February 25, 2003

I'm a bit late with this week's entry - sorry! Had a bit of a hectic week with Fish last week. On Friday there was a power and water cut and I noticed little white worms wriggling in his tank, so I panicked and bleached the tank and everything in it. Fish went into his temporary feeding container (he wasn't too happy about that!) The picture above is of the main tank drying, with Fish next to it.

I've switched to every-other-day feedings for Fish, but he gets bigger meals - I read on a lot of websites that turtles should be switched to every other day once they're past six months old (I've had Fish for very nearly nine months - he ought to be a few months older than that which makes him about a year old).

Speaking of eating - here's a nice picture of Fish about to devour that poor piece of Reptomin! (the other colours are different pelleted food - I try to give him a variety but when I open the can they all look the same...)

He really likes the new rock/shelter thing I bought for him. I catch him basking almost every night now compared to only once in a while. I'm glad I bought it (especially after I'd already accidentally bought one that was made for snakes and which wasn't quite big enough, which I had to take out). I took a whole lot of photos of him basking, but I'll save those for next weekend...:) I also had some printed at the photo shop to put in my wallet. Yes, I'm the kind of person who has pet pictures but no family pictures in their wallet!

worms! | 10:24 PM | ReptoMin? (2)

February 15, 2003

Fish: 'Are you going to feed me yet?'

This week I took a lot of photos - so I thought I'd update the gallery. I've added a new album, Everyday Snaps, and updated two old albums: Other Turtles and Silly Fish. Hope you like the new photos!

Fish is really getting quite big - compare these three photos:

15 February 2003:

5 September 2002:

4 June 2002:

Yesterday I went to Mongkok and bought him yet another rock shelter. He hasn't gone in it yet, because I've only just put it in, but it's definitely big enough to fit him. I also bought Wardley Reptile Sticks and a pH test kit. Fish's water last night, just before the change, was pH 6.5 - not bad.

The good thing about the new shelter is that he isn't trying to eat it (yet), it's roomy inside, and it is doubling nicely as a basking spot since it is tall! I've taken all the river rocks out as a result - that's a LOT less work for me to clean.

bigger and bigger | 05:52 PM | ReptoMin? (2)

February 09, 2003

This is what happens when you hand-feed on a regular basis.

Fish: 'Oh, look, those fat pink sausages that magically produce Reptomin!!! Yum, yum!!' *chomp*

Though I must say it's really quite amusing. Other things Fish likes to try to eat through the glass are a rubber snake and my yellow comb. It's really funny watching him try to bite a snake much bigger than he is - that turtle wouldn't survive for two seconds in the wild!

On the other hand he is afraid of the Reptomin tin when I shake it in front of the tank. Go figure.

Last week I bought him a Reptile Cave, thinking he might like the privacy - turned out he'd grown much too big to fit through the door, and I had to prop it up - somewhat unstable, once he started walking on top of it, and I took it out because I didn't want it to fall down on top of him and drown him (though he's probably strong enough to move it - it's a very light ceramic cave). One other thing is he keeps trying to eat it and there are little bits of paint and porcelain all over the tank bottom - I'm not sure eating all this paint is healthy for him!

Plan B is to go buy some flat rock and aquarium epoxy and make my own basking spot, which I think I'll do quite soon - he did seem to enjoy having the cave. He slept in there in the mornings when I woke up a bit too early for his taste.

I hope he doesn't try to eat the epoxy, though. ;)

yum!! | 02:44 AM | ReptoMin? (2)

February 02, 2003

Hello again - Fish and I have been gone for a few months - I broke my camera in September and updates became less and less frequent. I have a new camera now, and schoolwork permitting, aim to update around once a week, which is a schedule I think I can keep up with (and remember - water changes *and* fish*tank updates once a week!)

During the past few months Fish has been growing well - he is now almost 7 centimetres straight down the shell, and getting bigger all the time! I have also remodeled his basking spot. I took a small plastic tub and piled most of the smooth river rocks into it. This arrangement, though not pretty, seems to work well for the time being - he can get all the way out of the water easily, and the rocks no longer block the filter current. I can also have the water slightly higher to accomodate his growth.

The photo above was taken this afternoon, just after his feeding. He had seven sticks of Reptomin and still looked at me pitifully, the little beggar!

hello again! | 12:36 AM | ReptoMin? (2)

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