Would you consdier RES 'beginner' level?

Yellow Turtle01

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
7,710
Location (City and/or State)
OH, USA
I always see RES described as 'beginner' turtles, easy to take of.
They are, I suppose, but it takes a lot of time and money to keep them that way. I've never had a baby res, but it still sounds like are very messy little things... and picky! :)
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,695
Location (City and/or State)
CA
baby RES area little hard to take care of when they reach adulthood they're basically bulletproof
 

mike taylor

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
13,461
I don't think any reptiles are easy pets to keep . The animals are cheaper but the setups to do it right isn't . So the owner will cheap out and get bored with the animals and send them down the road .
 

ETTB1314

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2014
Messages
183
I guess not. In my country we are only allowed to keep RES and they are selling for so cheap. But they are messy eaters and poop a lot, so you will need to change the water frequently. They can grow to be very big, which many people end up not having the space as they never thought about the size, and they always end up in the ponds at parks.
 

leigti

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
7,026
Location (City and/or State)
southeast Washington
I've never had a water turtle. I have heard people say that if you feed them in another tank then put them back in their primary tank it really helps with keeping it cleaner. I've known a couple people that had them in their complaint was having to clean the tank so often.
 

Turtlepete

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
972
Location (City and/or State)
South Florida
Several hundred gallon accommodations needed….Heavy filtration for a huge turtle that craps a lot. Ideally outdoor accommodations, and a lot of lighting and heating required to be kept indoors as an adult..

If a beginner species is one thats easy to raise with a thousand dollar budget then sure.

But why not just get a mud/musk turtle….?
 

Anthony P

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Messages
2,162
Location (City and/or State)
Swamps, bogs, and vernal pools
EXACTLY! I love this question being asked, and am not surprised to see so many agreeing that it is a beginner species, but I have to and always will disagree, respectfully. RES are hardy, one of the reasons they are so common, but not the most important reason. They are bred in large numbers because they breed in large numbers, not because they are the best pet. WE HAVE TO BE THE ONES TO REVERSE THIS TREND...

I've written quite a bit about this topic and will probably never find a reason to stop. This will always be a "turtle issue" that will not go away. There are plenty of other hardy species out there for beginners who choose to do a little research before buying. We can help their chances for picking the right turtle to be there to tell them pros and cons for every species in question, and for RES, the cons far outweigh the cons.
 

leigti

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
7,026
Location (City and/or State)
southeast Washington
EXACTLY! I love this question being asked, and am not surprised to see so many agreeing that it is a beginner species, but I have to and always will disagree, respectfully. RES are hardy, one of the reasons they are so common, but not the most important reason. They are bred in large numbers because they breed in large numbers, not because they are the best pet. WE HAVE TO BE THE ONES TO REVERSE THIS TREND...

I've written quite a bit about this topic and will probably never find a reason to stop. This will always be a "turtle issue" that will not go away. There are plenty of other hardy species out there for beginners who choose to do a little research before buying. We can help their chances for picking the right turtle to be there to tell them pros and cons for every species in question, and for RES, the cons far outweigh the cons.
I think you're saying the cons outweigh the pros.
 

mike taylor

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
13,461
Anthony red ears are beginner turtles . I mean if you have a few hundred dollars to setup a outdoor pond . That will be big enough for a 16" turtle that poops a lot and eats everything you put in the water . Not to mention pond heaters to keep the temperature up in cold winters. Testing ph levels of water . Building home made filters so you don't have to buy 1000.00 dollar ones . Sounds like a starter turtle to me . Why buy one that stays four to five inches . When you can have a monster in a few years .
 

Turtlepete

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
972
Location (City and/or State)
South Florida
Anthony red ears are beginner turtles . I mean if you have a few hundred dollars to setup a outdoor pond . That will be big enough for a 16" turtle that poops a lot and eats everything you put in the water . Not to mention pond heaters to keep the temperature up in cold winters. Testing ph levels of water . Building home made filters so you don't have to buy 1000.00 dollar ones . Sounds like a starter turtle to me . Why buy one that stays four to five inches . When you can have a monster in a few years .

Was this sarcastic?
 

ascott

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
16,138
Location (City and/or State)
Apple Valley, California
I always see RES described as 'beginner' turtles, easy to take of.
They are, I suppose, but it takes a lot of time and money to keep them that way. I've never had a baby res, but it still sounds like are very messy little things... and picky! :)


They are a great turtle...personality larger than one can describe, funny stuntmen, fast learner, tenacious eater (which is very nice), grow at a steady pace....also, it is not this species fault that they are tenacious eaters, great survivors...it is once again, the humans fault for their large numbers and for them being found in undesirable locals...

They are not an expensive animal to keep...you will put a few bucks out for the initial set up (enclosure/tank, heater, uv source, basking source, dry out spot and a good filter).
 

mike taylor

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
13,461
The setup is what will cost you with any turtle . Red ears are costly because of the size of setup you will need . After you have your setup working right then yeah its easy . But you'll have to know the size of enclosure . The size of filter . The size of pump to the filter . Ph , ammonia levels of water . The temps of water and basking spots . You will need a land area for laying females . This is necessary due to females laying eggs even if they have never seen a male . Some will lay ,some will not . You will need to know if you want plants in the setup . This changes the filter needs . plus adding fish to the setup will change filter needs . So is this stuff a beginner can do ? Yes ? No?maybe?
 

Anthony P

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Messages
2,162
Location (City and/or State)
Swamps, bogs, and vernal pools
We have to look at what makes them better for beginners than OTHER species... So, go ahead and make that argument. For everything you say about RES, I can give you dozens of other species that are just as hardy, or entertaining, or pretty, or whiter, plus a lis of other reasons why those dozens of turtles are better.

The one thing that I won't be able to argue with anyone on is price. RES are the cheapest turtle around. So we must ask ourselves, are we just saying they are beginner turtles because of the price of the actual turtle? It's a slippery slope, when we know that caring for aquatics is much more costly than the animals in many cases.
 

New Posts

Top