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I have a 13 year old yellowbellied slider turtle. I have a hard time keeping her tank clean. Has anyone tried the Zoo Med turtle clean 501? If so, how does it work and are you satisfied?
sandy61

Hey swhite61,

It's me Vicki,

So, you have a 13 yr. old yellowbellied slider turtle...
interesting. I want to get my 4 yr. old grandson a
turtle. Any suggestions. Should I get 2?
For companionship? I will be the caretaker of them.
The turtles will reside at my home.

What kind should I consider? What should I expect?
How time consuming are they really? How often do you
really have to clean their tanks?

The longest I've ever taken care of a turtle was
3 weeks. My neighbor girl went on an Easter vacation.
I volunteered. It was fun, but that was the gist of it.

Want to share alittle bit of a life of a turtle
with me. I'd appreciate.

Thanks.

Vicki L. Forte'
Bella On Line
Crime Editor <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />

Hi Vickie,
First of all with the turtle's care...they are very messy. They have lots of waste and I have yet to find a filter system that can really handle it. I have to strip down her tank about once a month to really keep it clean. I syphon out debris and change the filter cartridge about every two weeks. I had the tank in front of a window for a while but had a lot of trouble with algea. I have tried to put bottom feeding fish with her but she thinks they are food.
As far as a companion, I'm not sure. Maybe if they start out together it will work but we had ours about a year and then put a smaller one if with her and she bit a hunk out of it's shell. She was very territorial.
Also in the winter months I have to add a heater to keep her from wanting to hibernate which would involve adding mud for her to bury in.
I don't want to sound negative or discouraging because she has also been a wonderful pet. She is deffinitly one of the family. She loves for mee to give her a bath and srub her shell with a soft brush. She has been a source for educations also as we have watched her shell grow with her and even though she does not have a mate she still performs a mating dance every so often. She has gone to school several times when my daughter was in school and now that my daughter is teaching ist graders she will probably be making a few trip back to the classroom.
Let me know if you have any other questions. You can email me at swhite@ahoskie.net
Sandy61

Hey Sandy61,

Sorry, it took me a moment to get back to you.
Had to start a brand new class on HTML. OH MY!

Anyways...they are VERY messy, huh. It sounds like
I could handle a once a month -stripping down.

I'm at a total loss about changing a filter cartridge.
I can do without the fish - I never have luck with them.
And, since she'll probably eat them any how, we're good
on that.

I don't think she'll need a companion if she's that
uh - nasty & I say that with a smile. I'm looking
real forward to the "educational part" of it.

Me and my grown boys have had some of everything.
We had these 2 frogs, that use to make us literally
roar with some of the things they use to do! They
were as funny as the 3 Stooges. I kid you not.

So what kind of Turtle should I get?
And, how much is my new family member going to
run me on a monthly basis?

My grandson is only 4 yrs. old, remember.
Can you give me a name of a species, so I can
start researching it, or her?

I really appreciate you helping me and I apologize
that it took me a moment to reply.

Hope Your Having A Great Weekend!

Vicki L. Forte'
Bellaonline
Crime Editor <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />

Hi Vicki,
Out turtle is native in our area. we got her out of the river right after she hatched. Any slider such as yellowbelly or red ear should be ok. Also painted turtles make good pets. There are also ones that are not aquatic.
You may have trouble finding turtles for sell in pet stores as it is not legal to sell them in some states. This is because several years ago some small children put small turtles in their mouths (where the parents were is a mystery to me) and the children got sick. Turtles carry salmenella. We have never had any trouble...just wash your hands really good just as you would after handling any animal. (This is the same bacteria that raw chicken has.)

As for feeding her, I always give her reptile pellets which I get from Walmart or any pet store. These have vitamins to help keep her shell as well as her body healthy. I also give her raw & cooked hamburger, hot dogs, cooked chicken, cheese, lettuce, apple, grapes ect. She loves meats but I give her vegestables also. Oh!! Also flies... She loves horse flies and deer flies which we have an abundance of in the summer. Not at all expensive to feed.

I do use a filter as you would in an aquarium which has the cartritages to change. These are not too expensive either apx $9.00 for a box of 6.

I'm far from being a expert but feel free to ask me questions. I've learned a lot just from experience. She is a lot of fun.

I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Good luck
Sandy61


There are a lot of good web sites you could check out too. petturtles.com is a good one as well as others.

Hey Sandy,

That's my Mom's name. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'll check out petturtles.com later on this evening.
I hope she can live without "flies" I can't see myself
going quite there. At least not yet. But, you know the
things we do for love and for our pets.

I didn't know turtles, were hard to come by.
My dad use to live on a farm. We had access to everything.
I grew up with a pet goat. Her name was Nanny Bell.
I simply loved her. So loving and gentle.

Your turtle eats Hamburger, hotdogs & chicken?
That's interesting. I fed the little neighbor girl's
turtle, lettuce tomato grapes & apples.

I'll investigate the site & see what I can come up
with. As quiet as its kept - I want this turtle more
for myself - probably, than for my grandchildren.

But, it will be a good educational experience for them.

I'll let you know what I find out.

Until Then...

Vicki L. Forte'
Bellaonline
Crime Editor <img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" />

Hi vicki,
Good luck with the turtle hunting. I have to admit that I love our turtle "Tappy" just like any other pet I've ever had. Sometimes when I'm cleaning out her tank my husband will say "Why don't you just put her back in the river!?"
Which I reply with "I WOULDN'T DARE!" Not only would I miss her but she knows nothing about looking for food as she has never had to. All she has to do is TAP on her tank ans I go running to her, Then she strethes out her neck and reaches up toward me. She is my baby just like my dog is. Not quite as cuddly but still my baby.

I hope you are able to find one and let me know when you do.Good luck!

Sandy61

I have a red-earred terrapin - and I must say that they aren't easy pets! I was given this one when he was very small, and I've had to continually buy new tanks to cope with how fast he grows. I don't have a filtration system, and keep him in a warm room, which means cleaning out the tank at least twice a week (an irksome task). I've tried water filtration tablets etc, but they don't have much effect. Apparently they live for thirty years and grow to the size of a dinner plate, which alarms me rather! I think it's important to bear this point in mind when chosing them as pets <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

best wishes - Jane <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

We just got Scratchy the turtle. My husband and 4 yr old went fishing and came back with him/ her. How do you tell the difference? It is a slider (looked at pics on the net). Our tank gets lots of bubbles. We can't figure out why. I was afraid it would die the first week and my son would be heart broken.

"Turtle" was the first word I heard my son say when he was 1 year old.