New to the turtle world

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nikibabi530

Feeder Fish
Sep 19, 2007
3
0
0
Philadelphia
My boyfriend brought two aquatic turtles home to me one day and I was shocked. I love turtles but I was always afraid of having one, now two, because I didn't know how to take care of them. I did a lot of research, but if anyone has first year advice to give me I would greatly appreciate that. I have a 5 gallon tank for the both of them, UVB light and two different features for them to come out of the water. I also read that you are not supposed to feed them no more than once a day...?? Please help.. thank you

Nicole:nilly:
 
i guess they r just hatchlings if they r in that size tank. do u know what type of turtle they r? they are going to need a larger tank in the future. a lot of turtles can reach 12+ inches in length. thats a handful..especially if u multiply that by 2. but for some better info we r going to need to know what type of turtle or snap some pics and we can ID them.
 
nikibabi530;1141822; said:
i'm sure they are common map turtles...i don't know how to identify their sex...i tryed to research but i just cant find any useful information
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They grow pretty large, females can get up to 10+ inches while males stay about half that size. Those large Rumbermaid Tubs make great small turtle enclosures because they can be easily cleaned and they're cheaper then a glass tank. As an adult they would do better outdoors in a small pond.
 
Not to be offensive at all, but buy yourself one good book and read it before asking questions on a forum. Also state your sitauation clearly, and your set-up. It ALWAYS make the thread a lot easier and more peaceful. Just a tip ;)

I'll let the others comment on the turtles. I know little about maps compared to other turtles. Well, good luck and do your research! :)
 
First of all, let me just say, "Welcome to the world of turtles!" Turtles in the genus Graptemys (Map Turtles) are somewhat similar in care to Red-Eared Sliders. They are relatively easy to take care of, although females can sometimes get pretty big. Here are a couple of sites that may be able to help you:

http://www.chelonia.org/

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/

and here is a link to a care sheet:

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/graptemyscare.htm

Hope this helps you!

Take care,
-Chad Rogers
 
THATS the post you sent me an angry PM about?! I was trying to help you, and it says NO OFFENSE in the very first sentance. Just to let you know, its very aggravating when people don't give the situations. You know how many times I get 'MY LEOPARD GECKO WONT EAT WHAT DO I DO?!!?"? Dude, chill out. Its a suggestion to help the other members life easier, as well as yours.

I guess you don't appreciate help and suggestions when you see them. Maybe its not what you wanted to hear, but sometimes thats what you get.
 
:popcorn: :chillpill: :popcorn: :chillpill: :popcorn: :chillpill:
 
If they are in fact map turtles, they are VERY susceptible to shell rot. Keep their water PRISTINE.
 
loco, chill out. Lots of people come here for advice, instead of reading a book. There are no rules against that. If you don't like a post, don't reply.

nikibabi530, chad rogers gave you all the info you need. Austinsturtlepage.com actually has a turtle forum. They could help you out a lot there, too. Those websites have as much information as most books. I fear, though, that you are in over your head. Two turtles in a 5 gallon will not last long. They really shouldn't be in that small of an aquarium ever. Map turtles grow fairly fast and love to swim. You should be prepared to buy (if you keep both), in the near future, a 150 gallon tank and all the supplies that go with it. That can be very expensive. Like santoury said, keep the water clean and do the research your boyfriend failed to do. Good luck!
 
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