A few turtle questions.

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

Sorry for posting so much, just trying to learn as much as I can.
I have a Mississippi Map Turtle, and I have read that they are very shy.
If I take him out every day for a few seconds, will we get used to me? He knows I'm the source of food, and claws at the glass when I come in the room. He'll even let me hand feed him.
Also, how often should I feed him? I have fed him once a day so far, but I'm still not sure how much to feed him.
And I'm calling him a he, but I'm really not sure what he is. Lol. My sister said it was a girl, but how can i be sure? "it's" only about 2 inches long.
Thank you in advance.

 

[bellyboo]

I think turtles, as compared to tortoises, tend to be more shy, but he will definitely learn to associate you with food and that will lead to trust. When I've had babies in the past we handled them once a day and it worked well. We never did it for very long, and I always put them back when they seemed too frightened or stressed. Over time though they learned to recognize me and would happily let me hold them a bit. The fact that he is letting you hand feed him shows that you are well on your way to him warming up to you.

I've always fed once a day and have followed the general rule of feed what your turtle can eat in 10 minutes. They tend to be little piggies if you let them.

 

[jonathan512]

I feed mine a little less then half the cap of the turtle food and everyother day ,I have alot of turtles in my tank. For just one maybe 25% of the cap that's just me though.and at 2 inches it's almost impossible to be sure on the gender ,u can usually tell when it gets to be around 3 1/2 inches or 4"

 

[Turtleswagg]

read on the back of the food box, its typically however much ur turtle can eat within 5mins

 

[Utah Lynn]

You can't ask too many questions. Questions and answers help us all. Without participation, there would be no TFO. ASK AWAY. Please.

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

Thank you, guys!

 

[Turtleswagg]

i like to let my ornate wood turtle cruise around my room and i hold my musk alot, both are not shy of me so i guess if u hold ur map it might be the same, all turtles are different tho so maybe ur map is just ppl freindly to begin with, like my musk

 

[Saloli]

My daughter's Spotted Turtle Spott, andmy male ndbt Terry act like dogs they beg and if let out of their tanks will follow you.

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Terry seems to like being held when I pick him up he just looks around like it is the most normal thing in the world to him. I usually recommend feeding about what they with eat in ten minutes count the number of pellets till they slow or stop eating within that time. Repeat it several times then average it and use that as a base for the amount of food to feed. The Maps in general should be offered hard food like snails, crayfish and small bivalves this will help to prevent over growth of the crushing plates. You can order these online or from some local pet stores. They also require very clean water. I would suggest using special blend and nite out II (bacteria cultures that will help to maintane better water quality). Also do you have uvb and heat lamps for your turtle? I would also suggest replacing any gravel you have with sand, and always use a dechlorinator with new water.

 

[ErikaHeartsTurtles]

Yes, i do have a heat lamp. I use fish tank water dechlorinator. And I'm using river rocks, they're too big for my turtle to eat. Thanks for all of your help.

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Wow! Seconds after replying, i took my turtle out for a minute. He was very calm, not as skiddish. When i put him back in, he didn't go trying to hide again, he actually came over to the glass by me, clawing at the glass! And when i walk in the room while his head is sticking out of the water to breath, he doesn't quickly go under water and swim away anymore! YAY!

 

[Saloli]

Do you have a uvb lamp? UVb is needed to make vitamin d3 which is needed to use calcium. You could still use the river rocks though I would mix them with sand that way you fill in the spaces in the substrate which accomplishes two things:1 it would increase the surface area of the substrate available to colonization by nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria; 2 the substrate will trap less detritus like feces and left over food. By the way nite out II is nitrifying bacteria (which covert ammonia to nitrites to nitrates which are all toxic) and
special blend is a combination of digesting bacteria (which break down solid waste) and denitrifying bacteria (which break down nitrates). These bacteria can help to reduce the need for water changes though I still do weekly water changes most of the time.