How can I convince Dad to let me get another turtle?

Question

Hey,

Well let me begin with my pets. I have two Axolotls, 4 fighting fish, 4 tadpoles and 1 turtle. I also have a couple of goldfish & danios but giving them away soon. Anyway at the pet store the other day I saw this turtle package. A turtle tank, heater, filter, turtle, bloodworms, turtle dinner and more. It was only $245 (australian dollars). I asked mum and she said that Dad would have a fit (As I adopted my other turtle from my friend almost a week ago). Its my birthday and thats the only thing I want. How can I talk to dad & convince him? Thanks soo much!

Matt

Answer 1

dude seriosly only have 1 turtle you DO NOT want 2

Answer 2

Ok, bear in mind of the amount of pets you already have. That could be the reason why?. Also, can't you house your turtle with the one you want?. That package will only be a starter kit and i can sure you that you'd NEED to buy a bigger tank sometime in the future. Just simply talk to your mum and see what she says, if she says Yes, she can speak to your dad for you. Although, maybe not getting one for your birthday, but, keeping say 2/3 of the amount you usaully get on your birthday and then do the odd jobs and your parents up the amount depending on what you do intill you have the amount you need?. Just a thought.

Answer 3

research it as much as you can, show your dad you can look after it, take extra special care of your other pets to show you can look after another one

Answer 4

2 turtles is too much, its too much responsibility. You would need a 75 gallon tank, a uva light, a uvb light, a heater, a filter, a basking place, and lots of varietys of food. Even keeping one turtle is hard work.

Answer 5

What kind of turtle is it?

Find that out, then research their care, and this should show him that you could care for it properly.

Why do you want another turtle? You only just got one, maybe you should wait a few months before getting another so that you can get used to it's care.

Answer 6

Well, to start - I'm jealous of the Axolotls - I had one, and it died of old age, but our laws have changed, and you can't buy one here now, or "mud puppies" either...

Anyway, onto your turtle dilemma...

What sort of turtle did you adopt?  How large will it get?  Is it a cute hatchling, and not needing a 55 or larger tank yet?

Of course - two would need MORE space.  I could support your cause if I agreed with it.  You have enough animals now.

DO you know how long that recent turtle will LIVE?  How big it will get, and what you have to feed it to keep it healthy?   It's been a week, and I have no idea what you're doing right now, but nutrition/lighting/heating is paramount, and WILL show, over time.

So, if you want to convince your parents first?  Then is should be no big deal to convince ME.

Here's 1/2 your homework:

GUT LOADING CRICKETS for REPTILES:

The number one problem:

Dried up and malnourished pet store crickets and mealworms. These food items are essentially useless. A dehydrated and unfed cricket contains almost no nutrients at all; refrigerated mealworms are even worse. A lot of the variety in nutrients found in wild insects is actually in the stomach content - usually plant material. We need to duplicate this to provide the best for our reptiles; without the risk of illness/disease/parasites which can result from feeding our pets wild insects.

Please note that wax worms, while fattening, are not nutritious.  Young geckos can eat small silk and phoenix worms, as well.

Basic Dry/Staple Cricket Food:

Equal amounts of dry Iguana food, dry dog food, chick starter mash, oatmeal (you can add dry baby food wheat/rye/barley, etc. as well; even shredded wheat - no sugar).

Grind these items together.  Place in a small lid/bowl for the crickets to eat.  Store the unused portion in the refrigerator or freezer, until needed.

Supplement daily with one of the following: sweet potato, bananas, zucchini, oranges, carrots, strawberries, assorted squashes (acorn, yellow, etc.), grapefruit, green beans, apples, kale, spinach, cactus pads, and just about any other nutritious item you can think of (do not use white/yellow potatoes - these are starchy and only good if used as a moisture source during shipping, and NEVER use Avocado - it's poisonous to most animals).

Provide the dry food and kale at all times (kale is readily available during the winter months, too), rotating the other food items through in succession. The key is variety, and to provide an assortment of varying nutrients. What you are trying to do is offer your reptiles crickets with guts 'loaded' with fresh foodstuffs.

