A turtle in the hand is worth...

Turtle Hand Shell
Originally uploaded by GuOddian.

Here you can see Slow (I really don't like that name, but I'll think of something better later) in my hand and his shell problems close up. In the background is Steady. As you can see Steady is looking a lot better and Slow is slowly getting better as well. Shell problems aside they're both going very well.

They really like sitting in my hand, they think its feeding time every time my hand goes near them. They jump into my palm thinking they're about to be moved to their feeding bucket. Quite friendly when they're not trying to eat you really.

I'll try to post a picture of them feeding next time they're fed (tomorrow).

Turtle Feeding is Messy

Bucket Turtle
Originally uploaded by GuOddian.

Well my camera is still shot so I'm posting an older photo. I feed them both out of the main tank in a 2 foot bucket show in the image. I feed them seperately from the because turtles are nutoriously messy eaters and they leave a lot of scrap food lying around. In the tank this would rot and pollute the water, in the seperate bucket it just gets tossed into the garden when they're done. It also gives me a chance to cycle the water and if it's during the day then I can put the bucket outside in the sun to give them their extra UV.

As an extra note, in this picture you can see the shell problem just starting to show itself. Just a slight discolouration and markings on the shell.

Shell problem update and feeding news

Well the shell problems are improving vastly. The white colouration is slowly flaking off and revealing more and more black new shell underneath. The shells are also harder to touch, especially at the base where they were a bit soft before. I'll have to keep feeding them the vitamins of course.

As for feeding, I've been feeding them crickets with a product called GutLoad. Basically you feed the crickets this mixture of vitamins and calcium just before you then feed the crickets to the turtles to make sure they get the vitamins and calcium they need. It is REALLY hard to get the crickets out of the damn container though, they bounce all over the place.

David has suggested that I feed them cockroaches, specifically Wood Roaches. I should be able to import them from Victoria or Queensland. Apparently they are much more nutritious for the turtles and of course are easier to look after and won't bounce around quite so much so once these crickets are out I'm going to try some cockroaches.

Oh an as soon as I get my camera back I'll post more pictures.

Feedit Habits

Well I fed Slow and Steady last night, half a soaked whiting (very small one) and a cricket each. I also gave them their vitamins. The vitamins are a Bird's malting agent injected (0.01 ml) into the flesh of the fish. If anyone has turtles and reads this I suggest seeing their vet before t hey go out and get Vitamins because the dosage can be tricky and the right type of vitamin is hard to find.

Recently though I've been feeding them in their tank. I broke my vacume so I haven't been able to siphon out the water to feed them for about a week, or clean the gravel for that matter. So Slow and Steady have been feeding together, and they're getting much more aggressive in their feeding. Firstly they think my fingers are food and will often avoid the food I'm holding out for them and snap at my fingers. Not really a problem, they get it eventually and they aren't even close to strong enough to hurt me. Often though if they're feeding close to each other they'll snap at each other. I think they believe the other turtle is food some times with their legs dangling out. Turtles aren't the smartest creatures on the planet after all. Sometimes if one had food in its mouth or had just swallowed a peice the other will snap at it's head or neck after the food, this is a problem because I don't want them to injure each other.

I've done my research, this is a common problem. Easiest solution is to feed them seperately, not only so they don't damage each other, but so they don't get used to biting eachother like they have become used to biting my fingers. Sorry no picture today, I'll provide a picture of the vitamines as well as a detail to what's in it soon.

Good shot of the shell problem

Slow's shell problem 3
Originally uploaded by GuOddian.

This is Slow's problematic shell. It has improved a lot since it got to it's worst, but in this photo it shows the white colouration of the shell. Where it is now black, on the sides, it was also white but since using the vitamins and improving their diet this part of the shell has improved a lot. I am waiting anxiouslly and keeping in contact with David (my vet) and will keep putting updates on the condition.

Steady's shell problem

Steady's shell problem
Originally uploaded by GuOddian.

Here is a shot of Steady with his shell problem. You can compare it to the first photo post on this blog to see what I mean. It is actually improving at the moment, the vitamines and the better food is making a good difference.

Shell problems

slowshell
Originally uploaded by GuOddian.

As you can see Slow is forming a small shell problem here. The problem is about to spread quickly over the shell causing some problems. I took them both to the Vet once the problem got worse, David wasn't sure but he prescribed them an iodine bath each day for a week and some vitamines added to their food to help boost their shell strength. I think there was something wrong with the first batch of fish I was feeding them, I've thrown it and replaced it since.

Slow and Steady's Habitat

habitat
Originally uploaded by GuOddian.

This is Slow and Steady's habitat. The tank is 4 feet long, this is the left hand side. What you are looking at is a mangrove root cut off kind of flat on the top to provide a place for Slow and Steady to bask. The root is wedged in between two small rocks at the bottom of the tank to hold it up. The tank also has a few guppies in it as well as some ribbon weed to keep the water in tip top shape.

steady

steady
Originally uploaded by GuOddian.

This is steady soon after I got him. He's basking on the mangrove root. See how clean and nice his shell looks.

Started the Blog

This blog is for keeping track of Slow and Steady my Australian Eastern Long Neck Turtles.