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Last Updated: 5/3/08
Tator's Story
Tator's Setup
Tator's Food
Maintenance of Tator's Home
Tator's Growth
Tator Photos
For more on red-bellied turtles, see my turtle species page.
For more on hatchling turtles, see my hatchling turtle page.
New! Here is a video of tator swimming on 9/4/06. It is 1535 KB.
I want to add more information about Tator and his new 120 gallon tank but I do not have the time. What I did write was in haste.
On 10/23/05, Cindi gave me a baby Eastern red-bellied turtle. I was going to name him PT for painted turtle since I thought that was what species he was. She named him Tator. So, his full name is PT Tator Tot. PT Tator said, "There's a sucker born every minute." That would be me. I will refer him as PT, PTTT, Tator, Tator Tot, etc. at whim, changing names. Because baby turtles are too small to sex externally, I will refer to PT as a he but he/she could be male or female. By January 2007, I am pretty sure Tator is male as his nails have really started to grow. Tator's estimated birth date is 10/11/05.
Tator is being kept active as hibernation is risky for babies. By summer, I will have to decide what to do with him. The options include put him in my pond and hope for the best, make a new pond or fence in a pond just for him, or keep him indoors (requiring some sort of artificial hibernation for future winters). My pond is not fenced and is frequented by great blue herons, cats, and raccoons to name a few predators. I read on one site that 99% of hatchlings die the first year. Tator will not be one of them if I can help it. [Update: 10/4/06, I have decided to keep Tator indoors. He is now a year old and getting big. My pond is not fenced so he would just run away or predators would get him. There are no turtles and certainly not his species anywhere near where I live.]
Tator's eyes seemed at some times to be mildly bulging and at other times normal. I got some Vitamin A turtle eye drops (Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops) which I gave him once a day for the first few weeks and then weekly for a while to head off eye infection which is extremely common in turtles, especially babies.
Tator had his tiny sharp white egg tooth on the end of his mouth when I got him.
As of 11/5/05, I still had not seen Tator eat but did see him cock his head and look at some blackworms on 11/1/05.
I have a turtle ramp in the setup but only saw him use if for the first time on 11/5/05, getting totally out of the water.
I finally saw Tator eat on 1/04/06 when he was gulping some blackworms. I know this is not the first time he has eaten in two months, just the first time I noticed since I do not spend much time with him. I just add food and clean. I do not have time to watch but wish I did.
By 1/27/06, Tator is eating blackworms, mealworms, shrimp, and commercial pellets with gusto. So much in fact that he is bursting at the seams. He feels fatter top to bottom. Between his scutes, it is now whitish/grayish. I hope he is not eating faster than he can grow. I added a cuttlebone piece to the water to increase calcium a bit plus he is eating pellets now. He has been laying against the heater too much and gave himself yellow patches on the plastron, sort of burns. So, I moved the heater under the ramp which still did not stop him. On 1/29/06, I added a fake resin log thing that fits right over the heater. I aimed the Duetto filter output down through the log so it would move the heat from the heater out of the log. With the filter going through the log, there is very little water movement in the rest of the tank which is good and bad because the flow made Tator exercise, perhaps sometimes too much when he was younger. I blocked the four holes in the log (which Tator could fit through and then go up against the heater, or worse yet, get stuck in there with the heater) with pieces of vinyl-coated hardware cloth (rabbit wire). They were just sitting there so hopefully he will not move them and get into the log. I turned up the heater to 75 degrees F (where I thought it was) and increased the water depth to about 2.5". There are photos from that day below.
On 3/4/06, I moved Tator to a 20 gallon tank. See below under his setup for the details.
On 3/5/06, I finally saw Tator eating kale although I had suspected it. He still does not eat grapes or apples. I saw him actively eating grated carrots on 3/8/06. He goes for them first when I put them in now. I saw Tator really out of the water on 3/12/06 which was rare for him. I finally saw Tator trying to eat the apple on 3/16/06. As he touched it, it would float away so he could not get a grip on it. Tator goes bonkers now for his shredded carrot and kale I give him every other day. It seems to interest him more now than the live blackworms (he does eat them just not as quick about it). He still eats pellets with gusto too. It really is true that Tator's species really likes vegetables!
As of 6/3/06, Tator eats kale (favorite food), apple, grape, parsley, blackworms, mealworms, small crickets, and various turtle pellets and treats. I have yet to get some trout worms for him.
