Just bought an Alligator Turtle. Help!

[Bowser Frey]

Hey Abby,

That's amazing.... what was it doing out of the water? Is that in a zoo? If and When RJ Bowser gets that big I wouldn't be that close to it. The neck is long and AST has decent speed with the first couple of steps. Also, go to your local expo or reptile shop and see if they have and buy one! Just make sure they don't lie to you like the breeder did to me and tell you its 2 or 3 years old when its a hatchling.

Thanks,

 

[Bowser Frey]

So update: RJ won't eat grasshoppers or bloodworms. The grasshopper is dead in the water in front of him for some time now and the blood worms pieces are still on the floor. I threw the rest away as I didn't want it to make a mess. Also tried handing feeding the hopper and bloodworms and it was a no go. It looks like I will stick with fish for the time being.

 

[tigerbob]

Can put some floating plants in the tank. Salvinia or water lettuce for example, or even anacharis. This way the turtle can feel more safe and won't get nervous when people are close watching it. And these fast growing plants can take in ammonia from water very efficiently.

 

[Raka]

LFS had one for years until it got reported, Ol Cranky Franky, lived mainly off feeder fish. Definitely something you want to be aware when handling. The time I saw him jailbreak his tub there was only one employee even willing to approach him.

 

[davelin315]

Older thread but how is it doing? Alligator snapping turtles are ambush predators and as mentioned and as you noticed they also lure prey in. Fish are accustomed to avoiding them so they hide underneath them as you also noticed. Dead prey that is not moved in front of them will not get eaten typically although they do scavenge. Earthworms (night crawlers, not red wrigglers) are good for them as are most fish. Goldfish are not great and although they are a natural prey, the rosey reds are not super for them, either, although they certainly can eat them. Roseys, by the way, are just fathead minnows which are native to most bodies of water where you might find these turtles. I have kept these in the past as a child and they do enjoy some mucky bottoms to hide in or a place to tuck themselves into and blend.

 

[Matteus]

Older thread but how is it doing? Alligator snapping turtles are ambush predators and as mentioned and as you noticed they also lure prey in. Fish are accustomed to avoiding them so they hide underneath them as you also noticed. Dead prey that is not moved in front of them will not get eaten typically although they do scavenge. Earthworms (night crawlers, not red wrigglers) are good for them as are most fish. Goldfish are not great and although they are a natural prey, the rosey reds are not super for them, either, although they certainly can eat them. Roseys, by the way, are just fathead minnows which are native to most bodies of water where you might find these turtles. I have kept these in the past as a child and they do enjoy some mucky bottoms to hide in or a place to tuck themselves into and blend.

Can I ask, why not red wigglers?

 

[tlindsey]

Can I ask, why not red wigglers?

+1

 

[davelin315]

There is a species of them that is toxic to snakes and produces a bitter taste to other animals. I would say that it is not a blanket prohibition but since most red wrigglers are sold generically there are no assurances that they are not the toxic kind. Also, while there are no studies on their toxicity to turtles, my belief has always been better safe than sorry, especially with smaller specimens.

 

[Matteus]

There is a species of them that is toxic to snakes and produces a bitter taste to other animals. I would say that it is not a blanket prohibition but since most red wrigglers are sold generically there are no assurances that they are not the toxic kind. Also, while there are no studies on their toxicity to turtles, my belief has always been better safe than sorry, especially with smaller specimens.

Thanks for your reply.

I have heard about a mucus they produce that causes them to taste bitter. I have also noticed that some of my fish don’t like them with out a rinse.

a local axo breeder taught me to give them a rinse with warm water to shock them and it rinses most of the slime off and they seem to be more palatable after that for the fish.

 

[Bowser Frey]

Hello everyone,

Hope everyone has been doing well. Anyone get any new pets since we all last spoke? I've seen the posts but forgot to respond..... RJ is doing well.... We went through our first fever a few months ago and then when I removed alge off his back notice severe shell rot/softshell due to me being an idiot and filling up the water to high with an 80-watt lamp...... so he wasn't getting UV B rays.. I read a lot about softshell/ shell rot and got to working on it by buying povidone-iodine and this shell savor liquid which is basically aloe & avocado mix.... I kept RJ out of the water for 3-4 hours a day ( would clean shell with mild soap and let it dry, then apply iodine, let it dry and then do the shell saver ) shell was getting a bit better but I start to notice severe cracks runing down the shell and that made me freak out so thats when I relized my water level is too high with an 80 watt....so I went out, bought a 100-watt bulb, reducing the water level greatly - to the point, the water filter sucked up gravel and broke ( dont care upgrading soon, will get to that in minute ) and now its been a month since the whole thing started and the little guys shell is really comming back to form....it amazing to see his shell recover and look better daily... i stop using the idone and shell savor.... the lowering the water was all that was needed.... also added edable calsium and that turtle statue that dissolves and addes vitman D to the water.. only thing I notice now is the tip of his shell, the scales, some are bit loose ( loose only when wiggle by hand).... ive read that there is nothing you can do about it while they are young and only when they fully mature the tips then harden ... dont know if I will accept that answer as of now but little one is doing well..... started the upgrade process by buying a 45-gallon tank at pet smart, dragged it home only to realize that its the wrong type and isn't meant to hold water.... so returned and still haven't upgraded the tank yet.... probably going get a long 29 gallon in the next few weeks. Should be good for him for a while.... also noticed he is still very wild... still runs away from me and also only goes after big fish has no interest in little to mid-size... recently caught a fish that was longer than his shell, caught it right down the middle and kept biting till he split in 2.... then he ate two separate pieces.....it was a sight to behold and made up for all the times I cant catch him eating...he loves panda mollys = )