awesome! SO glad you're having success with your tank!

All of my turtles are native to my area and being as I live in South Florida, if I wanted to, yes I could just "throw them out into lake" (although down here it would most likely be a canal) and they'd survive quite nicely.

But of course that isn't my plan or I never would have bought them in the first place.
The wife has been talking for years about a little outside pond with koi and turtles and whatnot, so that's probably what will happen to them.

[Drew]

Cool, a turtle tank.

Where's my dremel..... anyone wanna buy some fish?

j/k....

Seriously, that is cool.

[Commando]

Yeah like 230ish years ago the english explorer who discovered the east coast of Australia Captain James Cook gave a sea turtle to the Tongan royal family as a pet. The turtle died when most of us where alive.

I remember reading about that. That is a bizarre story.

Only one Oi? I though it was Oi, Oi, Oi....

[Ironcat]

It died in 1965 or 1966... I doubt most of us were alive then...

[Ironcat]

* On a side note...

Something very cool and sorta gross at the same time...
I caught some wild shiners and mollies, and put them in the tank for the turtles to eat... well Daffodill caught one and as she was ripping it's belly open to eat all the delicious fishy goodness, teeny tiny little babies started swimming out of it!

[Drew]

nice.

thanks for sharing.


fascinating though...

[Computer-Geek]

lol save some of the babies and breed them so your turtles will have more food. Also Spawn what sized tank do you have your bala sharks and ghost knife in ? they both get pretty large.Are any of you part of a fish or fish / aquarium plants forum ?

[Ironcat]

Here's what I get for making light of dead guinea pigs... one of my turtles died...

...NO, you can't eat it!

[Spawn-Inc]

that sucks, which one?

[Ironcat]

T-Wrecks

He was the little map turtle...

[Bopher]

Ah, that sucks. I think I've wanted a turtle since I saw the first Ninja Turtles movie.
When I was growing up we had 6 iguanas, one for each member of the family. Very easy to take care of if you do your research and buy from someone who knows a lot about them.

[The Black Pumpkin]

I had a turtle for about a week, then we had to let it go... :(