As of 11/2/06, Tator hasn't been eating blackworms for a few months because he's too big. He refuses to eat trout worms for some reason (small earthworms). He eats a mealworm each day, a few crickets each week, many pellets, as well as his greens.
Tator became legal (over 4") sometime in October 2006. Tator's nails were not that long so I thought Tator was female for a few months. I was hoping for a male simply to avoid possible egg binding issues in the future. Plus, males are smaller, and their removal from the wild has less of a reproductive impact. Then, in January 2007, Tator had a nail growth spurt. I now think (hope!) Tator is male.
Update 3/9/08: Tator is all male (he mates with his fake log and has very long fingernails). He has not been eating much the last few months. He used to love his fruits and vegetables but now seems to want just crickets. I do not want to offer him "feeder fish" as they are diseased, and I like fish.
Tator has had four setups so far. The first was a storage tub, then a 20 gallon tank, then a 40 gallon tank, and finally a 120 gallon tank.
Tator's first setup was very similar to that of Snappy. You can read about Snappy and hatchling care on my hatchling page.
The setup consisted of the following:
On 3/4/06, I moved Tator to a 20 gallon glass aquarium. This gave him about 40% more surface area and eventually when the tank is half full, three times the volume of the Sterilite tub. The 20 gallon is 30" x 12". I moved a shelf and table around so that the tank is now up out of the basement and up a level which means I can use the Python hoses to drain and refill it as I do with my sailfin lizard and four fish aquariums. This also means I only have to drain Tator's tank once a week without pain instead of breaking my back three times a week to haul it up. I have started the water depth at 3" deep but will increase it as he grows. I could not make it more than a few inches in the basement, or I could not lift the tub to haul it up for cleaning. In the new setup, all the same supplies are used as mentioned above. I took the aquarium filter bag off the Duetto but the rest is identical. I put in a few small Malaysian trumpet snails. Tator can eat some, or they can help with algae control. They vanished soon after.
By Fall of 2006, the 20 gallon tank is half full of water. I cannot add more, or Tator is too close to the heat lamp. Tator is quickly outgrowing this tank. I plan to buy a 65 gallon for my plecostomus and goldfish and give Tator their 40 gallon tank soon (3/07). If Tator outlives my geriatric sailfin lizard, then he will get her 120 gallon tank.
On 4/7/07, I moved Tator to the 40 gallon tank. For details, see the tank redo page. I have not had time yet to put up an inventory and details about his new setup but there are photos on that page.
Regarding his "new" 40 gallon breeder tank, I will add more on the tank inventory and details later (especially about my filter). For now, I will say that the tank setup includes the 40 gallon tank; backdrop; metal mesh lid; ESU combo light with 36" fluorescent Reptisun light, two incandescent daylights, and one incandescent nightlight; 100 W Visi-therm Stealth heater; air thermometer; 350 gph Mag-Drive pump with fountain head aimed across the tank; homemade filter made from filter boxes from work for pipette tips, held together with plastic cable ties; Zilla basking platform; large turtle dock; a few small rocks; and a few things from his old tank like the old baby turtle basking platform and the thing I was using to cover over his heater. The filter has five chambers containing from first to get the water to last - pond filter material, a different kind of pond filter material, carbon in a mesh bag, ceramic beads in a mesh bag, and some bioballs. The pump intake is epoxied (not tightly with pond epoxy) to a hole in the last box.
On 3/8/08, I moved Tator to the 120 gallon tank that my lizard Einstein had lived in (she died the month before). I could not find any stable large turtle land areas so I custom made a land area, an underwater shelf, and a ramp between the two. They are made of thick plexiglass with traction tape on it. Some of the tape I got from the people who make turtle ramps while the white pieces are sold for bathtubs. Also, the site http://www.safewaytraction.com sells traction tape but I did not order from them. The legs are 1" PVC. I filled them with aquarium gravel so they do not float. The bottom of the legs have a PVC end cap glued on. The tops are detachable. My father screwed the top PVC end caps in to drilled holes in the plexiglass. The largest land area which it totally out of the water is about 21.5" by 21.5". Since it is a few inches above the water level (which varies depending on where I fill it and how much evaporates), Tator can swim under the land area. The underwater plexiglass area is 12" by 7". Tator can rest on that with his head out and still be in the water. The ramp is about 16" long by 7" wide. It is attached to the other two plexiglass pieces through drilled holes tied with plastic cable ties.
