Ive recently taken charge of a pair of terrapins from an their previous owner who kept them as a shop display prop, for a tropical plant shop. The terrapins are 3 years old and are brother and sister. I also inherited their 3 foot something tank, uva+b heat bulb, a water heater, bubble jet and internal filter and a bunch a of problems.
First of all i think ive just about weaned them off shrimp, before they would eat nothing else as the pervious owner used to feed them shrimp as their diet, ive got them onto king british food but their still very fussy only eating the dried shrimp and leaving out the pellets, i also have reptomin a complete food but they dont touch it. i dont know how to get them to eat their pellets they only go for the dried shrimp and seem always hungry. When i refuse to give them anything but pellets they dont eat, i cant let them starve so i give them a pinch of king british, unless i should starve them to get them to eat their good food?
They have flakes of skin hanging of their soft bodies that fall off after a bit is this normal?
They are brother and sister however the male is trying to mount the female and when she refuses he chases her trying to bite her, they also have a strange ritual where they tap each other on their head with the back of their claws reapeted and very quickly for short bursts. Im not equipped to handle eggs if they do, should i get rid of one? and who would i give it to? can they live in a lake if i release them, as ive heard about released captive terrapins breeding in the thames to form new wild populations.
Ive been reading around and ive found quite a bit of advice telling me to get a 6 foot tank, and under-substrate filter tiles with an external pump. I can spend up to 300 on new stuff for them but i am uncertain of what i should be putting it on. A new 6foot tank is expensive and i dont really have the space, i've seen you can get second hand ones for 200- 250. for now ive increased the water volume to give them up and down swimming space and they seem far more active, the platform is a little smaller but they only come up to sun bathe so thats ok i suppose?
i think i have the european box water terrapin as they look exacty like the picture of red eared ones without red ears . Is a 6 foot tank really neccissary if they only grow to a little more or less then 15 cm?
thanks for your answers in advance.
First of all i think ive just about weaned them off shrimp, before they would eat nothing else as the pervious owner used to feed them shrimp as their diet, ive got them onto king british food but their still very fussy only eating the dried shrimp and leaving out the pellets, i also have reptomin a complete food but they dont touch it. i dont know how to get them to eat their pellets they only go for the dried shrimp and seem always hungry. When i refuse to give them anything but pellets they dont eat, i cant let them starve so i give them a pinch of king british, unless i should starve them to get them to eat their good food?
They have flakes of skin hanging of their soft bodies that fall off after a bit is this normal?
They are brother and sister however the male is trying to mount the female and when she refuses he chases her trying to bite her, they also have a strange ritual where they tap each other on their head with the back of their claws reapeted and very quickly for short bursts. Im not equipped to handle eggs if they do, should i get rid of one? and who would i give it to? can they live in a lake if i release them, as ive heard about released captive terrapins breeding in the thames to form new wild populations.
Ive been reading around and ive found quite a bit of advice telling me to get a 6 foot tank, and under-substrate filter tiles with an external pump. I can spend up to 300 on new stuff for them but i am uncertain of what i should be putting it on. A new 6foot tank is expensive and i dont really have the space, i've seen you can get second hand ones for 200- 250. for now ive increased the water volume to give them up and down swimming space and they seem far more active, the platform is a little smaller but they only come up to sun bathe so thats ok i suppose?
i think i have the european box water terrapin as they look exacty like the picture of red eared ones without red ears . Is a 6 foot tank really neccissary if they only grow to a little more or less then 15 cm?
thanks for your answers in advance.