Help with new turtles please!

[crystal.x]

Just rehomed 2 turtles from these people who had been very mis-informed about how to keep the poor things.. just a tank with a heater and no UV light and no basking area .
I think there's 1 YBS and 1 florida red belly? maybe im not too sure about the latter. But the YBS seems to have a really bad shell and i've been told that they've kept it for about 2 years or so and the red belly was very recently acquired. Please may i have some help because i've set up a tank for them both about 3ft and i've set up a make-shift basking spot. Some help would be much appreciated to how to treat the poor things and some ID would be great.

[mariekni]

looks like 1 cumberland and one florida red belly

[Graham]

You're right about the Red Belly, but the other one is also some kind of Cooter, not a YBS, and it's male. It's hard to say exactly what species with the state of the carapace, which is probably like that from a lack of UVB and a decent diet, providing both should clear it up but it may take some time.

[crystal.x]

thank you and 1 out of 2 aha not too bad.. never been too good at IDing turtles
and what do you suggest being the best diet for the 2 and how much shall i feed them?

[Turtle Jo]

Definately both Cooters.

Cooters - particularly as they mature, enjoy lots of vegetation in their diet, so romaine lettuce, water cress and aquatic plants (ensure access to these at all times)

Feed a good quality turtle pellet, like reptomin or zoomed every 2 to 3 days.

Once a week supplement with live/fresh food - small pieces of trout, cockles/muscles/prawn, earthworms, crickets, snails....

[Rachelsands]

I use hearts of romaine lettuce, red lettuce, savoy cabbage (never kale), cucumber and for protein mine like red gammerus and pollock in little cubes they love it!! But id say at least 5.0 UV light with a basking spot of 38 - (100F) mine also live happily with various barbs, tetras and lobsters! lol
Im not too good at idenitfiying them tho at all, might even check see wat people think mine are because they arnt always what they are sold as.

[mariekni]

mine just have a unlimited supply of aquatic plants to munch when they want. i refuse to feed mine lettuce and stuff like that. its not something they would come across in the wild so i dont feed it.

[Graham]

Lettuce and cucumber are pretty much empty foods, and cabbage like all Brasiccas contains high levels of oxalates, which prevent calcium from being processed properly. Kale is one of the few Brasiccas which has relatively low levels of oxalate.

Aquatic plants such as Duckweed, Watercress, Elodea etc... are much better, and more like what they would be eating in the wild.

Freshwater fish such as Trout is also preferable to sea fish.

[Rachelsands]

I learn new things from you Graham, does that mean that savoy cabbage is a Brasiccas? and would you recommend i stop feeding it?
They do really enjoy thier lettuce tho as soon as i put it in they are all over it!
I find feeding aquatic plants hard because you have to rely on your local pet shop to have them in stock (which most of the time they dont)
So other than aquatic plants what else would you recommend i feed them?
they also get bloodworm, crickets and the od mealworm.

[mariekni]

Originally Posted by Rachelsands

I learn new things from you Graham, does that mean that savoy cabbage is a Brasiccas? and would you recommend i stop feeding it?
They do really enjoy thier lettuce tho as soon as i put it in they are all over it!
I find feeding aquatic plants hard because you have to rely on your local pet shop to have them in stock (which most of the time they dont)
So other than aquatic plants what else would you recommend i feed them?
they also get bloodworm, crickets and the od mealworm.

have you not got a lake or pond near by that you could get some plants from?