# Thinking of Getting a Turtle... Need Some Tips



## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

So I'm thinking of getting a turtle, in paricular, a Reeves turtle. However, I have a few questions before I do:

1. Where can I buy a reeves turtle? Anyone seem them at lfs?
2. What does everyone use for UVB lighting? Would a PC light used for plants give off enough UVB?
3. How long should each type of light stay on? ie. Basking (heat), UVB
4. What water parameters should they have? ie. pH, GH, KH

Any other tips appreciated! Thanks!


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

The only Reeves I've ever seen is one I found for a friend 3 or 4 years ago.
He drove out from Edmonton to pick it up.
For UV I use the spiral screw in florescents.
For heat I use a ceramic reptile heater.
You can use a regular light bulb as a heat source.
Water conditions for turtles are not as critical as with fish.
I test for nitrate ever once in a while.
I just do regular large water changes.
I've never kept a Reeves before, but, I think they are semi aquatic, so they require a little different set up than a Red eared slider or a map would.


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## pisces (Apr 22, 2010)

look like i remember i saw on Fraser Aquarium they have it, and fews kind turtles too FRt, shell ...


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

Yea it looks like it going to be a little tough finding a Reeves so I may expand my search to Maps and maybe one of the smaller painted species.

What kind of turtle do you have?


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

Cool thanks, I will check them out.



pisces said:


> look like i remember i saw on Fraser Aquarium they have it, and fews kind turtles too FRt, shell ...


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

envious of you ngo911. those fly river turtles are awesome. 
i'm surprised to see so much turtle selection at fraser aquariums. i may even drop by there to take a peak myself.


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## snow (Apr 21, 2010)

You just missed one. I can't remember who but someone was selling one just this week. It's sold now though.


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

jobber604 said:


> envious of you ngo911. those fly river turtles are awesome.
> i'm surprised to see so much turtle selection at fraser aquariums. i may even drop by there to take a peak myself.


lol I wish I had a FRT... but just starting small



snow said:


> You just missed one. I can't remember who but someone was selling one just this week. It's sold now though.


Yea I made an offer to the buyer of those turts but no luck.


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## pisces (Apr 22, 2010)

i have FRT almost 6 "....go fraser aquarium checking.. the *owner *is okie, he friendly ,, he may help u find iT,


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

you could always catch one at Salish Park in Chilliwack! So many throw out koi and turtles in that pond... I think they even discovered some new hybrids there


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

ngo911 said:


> Yea it looks like it going to be a little tough finding a Reeves so I may expand my search to Maps and maybe one of the smaller painted species.
> 
> What kind of turtle do you have?


Maps are nice turtles and if you get a male they stay small. 
Actually all my females aren't that big either.
Southern painteds stay fairly small, both males and females.
King Ed has southerns sometimes.

I've reduced my collection from 18 to 12 now.
1 Chinese golden thread.
1 Florida red bellied cooter.
2 Mississippi maps
3 false maps.
2 New guinea red bellied side necks.
2 Northern diamondbacked terrapins.
1 Red eared slider that was born without eyes.


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

neven said:


> you could always catch one at Salish Park in Chilliwack! So many throw out koi and turtles in that pond... I think they even discovered some new hybrids there


lol I've heard it's not very successful when trying to keep a wild caught turtle. They don't handle the stress very well. Wonder if anyone has ever tried that though...



architeuthis said:


> Maps are nice turtles and if you get a male they stay small.
> Actually all my females aren't that big either.
> Southern painteds stay fairly small, both males and females.
> King Ed has southerns sometimes.
> ...


Wow very nice collection! I'll have to check King Ed then, it's on the way home from work. Thanks for the recommendations, you appear to be the turtle guru on BCA based on your collection


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

ngo911 said:


> lol I've heard it's not very successful when trying to keep a wild caught turtle. They don't handle the stress very well. Wonder if anyone has ever tried that though...


The turtles in Salish pond are all turtles that were released by owners who no longer wanted them.  I only saw one in there this year when I looked.

If you want a nice turtle, there is a New Guinea red bellied sideneck at Island Pets Unlimited.


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

Just did a search on New Guinea Red Bellied Side Neck and it looks like they can grow up to 10 inches. I'm hoping to get something smaller, maybe 5-6 inches and easy for beginners. I think that leaves me with Southern Painted, Maps (I like the Texas Map), and Reeves. I will definitely check out King Ed and Fraser Aquariums.

