As Matt pointed out the setup that the turtle was in was woefully inadequate.
You are looking at needing an aquatic environment. A simple bowl of water is insufficient.
With an aquatic turtle you are going to have to go thru a lot of water! Turts are little poop machines and their environment is going to get very nasty very quickly!

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good catch merlin, I think we were too busy looking at the type of water, than noticing he needs an actual water setup.

Merlin is right. mostly water with a few "landing docs" You will need a high powered filter, something that can handle twice the amount of water you have. Example, if you have 30 gallons of water, get a filter than handles 60.

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My name is Liz
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That's what I plan on setting up this weekend. The inclosure I describe was what I took him out of. He was really cramped and couldn't even hardly move. What I have him in now is still to small but atleast he can walk and soak untill this weekend. It was pretty sad and I think I saved him just in time. I have a question; I just noticed that the top thin layer of his shell is peeling is that due to growth, calcium defiecancy, or something else?

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are the big scales, called scutes, coming off individually? if they are he's growing. when you take them out bend them a little (i'm weird), they're made of the same stuff as fingernails,cool huh? My guy just started growing again

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Yes, thanks.

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Yet another question. If I were to get some tadpoles and minnows to put in the water of his new inclosure I'm about to set up, will he be able to catch them? Also, should I put some other type of meat food source that wouldn't be as hard to catch?

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he can eat minnows, not sure on tadpoles. He will also eat crickets, earthworms and mealworms. You can get all these things at most pet stores.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Tadpoles will be just as welcome a snack as most fish. Minnows will work too, but mollies and guppies are better. I wouldn't feed him anything you caught outside. It's a great way for him to get parasites, diseases, or chemical contamination.

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Thanks for the tips. I can't wait till thursday!! He's going to love his new home. Question, I know that some animals can't eat some fruits, will grapes be alright to give to him as a treat?

Also, I keep rubbing his head and he seems to like it because he will let me rub the top part of it and also he isn't fully retreating into his shell when I walk around his setup like he use to do only a few short days ago, he only tucks his legs, tail, and neck in and leaves his head out. Should I keep this kind of contact to a minimum or what; how often should I "mess" (couldn't think of the right word) with him? So it seems he is getting use to me, slowly but surely. I plan on getting some pictures of him sometime next week, with him in his new setup. When I do I'll post them.

I took him out of his setup just for a little while because he was trying to get out of the cramped space I have him in now and decided to snap some pics.

Attached Images

	Picture 001.jpg (25.1 KB, 6 views)
	Picture 004.jpg (17.9 KB, 6 views)

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Turtles become very tame, but they're not very playful, so he'll enjoy being left alone most of the time. But I used to rub mine on the top of the head too, and they do act like they enjoy it. Just take care to wash your hands afterward. Grapes are an excellent treat, but be sure to only feed him a few at most. They'll be easier for him to get a grip on if you cut them in half as well.

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