Turtles / Tortoises

m.j.w

Thinking about getting a turtle. Anyone any advice on what type of one to get and what sort of stuff is needed to keep them and the price involved. Want to get some sort of small pet for girlfriend. ive in apatment so cant get cat or dog.

cowzerp

well turtles and tortoises are totally different so if i was you i'd research them and see what suits you! personally for a flat i'd go with a russian tortoise, they are easy to keep clean and very social and dont grow large!!

RESEARCH

Ruby Soho

Just bear in mind that these are pretty high maintenance animals, turtles / terrapins are usually sold at the size of a two euro coin, they can grow to the size of a dinner plate, and they STINK! They need a lot of specialist equipment if you want them kept properly, so I would not advise you to take one of these on lightly. They are fabulous if you know what you are doing and can be very entertaining, but just do your research!!

Susannahmia

m.j.w wrote: »

Thinking about getting a turtle. Anyone any advice on what type of one to get and what sort of stuff is needed to keep them and the price involved. Want to get some sort of small pet for girlfriend. ive in apatment so cant get cat or dog.

I was considering getting one but after some research I decided to get a hamster instead. Turtles are very high maintenence, they smell and you have to do a lot of cleaning also they live for at least 15 years. If you are serious about this do your research thoroughly before you buy one.

Our man in Havana

Most turtles & tortoises can live over 50 years!

Tortoises are easier but you need a tortoise table, & a UV/heat bulb I use a powersun for my guys. But do some research these are specialist pets.

m.j.w

Thanks for the info, might leave it then and get something a bit easier to keep. Dont want to go for a hamster tho. Anyone any other idea's of what I could get?

Toots

I live in an apartment and have a dog, and I've no probs, only I'd say it would depend on your apartment complex. We had a turtle when we moved in and I would agree with what everyone else is saying here about the maintenance and stink!! We went into it fairly blind tbh tho and the pet shop where we bought the turtle told us a whole heap of lies too. We bought a SoftShell turtle and it would have been roughly the size of a old punt coin when we got her, within 6 months she was the size of a large saucer and vicious!! The guy in the shop told us she wouldn't get bigger than 4 inches across, LIES!! When I finally found her species on the net, they showed pics of fully grown females with shells of about 2ft across!! It also seemed that the type we got wasn't your bog standard pet shop turtle, but rather a rarity in the pet trade in Ireland and definitely not one an amateur turtle owner should go for!! And they were able to bite through a human finger when fully grown! Luckily I worked with a guy who was really into reptiles and he was able to give her a good home. He sent me a pic of her the other week and she's bigger than a dinner plate!

I had originally wanted a tortoise, but the price to buy the actual tortoise put me off. If I was to do it again, I'd go with the tortoise. They may be dearer, but they're not as high maintenance as the turtle IMO. Also, you can make your own tortoise enclosure, there's good books available in petshops and guides on the net, so you can make up one that fits in your apartment in the place you want it to go. With the turtle, you need a tank, and a big one at that!! And then the heaters and equipment that go with it. The tank needed cleaning about once a week cos it was so smelly, and we went through roughly 3 filters during the time we had the turtle, cos they're so filthy the filters kept getting clogged and then they'd break. As Bond-007 said, if you're gonna get one, do your research first!!

If you're not keen on a hamster, maybe try a guinea pig? One of my neighbours has one and he's lovely, although he is a bit smelly. She cleans out his cage every other day as opposed to once a week cos he's inside. Have a look around your apartments and see do you notice does anyone else have a pet or you could go to a pet store and ask for their reccomendations. I've also got a fish, which doesn't give any trouble

Susannahmia

m.j.w wrote: »

Thanks for the info, might leave it then and get something a bit easier to keep. Dont want to go for a hamster tho. Anyone any other idea's of what I could get?

Do you wan't to rule all rodents out? It might narrow down the suggestions to more useful and relivant ones if you are more specific.

m.j.w

Susannahmia wrote: »

Do you wan't to rule all rodents out? It might narrow down the suggestions to more useful and relivant ones if you are more specific.

No not at all. Looking into the ginue pig

Susannahmia

m.j.w wrote: »

No not at all. Looking into the ginue pig

Cool they are cute little buggers. And they are usually very tame.:)