It's unfortunate that owners throw them in the pond like that, since there is an organization that shelters reptiles, similar to the SPCA


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

The only maps you will find locally are either Mississippi maps or False maps.
Most stores don't know the difference between the 2 species.
Most of the turtles I've seen locally labeled as Mississippi maps are actually False maps or crosses between the 2.


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

How long should each light be on? Ie heat lamp and UVB lamp. Should there be a source of heat over the basking area at all times?


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## TCR (Jul 13, 2010)

theres maps and musk turtles at king eds last time i went..

also about wild caught turtles, the red eared sliders will be the ones to catch as they would have been former pets are an invasive species so you would be doint the world a favor

as far as the local painted turtle they are endangered so i would avoid those


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

ngo911 said:


> How long should each light be on? Ie heat lamp and UVB lamp. Should there be a source of heat over the basking area at all times?


I keep the lights and heaters over my tanks on about 10-12 hours a day.
Most aquatic turtles sleep in the water at night so they shouldn't need a heat source at night.


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

google search reptile rescue and turtle adoptions. 
I was told recently that there are several local networks looking for adoptees and fosters for different types of turtles.


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

There is a woman in Richmond named Val that runs a reptile rescue out of her house.
That is where I found the Reeves turtle for my friend in Edmonton.


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

I just checked her website and she has a male map up for adoption. 
Richmond Reptile Rescue.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

is it true that turtles stink? my wife wont let us get one cuz she said every place shes ever gone that had a turtle had a particular smell.


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

Mferko said:


> is it true that turtles stink? my wife wont let us get one cuz she said every place shes ever gone that had a turtle had a particular smell.












Those are 2 of my tanks and that is the chair I spend alot of my time in and there is no smell. 
If you take care of a turtle tank properly it won't smell anymore than a properly maintained fish tank.


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

architeuthis said:


> I just checked her website and she has a male map up for adoption.
> Richmond Reptile Rescue.


Sweet thanks for that. I'll be contacting her.



architeuthis said:


> Those are 2 of my tanks and that is the chair I spend alot of my time in and there is no smell.
> If you take care of a turtle tank properly it won't smell anymore than a properly maintained fish tank.


WOW sweet setup.. I think I've seen it before... did you post it on Turtle Forum??


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

Oh, and I went to King Ed's today. They had 2 turtles left that they were selling as Mississippi Maps, but they were actually False Maps. On sale for 50.

They also had 2 Heiroglyphic River Cooters on sale for 50 but I think those get to 7+ inches, too big for me.

I also had a hard time find ReptiSun 10.0 bulbs. Anyone seen those around?


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## thefishwife (Apr 21, 2010)

We have a river cooter and you are right they do get big especially the females!! And what do we have a female, she will be aprox 3 yrs old in oct and is almost reaching 12".

I agree with Dale I don't believe there is any smell to a turtle tank.

The other thing to add is that you need GOOD filtration!! Turtles are messy, like oscars, so having the right filtration will keep the nitrates down.

Its great to see you research "getting a turtle", most don't and then do not realize how big some turtles can grow, or they can't keep up with the size of tank thats needed for it, for the proper growth.

Yurdle (our turtle) has such a personality!! She has been fun to watch, and see how big she has grown from when my son brought her home!

This is the forum that my son is on, they have fantastic info about turtles HappyTurtlesPub.org

Kim


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

architeuthis said:


> Those are 2 of my tanks and that is the chair I spend alot of my time in and there is no smell.
> If you take care of a turtle tank properly it won't smell anymore than a properly maintained fish tank.


cool
thats a beautiful setup btw


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

Thanks for the link Kim! I will check it out. I've been researching for a while and I think I am almost ready to go for it. 

Would a ph of ~ 8 be too high for a map turtle? I have some caribsea sand which buffers ph to around 8 for Africans and I am wondering if I can use that for a substrate.


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## architeuthis (Apr 22, 2010)

I've posted that picture on a couple of turtle forums.
Don't get a cooter unless you want a big turtle. 
Females can get to be 13"
They get bigger than Red ears.
I've got a female florida red belly cooter, but, she is growing nice and slow. 
A ph of 8 should be OK.
I've heard of other people using crushed coral as a substrate.
It's usually with Diamond backs though.


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

Awesome thanks for answering all my questions! Looks like I'm going to have to get reptisun 10 bulbs from eBay. Can't find them anywhere, only reptiglo 10s which I've read can cause health problems in turtles.


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## rave93 (Dec 7, 2010)

Hey does anyone have any experience with Musk Turtles? Im looking for one or a turtle of similar size! 
Would greatly appreciate it if anyone could point me in teh right direction, with prices, habits, needs etc
Sorry for reviving an old thread! 
Thanks


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