The same filter was used as he had in the 40 gallon tank as well as some of his things. He has a 200 W Visitherm Stealth heater (I think) now. You can see photos below of the new set up in the photo section. Each night, I plan to put Tator back in the 40 gallon tank for an hour or two to eat and then back to the 120 gallon tank. Then, I will net out the uneaten food. The 40 gallon tank was becoming a total cesspool of uneaten food since Tator's barely eating the last few months. Reptiles will have periods where they eat a ton and then not so much (at least my lizard Einstein did who used to be in the 120 gallon tank). I am not too worried since turtles can go a long time without eating, and he is eating live crickets.
The first week, I offered Tator the following: live blackworms, frozen bloodworms, frozen white mosquito larvae, frozen brine shrimp, multiple kinds of commercial foods, kale, apple, grape, grated carrot. I had yet to see him eat. I finally saw him eat on 1/04/06. He was gulping live blackworms. By 1/27/06, he was eating pellets in earnest. He still would not eat fruits or vegetables. As of 8/11/06, Tator eats all of the following.
Here are the commercial foods I have:
Baby foods:
Treats:
Adult foods (I started feeding some of those in January, 2006, leftover from Snappy):
Live foods:
Small crickets, mealworms (he can take big ones now), waxworms, small earthworms, small
roaches, blackworms (no longer feed, too small for him to really care anymore).
Fruits and vegetables:
Apples, grated carrot, grapes, parsley, kale, arugula, watercress, spinach (not often), etc.
Tator's setup got a 100% water change three times a week including washing off all parts (while Tator waits in a pot). The Duetto filter's three parts are changed every three weeks. With the new 20 gallon tank, I do a 100% change just once a week since there is a greater volume of water.
Here is a record of Tator's lengths and weights. Watch Tator's growth spurt!
To see a graph of Tator's age versus weight through 10/7/06, go to Tator's Weight Chart.
| Date | Approximate Age (weeks) | Length (inches) | Weight (grams) |
| 10/23/05 | 2 | 1 & 6/16 (~1.5) | 10 |
| 10/30/05 | 3 | 1 & 6/16 (~1.5) | 10 |
| 11/6/05 | 4 | 1 & 7/16 (~1.5) | 11 |
| 11/13/05 | 5 | 1 & 7/16 (~1.5) | 11 |
| 12/4/05 | 8 | 1 & 7/16 (~1.5) | 11 |
| 1/02/06 | 12 | 1 & 7/16 (~1.5) | 11 |
| 2/5/06 | 17 | 1 & 12/16 (~1.75) | 19 |
| 3/4/06 | 21 | 2 & 1/8 (~2) | 30 |
| 4/1/06 | 25 | 2.5 | 44 |
| 5/6/06 | 30 | 2.75 | 62 |
| 6/3/06 | 34 | 3 & 1/16 | 81 |
| 7/1/06 | 38 | 3 & 3/8 | 99 |
| 8/5/06 | 43 | 3 & 5/8 | 124 |
| 9/2/06 | 47 | 3 & 11/16 | 135 |
| 10/7/06 | 52 | 3 & 14/16 | 160 |
| 11/4/06 | 56 | 4.25 | 210 |
| 12/2/06 | 60 | 4 & 5/8 | 245 |
| 1/6/07 | 65 | 5 exactly | 304 |
| 2/3/07 | 69 | 5 & 1/8 | 337 |
| 3/3/07 | 73 | 5.5 | 371 |
| 4/7/07 | 78 | 5.5 (wow, he stopped!) | 401 |
| 5/5/07 | 82 | 5.5 | 404 |
| 6/2/07 | 86 | 5.5 | 416 |
| 7/7/07 | 91 | 5.75 | 449 (somebody has been eating!) |
| 8/4/07 | 95 | 5 & 7/8 | 464 |
| 9/1/07 | 99 | 6 | 491 |
| 10/6/07 | 104 | 6.25 | 508 |
| 11/3/07 | 108 | 6.25 | 535 |
| 12/1/07 | 112 | 6 & 3/8 | 582 |
| 1/5/08 | 117 | 6.5 | 621 |
| 2/2/08 | 121 | 6.5 | 619 (first ever weight loss; he has not been eating the last few weeks) |
| 3/1/08 | 125 | 6.5 | 617 |
| 4/5/08 | 130 | 6.5 | 606 |
| 5/3/08 | 134 | 6.5 | 630 (finally been eating again!) |
Note: The plastron is the bottom part of the shell of a turtle, and the carapace is the top part of the shell.
