Neighbor left turtles and a fish?

Question

So my lovely neighbor left a male cat, two turtles and a fish. I know NOTHING about reptiles and what to feed them so could you help me out with a bit of information about these cute creatures? Thank you.

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Answer 1

Did they just run off and abandon those animals?!!

The first of the 'bad news' is - turtles are expensive and a lot of work.

Most important thing with these guys is proper temperatures, clean water, and diet.  They need a basking area under heat and a UVB light.  Make sure you keep a bird cuttle bone in the water to provide needed calcium.

You have just "inherited" two RES (Red Ear Slider) turtles, and a very, very nice Pleco (fish).  The Pleco's job is to keep the tank clean... he'll suck the glass, etc. and control aglae.

It's been years since I kept fish.  I used to buy sinking algae tablets for my Pleco, and he'd take flake tood, too.  But, I suggest you wait for another answer on his care, or check with a pet shop (or you can post another question for his care under the fish section here).

Keep on eye on those turtles though, and if you see them picking on that fish, it's time to separate them.  

You have much to learn about your two new "kids" (the RESs).  They'll outgrow that tank soon enough (I couldn't tell from the pic how many gal. it is).

The rules of thumb for turtle keeping are: 1.) 10 gal. of water per inch of turtle shell length (and add 1/2 again that much for a 2nd turtle).  So, if the turtle is 4" long, it needs a 40 gal. tank (and figure 20 gal. more for a 2nd turtle of the same size, so 60 gal. for two), and 2.) the filter system should be able to clean 3X the actual gallon amount (so if the tank is 60 gal., then the filter needs to be able to clean 180 gal.).  Turtles are messy creatures.

Males are smaller, but an adult female RES can get up to 12" long and eventually need a 120 gal. tank or pond.

I'll post some links so you can get started on all the reading you'll need to do.

Habitat:

http://www.redearslider.com/index_habita...

Feeding:

http://reslider.free.fr/backup/feeding.h...

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/ca...

Since you have two juveniles (they are considered adult at 5 yr. approx), be sure to read up on behavior as they age:

http://redearslider.com/unusual_behavior...

General:

http://www.turtle-care.com/

http://theturtlesource.com/

http://www.petturtle.com/care.htm  

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Info/in...

When you finish all that, I'll post some links below on illnesses, so you can see what to avoid.

Good luck with your new pets.  If you have further questions, you can email me at [e-mail] and type TURTLE HELP on the subject line.

I hope this has been helpful.

***ADD - Kudos for being responsible and compasionate.  I wish you had better 'neighbors' moving in.  Very good of you to rescue the poor darlins.  I didn't include care for the cat... I sort of figured most folks know that?  If you need help with the kitty too, just shoot me an email.

Answer 2

well the fishis a pleco they feed on algae. and the turles are red eared slders. they eat worms flies or minows. you can find everything you need to know by googleing red eared sliders.  if you don't want to keep the animals and don't feel you coul properlycare for them you could try getting in touch with your local shelter to see ifthey could take them.

Answer 3

It just makes ya dislike people more and more.

(cute gloves)

I have had my 2 slider  girls for 36 yrs. Plus an 8 and 5 yr old and now a 2 yr old adopted from this site.. And in a pond for almost 7 yrs now. Got them on my 18th birthday!  They are expensive and people are dumping, throwing away these little lives.

here is a resuce link if you decide they are to much , they require alot.

Contact the “www.anapsid.org/societies, for a turtle vet /  rescue in your city and state

http://flickr.com/photos/29035692@N03/se...

The bigger the environment the bigger the healthier the turtle. Remember 10 gallons for every inch of turtle. I have used kiddy pools and plastic pond liners from most nurseries and worked great.

Did you know that they need to bask under a reptile light UVA/UVB for 8 to 10 hrs a day for the vitamin D that they need to grow. So that means getting a turtle dock also.

Leave the heater on 75 to 78 degrees always. These turtles in captivity do not hibernate their eating may slow down some but they will not hibernate.

Their water needs to be clean otherwise they get sick easily from dirty water cause they p**p allot.

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max. Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer front nails and are used in mating. And are considered mature at about 5 yrs old. You can’t start sexing till about  3” across.

You need a good filter system! Gravel larger than they can swallow.

You need to feed them feeder guppies, goldfish or minnows for protein and calcium daily drop 20 or so in the tanks and watch them disappear in a few days! When I got these two 36 yrs ago all we had in back then  were goldfish to feed , so after 36 yrs and still going strong. They can eat goldfish! I spend about 175.00 a month on fish ,goldfish and minnows. An Extra  75.00 on leafy greens and dried cubed tubiflex worms.

This way when they swim for their dinner they get exercise also!

They sleep at the bottom of rivers, streams. lakes or ponds or your tank to avoid predators like coyotes,  foxes, owls, hawks, possums, raccoons and even some wide mouth bass.

TOSS in a bird cuttle bone in the water for calcium. it will dissolve real slow and if they eat it that’s fine!!

They can have garden worms, meal worms, snails, crickets, flies, crayfish small frogs, dragon flies and  anything that moves, but only as a treat.

They need leafy greens Romaine, Butter lettuce. (Iceberg and cabbage are bad for them, any other leafy greens will do) for vitamin A that they need at least 3 to 4 times a week.

You probably already know that they get sick easily, shell rot, respiratory sickness, lopsided swimming, coughing, blowing bubbles from their nose.

**Swollen cloudy eyes means lacking in Vitamin A. Which we all need for good eyes. Google ‘vegetables with Vitamin A.

I wish you luck.

Answer 4

i know nothing about the fish except its probably a bottom feeder by the looks of it. Try getting live minows and giving them to the turtles and maybe the fish will eat them to. And i also would be calling someone about animal crutelty and abuse. Call a local shelter for that. Also try getting worms the fish might eat that, lol. I have caught plunty of bottom feeders on worms, lol  

Answer 5

Incredibly irresponsible of your neighbors, may I say? And good for you for being compassionate.  Male cat needs to be fixed or taken to the pound for disposal.  Turtles and fish can all go in the same container as long as there's a big stone for the turtle to get on (I assume this is a water turtle, not a tortoise).  Fish and turtle food are sold at the pet store.  You can use one of those big plastic storage bins and put in plants (real or fake), stones and even a little fountain to help aerate the water.

Answer 6

those are red eared slider turtles. and the fish is a sucker fish.

your going to need a UV light, basking heat light and a basking area for them to bask on. they will also need a very good filter and a very big tank.

Answer 7

The  turtles  are  red  sliders. Found  in  lots  of  ponds near  logs.  They stay in water  most  time but like  a place to get on and  warm  up. Any basic  turtle  food they like, check yourpet   food  area.  The  fish looks  like a    fish that I call suckers as they suck and  clean  tank. Interesting  to  watch.But  he  has gotten big.   But  they  have  a  regular  name.  Any way they will eat left  over food like  good fish leave  behind.  Both  these  are  easily cared  for.  When  changing  out  tank try leave  a  little of  old  water. Every couple  weeks usually. Try keep new water same temp as  old. Use  product to take  clorine out  water.  Turtles  would enjoy something  to pull up on.  Good  Luck

Answer 8

They left and gave them to you? Or they left them at their house and your taking them?