Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

JustJason

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Kate has a turtle tank (35 gallon or so) with 3 turtles. 2 painted turtles, and 1Snapper. The 2 painted are approx 4-6 years old (going by size) and the snapper I pulled out of my pool skimmer as a newbie 2 years ago, and is still a little guy.
So hear is the weird thing. They have a healthy and clean tank, and they get turtle food 2 or 3 times a day, plus they get a dozen feeder fish every couple of weeks for when we go away they have something to snack on.

About 2 months back we got a dozen feeder fish, they were all orange except for 1 silver colored little guy with a black stripe only down 1 side, (which Kate has now named gibert the fish). In about a week all the fish were gone except for gilbert. We found it kinda funny that the silver fish lived for so long.
We go through a dozen feeder fish every 2 to 3 weeks, and have been through at least 5 or 6 dozen in the last 2 months.
Gilberts still alive. Only fish in the tank, and has been for the last 2 weeks.

Do turtles not see the color silver or black? Kinda odd he's been the lone duck all along out of 60+ fishies.
 

FAC

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Jul 30, 2009
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

I bet that because they have been routinely given orange "treats" they do not associate the color silver with treats, so they don't have the same prey drive for the silver fish.
 

Tig

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Sep 20, 2009
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

Had a similar experience in my turtle tank. The last one swimming was dubbed Renaldo ("Skeets") Nehemiah. His time did eventually come.
New beasties that fell in the tank were often studied for a while before they were tasted. Want to see something nasty? Drop a big fat spider in there.
 

philsboat

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May 5, 2010
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

Maybe it'e like the cannibals that ate the clown.One cannibal says to the other"Does this taste funny to you?":D

Phil
 

jay_merrill

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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

I heard that Gilbert told all of the turtles that he had a plan to bust out of the tank and go to Madagascar. He probably told them that he had to refine it a bit and wait for the right time. Eventually all the turtles will figure out that he's playin' them and they'll eat him like a Snicker bar!



???
 

aspeck

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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

You better get Gilbert out of there ... he is playing those turtles against each other. You are soon gonna start noticing aggression from the Snapping Turtle towards the Painted Turtles. Next, there will be all out war, and in the end, Gilbert will be eating Turtle Soup! So you chose, Gilbert or the Turtles?
 

foodfisher

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Feb 18, 2009
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

Brightly colored critters in nature are usually poisonous. Maybe it's hardwired to know this.
 

kend301

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Jul 4, 2009
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

It is scent and taste , just like us the turtles detect the scent of food they want to eat , since Gilbert is a different breed his scent is not triggering the feeding instinct . We live on a canal and feed the turtles daily but when we have cinnamon raisin bread left over they will not touch it , They eat everything else including garlic bread .
 

Tim Frank

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Jul 29, 2008
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

You can see the exact same behaviour in most singles bars, but if i was to elaborate, it would become inappropriate for this forum very quickly, and be a prime target for a passing Mod....;)
 

barman84

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Jul 1, 2010
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

Same thing happens in our pond in the back yard. The snacks and coons get the gold ones and the white and silver ones hangout most of the year. Sooner or later they are gone by November December time frame.

I got tired of buying new koi not really cheap to feed wildlife around my place;)
 

HappierWet

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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

Gilbert has MOB connections, although the turtles are already " wit da fishes ":D
 

rbh

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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

Picky eaters those turtles!
 

Nandy

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Apr 10, 2004
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Re: Can anybody explain this phenomenon....

Next time make sure all feeders are silver and see what happens.
 
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