I have trouble getting the digital camera to focus on close and tiny subjects such as Tator so please forgive some of the photos that are not that great.
The photos are from oldest (when Tator was youngest) to newest.
Tator's Carapace on 10/13/05. This photo
was
taken and sent by the original owner.
Tator's Plastron on 10/13/05. This photo was
taken and sent by the original owner. Note the "belly button" where the yolk appear to have
already been absorbed inside.
Tator's Plastron on 10/23/05.
Tator's Carapace on 10/23/05. He is facing
to the right.
Tator's Carapace on 10/23/05. He is facing
to the left.
Tator on a paper towel on 11/13/05.
Tator in the black pot I put him in while
cleaning his tank on 11/13/05.
Tator back swimming in his tank on
11/13/05.
Tator's tank empty during cleaning, showing
the heater, 1/29/06.
Tator in the black pot, 1/29/06.
Tator's tank full of water with the heater
covered in a new fake log. Tator is in there too, 1/29/06.
Tator in the tank, close-up on 1/29/06.
You can see the whitish/grayish area between the scutes as he is growing fast, and they are
separating to allow for room.
Tator's plastron on 2/5/06. The yellow
areas are where he burnt himself on the aquarium heater which I have since blocked off.
Tator on 2/5/06 next to the
blackworms.
Tator looking at the blackworms. He was
eating them but my camera has a delay so I never did get a shot showing the actual eating!
Tator in his new tank with deeper water
on 3/9/06. His head is sticking out.
Tator's new tank on 3/9/06. You can see
Tator on the far right.
Tator basking on 3/18/06.
Tator's right side on 6/3/06.
Tator's left side on 6/3/06.
Tator basking on 7/22/06. This is a good photo unlike most of the others!
Tator under water on 10/21/06.
Someone wanted some good photos of Tator (full size) but I also cropped them down to show off
here. They are all plastron (top) views from 11/18/06. In most cases, I am holding him in my
hand.
Tator
Tator
Tator
Tator - climbing my shoe
Tator
Tator
Tator's 20 gallon tank on 12/9/06. Tator is in the bottom left of the tank.
Here are some photos from 1/6/07:
Tator - in the water; his eye looks green
from the flash!
Tator - in the cat carrier while I am
cleaning his tank. Notice the long front nails he has grown which makes me think and hope that
he is male.
Tator - carapace view, out of water
Tator - plastron view, out of water; he
is quite a handful now!
Tator - side view, out of water, sorry it is
fuzzy
I took these photos on 3/3/07 of Tator and his tank:
Tator - top view
Tator - side view of him basking with his
feet sticking out
20 gallon tank - straight on view; Tator is on
the bottom right in the water.
20 gallon tank - slightly above and front
view; Tator is on the bottom right in the water.
Here are photos of Tator's "new" 40 gallon tank and him:
Photos from 4/7/07:
Last photo of 20 gallon turtle setup.
The filter box from the side as I had it
originally.
40 gallon tank on the first day.
Photos from 4/11/07:
The filter - also Tator's foot on the right.
40 gallon tank
Tator swimming in his new tank. See
those long boy fingernails!
I took these photos of Tator on 7/7/07. He was on the rug (I just had weighed and measured
him). You can see his long nails indicative of a male aquatic turtle.
Tator
Tator
Here are two photos of Tator in his tank after I cleaned it on 12/1/07. Since he is in the water, it
is a different view point.
Tator swimming
Tator swimming
I took these two photos of Tator on his turtle dock on 1/13/08. Both have obstacles in the way
but, if I had taken the lid off, he would have dove into the water.
Tator on the dock, taken through the
glass. Notice his head reflected in the water!
Tator on the dock, taken through the mesh
lid.
On 3/8/08, I moved Tator to the 120 gallon tank. Here are photos from that day.
Empty 120 gallon - with the land areas I
made
40 gallon - last photo of the old tank as it
was
120 gallon - being filled with water
120 gallon - with Tator in it. There are
bubbles all over since it's 100% new water.
120 gallon - left side with Tator
Tator on 3/29/08 having an intimate moment with his "mate" Miss Fake Log. He spends hours with her at a time.
Tator on 4/5/08 sitting on the ledge with his body in the water and head out. I tried to get a photo along the water line. Sorry for the flash from the camera reflected in the glass.
Here is a video of tator swimming on 9/4/06. It is 1535 KB.
For more photos of hatchling turtles, see my baby turtle photo page.
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