I have 2 baby snapping turtles!?

Question

I am trying to learn more about them to keep them healthy. I have a thermometer but I don't know what temperature to have them at? Also there is a white substance on the tank walls and if you put water on it, it goes away but how to I keep it away? I have a filter system if that helps. Also I have one turtle who likes to stay in this one corner and I hardly ever seen him/her swim. And I have the heat lamp closest to the swim part so should I move the lamp to the corner where he/she likes to stay at? Also I have food pellets and dried blood worms but I never see them eat what else should I try that isn't to expensive? They must be eating them otherwise they would be dead but is it weird I never see them eat. They are about 4 months old.

Answer 1

I had two baby painted box turtles and i raised them from 3 days old. I regularly feed them food pellets a sometimes gave them lettuce or carrots. I regualrly let them out of their aquarium (which I kept around 78-80 degrees) in a sort of pen that i made out of a cardboard box with the top and bottom cut out. I also had a filter wich i had to change about every 10 days to prevent algae growth. The white stuff is normal. My tank had it too. Once a month i had to claen the entire tank and the white stuff just came off. To prevent your turtles from becoming hermits, interact with them on a regular basis even if it is just a tiny game. I would play a game of follow my finger, where the turtles thought my finger was food. Wash their shells to prevent algae caking and anything else growing adn making thier shell soft. My turtles survived for 4 years untill my mother got rid of them. I believe that they are still alive today.

Answer 2

I'm sorry, I can't really answer your question, but I did want to say one thing. If they are wild caught, you might want to think about releasing them, because wild animals are usually happier in the wild. If they were captive bred, then you're doing great trying to find more information :). I would suggest typing 'snapping turtle care sheet' and 'snapping turtle fact sheet' into a search engine, and reading what you get back. Also make sure you know which kind you have, a snapping turtle, or an alligator snapping turtle (they look completely different so it wont be hard to tell ;))

Answer 3

I don't know too much about turtles, but I do suggest that you move the lamp over a land area. Reptiles want to sun themselves in the heat, they don't care whether they're swimming under the lamp or not.

Answer 4

Snappers are often good pets, but babies (besides being illegal to buy or sell) are tough in many ways.

Aim for water temps of 75-80- maybe a bit warmer in the winter to help prevent them from wanting to hibernate.

The white substance sounds like mineral build-up. You can try softer or bottled water but it is just a cosmetic problem.

People often do not see their turtles eat. Is the food missing?

For good care info, try these sites:

http://www.chelydra.org
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 5

to kepp them warm every where get a heating pad that goes underneath the cage make sure it is the right one though are else it will crack the glass it is very normal for snapping turtles to hide because they like dark murky water in the wild but in captivity make sure they have dark places to hide these types of turtles or light sensitive feed them when you see them out make sure they get the proper calcium and minarals found in turtle pellets at pet stores

Answer 6

Okay, food is an important thing for not only fish but reptiles, Pellets are a good source of neutriants, but so is live food, becare, i will warn you that live fish can be deadly. If a fish that is sick is eaten your friends will die in 24hours.I would try giving pellets and crickets. Crickets are live, but really safe. Turtles love them. ;} hope i helped.

Answer 7

for one snappers mostly eat meat, so the pellets arent gonna help ya any, cook some chicken and feed to them. also do you know how big snappers get?? they get huge, hope your gonna have a huge pond soon to put them in. plus snappers like more shallow water and like to hide under things. you need to goole them and find out how to take care of them. i dont know why someone gave you a red ear slidder site, there nothing alike. and someone said they had a painted box turtle........ theres no such thing and if they had them in a tank it wasnt a box turtle, box turtles are land turtle.

Answer 8

well if there still alive then ur doing a good job and don't change it at all it might make them sick if u change diets too soon or too late as for the heating lamp i say keep it were it is its probably to hot for that one turtle

Answer 9

these babies need live food to stimulate them to eat - pellets aren't going to work
get some earthworms and some small feeder guppies, that should make them eat and be more active
these are cute pets until they get larger- then they get a little dangerous, be careful!

Answer 10

ok wat baby turtles eat...well i feed the alligator snapping turtles i catch baby minnows and i also feed my red ear sliders i had fer 2 years baby minnows.....so i would try baby minnows...o and u can catch minnows in little neighborhood drainage retention ponds that where i caught turtles and minnows and mab u might try making shure the minnows are smaller than the turtles head and make sure it doesnt ever bite you cuz itll hurt=D i hope this info works