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 #1755237


Oscarmambo
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 Best beginner

is there a good beginner turtle which has a meduim or small tank
06/08/08  03:39pm

 #1755286


PcBuilder14
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   Message To: Oscarmambo   In reference to Message Id: 1755237


 Best beginner

Red Eared Sliders are good begginer turtles, but they need a good sized tank not a small to medium tank.



06/08/08  04:49pm

 #1755350


Reptilefreak23
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   Message To: PcBuilder14   In reference to Message Id: 1755286


 Best beginner

I would go with a red ear for my first..
but if your lookin for small...you need a common musk turtle
06/08/08  06:05pm

 #1755403


Billasdf
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   Message To: Oscarmambo   In reference to Message Id: 1755237


 Best beginner

Painted turtles over red eared sliders anyday.
06/08/08  07:11pm

 #1755436


Gottee guy
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   Message To: Billasdf   In reference to Message Id: 1755403


 Best beginner

heh i thought you would say snapping turtles billasdf.

musk turtles are the smallest common turtle to keep and need about a 40-50 gallon tank when fully grown.

that’s a medium sized cage.

but the water depth should be shallow since they’re bad swimmers.
06/08/08  07:55pm

 #1755469


TutThePlatedLizard
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1755436


 Best beginner

they arent bad swimmers, mine didnt do almost anything except swim! musk turtles are great turtles.
06/08/08  08:49pm

 #1755710


Billasdf
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1755436


 Best beginner

Oh yeah. I forgot. Snappers too.



06/09/08  02:09am

 #1755804


Amphibiandude
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   Message To: Billasdf   In reference to Message Id: 1755710


 Best beginner

not a painted go for a redear i kept one when i was 6 but had to realese it cause i moved
06/09/08  09:52am

 #1755882


Gottee guy
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   Message To: Amphibiandude   In reference to Message Id: 1755804


 Best beginner

i mean they are not bad swimmers but they can drown easily if kept in a tall aquarium, but you would need lots of logs and vegetation for them to cling on to.i’m saying the’re not really good swimmers compared to painted turtles and sliders and other turtles.



06/09/08  11:58am

 #1756587


TurtleBites
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1755882


 Best beginner

musk turtles are known to be crappy swimmers( most care sheets will tell you that). not saying ALL are. their webs aren’t as large as other turtle such as sliders. they are bottom dwellers and tend to stick to shallow areas. larger ones do ok in deeper water..


mud turtles also do well in smaller tanks but are also known to do better in shallow waters like musk turtles.

id go with a painted over a red ear slider any day. they stay smaller and are just all around cooler turtle in my opinion.

if your willing to spend the money, spotteds are great little turtles too.
06/10/08  01:25am

 #1756590


Billasdf
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1756587


 Best beginner

Quote:

id go with a painted over a red ear slider any day. they stay smaller and are just all around cooler turtle in my opinion.



Finally someone who feels the same way I do about that.
06/10/08  01:28am

 #1756721


Gottee guy
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   Message To: Billasdf   In reference to Message Id: 1756590


 Best beginner

i like painteds more than RES but i only had a few months of experience. my painted was at the top of the water one day. unknown death.the temps were good,he ate like a pig,and he died in winter.
06/10/08  09:56am

 #1757087


Reptilefreak23
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1756721


 Best beginner

I LOVE!!!!!!!!!!PAINTEds way more than res, but for a beginner its best to go with a red ear

Painteds are some of the most accomplished swimmers of turtles and so they require much more space
06/10/08  04:52pm

 #1757790


Amphibiandude
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   Message To: Reptilefreak23   In reference to Message Id: 1757087


 Best beginner

yes painteds are my favourite turtle but for a beginer res are the best
06/11/08  10:03am

 #1757829


Ryansturtle
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   Message To: Amphibiandude   In reference to Message Id: 1757790


 Best beginner

Personally, RES are the most easy to take care of, but when they get older you need to get a giant tank. I just stated to get my 135gallon for my RES. I haven’t ever has a different kind of turtle tan that, but in the future I might get a non aquatic turtle.

-Ryan
06/11/08  11:00am

 #1757948


TurtleBites
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   Message To: Ryansturtle   In reference to Message Id: 1757829


 Best beginner

i care for my painted the same way as i do my res. there is no difference to me at all. if i was looking for a turtle for the 1st time id feel better knowing they stay smaller.

most my res are pretty destructive when it comes to their enclosure and are very messy. painted seem a bit calmer all around.just seems easier to me.
06/11/08  02:04pm

 #1760657


Turtle addict
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1757948


 Best beginner

With the tank and water issues associated with sliders Plus the size they get I would not say they are the "best" for starting out. Same with the painted turtles.

Snappers and musks/muds have certain feeding habits etc that would not make them great starters either. Plus the sheer size they can get. I have kept turtles for over 10 years and won’t take any snappers here as rescues.

Best over-all starter turtle in my opinion would be a wood turtle...they are VERY hard to mess up. They can survive huge temp issues, uv mistakes, don’t need a full tank of water- a shallow EASY to clean out cat litter pan for an adult , eat ANYTHING making them easy to buy for ( and fun to try new things) come in a variety of colors, range from $50 up to the 1,000’s so about in anyones price range,no need to worry about humidity issues like the box turtles and are one of the most least likely to bite. They are also one of the most intelligent turtles out there. The painted central american wood turtles are very easy to find and only get about 6 inches scl full grown.
06/14/08  11:54am

 #1760708


TurtleBites
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   Message To: Turtle addict   In reference to Message Id: 1760657


 Best beginner

painted come in different colors too! haha

either way. its best to search online and read about the different types of turtles that are out there. find something that best fits your wants and needs.



06/14/08  01:10pm

 #1760721


Gottee guy
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   Message To: TurtleBites   In reference to Message Id: 1760708


 Best beginner

aren’t wood turtles endangered though?

Quote:

Snappers and musks/muds have certain feeding habits etc that would not make them great starters either. Plus the sheer size they can get.



i like that sentence.just the sheer size that musk and mud turtles get alone make them massive pets. lol. he probably just meant the snappers though.
06/14/08  01:32pm

 #1763021


PcBuilder14
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   Message To: Gottee guy   In reference to Message Id: 1760721


 Best beginner

Wood turtles are awesome! I’d try to get one of them!



06/16/08  06:02pm

 #1795413


Kiddiemenumeal
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   Message To: Oscarmambo   In reference to Message Id: 1755237


 Best beginner

a begginer turtle with a small tank would be a musk turtle they only get 6 inches



07/14/08  08:37pm

 #1795425


Zeek2493
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   Message To: Kiddiemenumeal   In reference to Message Id: 1795413


 Best beginner

either painted or African sidenecks



07/14/08  08:45pm

 #1797303


Aniboy
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   Message To: Zeek2493   In reference to Message Id: 1795425


 Best beginner

i’d go with painted just what ever you do dont start with map turtles. sure they look cool but they are very shy and grow pretty big.
07/16/08  01:08am

 #1797609


Zeek2493
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   Message To: Aniboy   In reference to Message Id: 1797303


 Best beginner

African Sidenecks are great begginers because the water should only be about the size of the width of their shell... just make sure they have stuff to bury themselves in or hide in food and shallow water and they will be happy... plus their faces are funny :) they have googley eyes with a really big smile and a piggy nose... (the only bad thing is they dont have very good depth perception so they run into walls easily... (plus they only get about 8 in.)



07/16/08  10:35am


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