The crickets should be gut loaded for 1-2 days prior to offering them to your reptiles.

Also, provide fresh clean water in a lid/bowl, adding a sponge or folded paper towel to prevent drowning.

  

Don't offer more crickets than the reptile(s) will consume within: 1.) a few hours if it’s a lizard, salamander, frog/toad, or 2.) a few minutes, if it’s a water turtle, so you know the crickets will still be full of the good stuff when eaten.

The crickets should be dusted (shaken in a plastic bag gently to coat them) with vitamins (keep these refrigerated) and calcium D3 powder 2-4 times a week, depending on the age of the reptile.

Be sure to remove any uneaten crickets so that they do not soil your pet's environment/water or bother your pet, once it is full.  Crickets CAN turn the table - and feast upon your pet! Or aggravate them, causing stress and even cessation of eating.

Also be sure the crickets are the correct size for the reptile.  The cricket should be the same size long as the reptile’s head is wide (about the space between the lizards’ eyes).

And a bit more:

There are many opinions on how to meet the dietary requirements of your RES (and other water turtles).  You can consult your vet for their recommendation, too, and google turtle breeders/sites to see what they feed.  This is what I have found to provide a happy/healthy reptile:

In the wild, red ear sliders (and other water turtles) eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters, and eat less plant matter than they will as they grow.



In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist of a commercial aquatic turtle pellet product (like Reptomin floating food sticks); aquatic plants such as Anacharis (research which are safe for consumption); gut loaded crickets; and very small feeders guppies/goldfish/minnows. Hatchlings should be fed small amounts spaced several times over the day (they are growing quickly) and juveniles should be feed on a daily basis. The diet can be supplemented with frozen tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of leafy greens (*like curly kale, collard greens, turnip greens, duckweed, water lettuce, Anacharis, chickweed, plantain weed, fig leaves, grape leaves) or finely chopped mixed vegetables, can be offered several times weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow a bit older, or curiosity sets in.

Get a cuttle bone from the bird dept. at a local pet shop (you can easily cut this to a desired size or use whole for larger turtles/tanks) and drop it in the water for added calcium.  Turtles are curious, and eventually they'll bite at it.  This is fine too, but if they don’t, they will still get added calcium as they drink the water.

For adults the diet is relatively the same (amounts increased as they grow, and daily feedings decrease), but more of the diet may consist of commercial turtle pellets and plant items, such as Anacharis (*see plant/vegetable material above) and vegetables.  

All my turtles, regardless of age, enjoy their gut loaded crickets.  Offering fresh live fish supplements their diet, and provides a good source of exercise as they swim, stalking and catching them.  Adults should be fed assorted greens several times a week.  Adult turtles may not eat daily, but most will if offered the opportunity.

Alternate/rotate the greens to provide a variety of nutrients: (*see above); kale; romaine/red leaf lettuce; mustard greens; dandelion greens/flowers; watercress; parsley; Swiss chard; shredded carrots; shredded squash (yellow; pumpkin; acorn; etc.); mixed vegetables (fresh is better, but thawed frozen can be used) and miscellaneous fruits. NO iceberg lettuce; brussel sprouts, or cabbage!  Never Avocado (this is toxic/poisonous to most animals)!

You can reduce your task of keeping their environment clean by removing your turtle(s) to a small tank/plastic water filled container of the same water temp. (water turtles primarily feed in the water) for feeding.  Turtles shred their food with their beak and front claws, and tend to be quite messy eaters.

Are you doing all that?  Did you KNOW all that?  And now you want two?...

Please check the links I'll paste below, and begin some serious research.  Turtles need a lot of things, and if you're a child at home with no income?  Well, there's a good reason Mom and Dad are saying no.  They likely don't know what you already got them into.

So, if you want the other turtle?  Show them a cleaning schedule, and feeding schedule/cost, etc., and convince them the 2nd turtle will be NO more trouble than first.

Nothing in life is free and easy.  Do your homework, and go from there.