Ignacio
Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2016
- Messages
- 54
Hi, not that new to adult care of torts but I’m planning on getting an Eastern BT hatchling from ATC (research done please don’t share your experiences with them if you already did somewhere else in the forum, chances are I already read them and wont be adding any new information). I already read the care sheets and did the search tool here in the forum as well as Google (so please don’t send me to read them as I already did and still have some questions) I’m here asking to learn from your personal experiences. Well my concern is that it is going to be my first hatchling and there’s so much conflicting info about babies, also it is going to be by first omnivorous and semi-aquatic turtle.
My questions are:
When I got Maxx (adult Russian) a friend gave me a 29 gallon tank, I never used it because it is way too small plus I read about bad air circulation and how they raise humidity too much for Russians. Well I had found conflicting info about how what makes it bad for torts might actually benefit babies, because it prevents air drafts and maintains humidity for hatching. Is this correct? If so, would the baby be ok for the 1st year in there or too small even for a hatchling? Or should I already build a larger enclosure? ‘Im trying to be practical about space (I live in an apartment) and if he will be safe in the tank for a year I rather wait in building another enclosure.
About the food, I have read so much yet still stressing about proper feeding of an omnivorous, protein needing, baby BT. Any personal favorites to feed babies from people who has successfully raised them from babies? Any greens I feed Maxx and I shouldn’t feed the baby BT? I feed him a variety of greens like spring mix (from the store and growing my own), leaves (guava, grape, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, rose, hibiscus, pumpkin, cucumber, peels too from cucumber), flowers (hibiscus, mallow, rose, pumpkin), weeds, aloe and other succulents, wheat grass, and I think that’s all I have available in my balcony, another reason why NEED a backyard my fruit trees need a lot of cutting to keep small but at least all the leaves I cut with the branches don’t go to waste, while others aren’t liking the containers and not growing well so I need a yard to plant them and let them thrive. Any of those I shouldn’t feed? All my reading says they are good but decided to ask any way. Also are all these fruits safe to feed? Obviously I don’t feed the fruit to Maxx but to the BT. Also what about peaches? I know the leaves are toxic but the fruit I love them and always have some in the fridge (just making sure). Feeder guppies? Also found conflicting info about low fat dog and cat food, some say its really bad for them while others swear its healthy in small amounts, I’m asking about personal experiences and not so much asking for the classic answer “well I never done it but don’t think its worth the risk” I know that and unless a very experience member says he/she has done it and raised a healthy adult from a baby then I wont do it, no need to create multiple spam replies saying that you don’t know but you think.
Is the heat/UVB convo bulb going to work for a hatchling? I also read conflicting info about the appropriate heat source and UVB for babies. Some say it should be the same as for an adult while other say no UVB for hatchlings at first.
I'm sure I'll come up with more questions as I start setting up and even more once the little one gets here.
Thank you and sorry if I sound rude by asking not to give irrelevant and repeated information over and over but I posted this thread primary to gather information to learn how to raise a healthy BT and not so much for a conversation, I will create other threads and reply to others with the only expectation of socializing (like in my introduction post for example) but I like to separate business from pleasure haha. Just trying to be as prepared as possible and have the set up ready so I can get that baby and help him grow healthy.
Again thank you in advance for the help and sorry I swear I’m a nice person lol (well most the time
)
My questions are:
When I got Maxx (adult Russian) a friend gave me a 29 gallon tank, I never used it because it is way too small plus I read about bad air circulation and how they raise humidity too much for Russians. Well I had found conflicting info about how what makes it bad for torts might actually benefit babies, because it prevents air drafts and maintains humidity for hatching. Is this correct? If so, would the baby be ok for the 1st year in there or too small even for a hatchling? Or should I already build a larger enclosure? ‘Im trying to be practical about space (I live in an apartment) and if he will be safe in the tank for a year I rather wait in building another enclosure.
About the food, I have read so much yet still stressing about proper feeding of an omnivorous, protein needing, baby BT. Any personal favorites to feed babies from people who has successfully raised them from babies? Any greens I feed Maxx and I shouldn’t feed the baby BT? I feed him a variety of greens like spring mix (from the store and growing my own), leaves (guava, grape, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, rose, hibiscus, pumpkin, cucumber, peels too from cucumber), flowers (hibiscus, mallow, rose, pumpkin), weeds, aloe and other succulents, wheat grass, and I think that’s all I have available in my balcony, another reason why NEED a backyard my fruit trees need a lot of cutting to keep small but at least all the leaves I cut with the branches don’t go to waste, while others aren’t liking the containers and not growing well so I need a yard to plant them and let them thrive. Any of those I shouldn’t feed? All my reading says they are good but decided to ask any way. Also are all these fruits safe to feed? Obviously I don’t feed the fruit to Maxx but to the BT. Also what about peaches? I know the leaves are toxic but the fruit I love them and always have some in the fridge (just making sure). Feeder guppies? Also found conflicting info about low fat dog and cat food, some say its really bad for them while others swear its healthy in small amounts, I’m asking about personal experiences and not so much asking for the classic answer “well I never done it but don’t think its worth the risk” I know that and unless a very experience member says he/she has done it and raised a healthy adult from a baby then I wont do it, no need to create multiple spam replies saying that you don’t know but you think.
Is the heat/UVB convo bulb going to work for a hatchling? I also read conflicting info about the appropriate heat source and UVB for babies. Some say it should be the same as for an adult while other say no UVB for hatchlings at first.
I'm sure I'll come up with more questions as I start setting up and even more once the little one gets here.
Thank you and sorry if I sound rude by asking not to give irrelevant and repeated information over and over but I posted this thread primary to gather information to learn how to raise a healthy BT and not so much for a conversation, I will create other threads and reply to others with the only expectation of socializing (like in my introduction post for example) but I like to separate business from pleasure haha. Just trying to be as prepared as possible and have the set up ready so I can get that baby and help him grow healthy.
Again thank you in advance for the help and sorry I swear I’m a nice person lol (well most the time
)
