Taco is the latest pet at home. He is the only pet left at home. At first, it was the children's idea to bring Taco home. But now, it is like my pet. I am taking care of Taco, bringing him to the vet alone too.
Owning a pet is easy but to take good care of it is a huge responsibility. I need to make sure he is safe under my care, otherwise I feel bad. Yesterday at the vet, there were many pet owners with their pet at the vet. We always see people with nice pet with them. But at the vet, we see pet owners with ugly pet, something we don't get to see often in the media too. I saw a woman with a bulldog, tongue dangling out of the mouth, half blind and badly diseased skin. The woman and the dog seemed to have very good relationship. The woman never abandon the pet despite the ugly look of the pet.
Everyone brought their special breed of pets to the vet, mine is only a normal stray. But a Malay couple was attracted to Taco, came close and said, "So cute". Never mind that I have only a stray, at least I rescue him from the factory. From a dirty hungry kitten, now a clean and ideal weight kitten. The sibling Mochi and his mum have problems looking for food everyday. Their living condition is very bad. Taco was full of ticks and fleas when he came home initially. After treatment done for him, he seldom scratch his body now. All the fleas and ticks were gone.
These are Opal and Oscar. Opal is the female terrapin while Oscar is the male terrapin. Female terrapin is always bigger than the male terrapin, as told by the shopkeeper. He helped us to select the two different sexes, after our request.
The shopkeeper was quite nice. He chose everything for us, all the necessary items. He even taught Isaac how and when to change the water for the terrapins. The school counsellor had given us the tank, pebbles, solution and food. But Isaac wanted to buy ourselves and return those things to the counsellor. So we bought the Japanese white pebbles, the tortoise tank, tortoise food and Ammonia Detox. And everything cost us $38. My mum said, "You buy the tortoise and I will pay for it. Tell Isaac to go school everyday." In the end, my mother passed me a $50 note.
Photograph of the food we giving to the terrapins and the Ammonia Detox we put in the water of the terrapins.
The Ammonia Detox helps to stabilize the water and to prevent diseases for the terrapins -- Anti white spot, Anti fungus and so on. More specifically it read like these for its indication --
Ammonia Detox conditioner: removes harmful ammonia, chlorine and chloramines. It can be use for all types of fishes, shrimps and invertebrates. Ammonia level in aquaria can rise to dangerous levels due to poor filtration, overstocking, overfeeding or lack of water change. This can cause unnecessary stress, outbreak of disease and even death to the fishes. Ammonia Detox is a fast and effective way to eliminate ammonia from water, making water safe to use and prolong the water changes interval without the risk of ammonia poisoning. Regular use prevents ammonia poisoning in live fish shipping. Use regularly to improve fish conditions.
As for Food we use XO Turtle Food Sticks: This brand is very good. I purchase this because when I was a preschool teacher, I bought this for the school terrapin too, and the terrapin was well. Similarly, it is almost 2 weeks plus already, or 15 days already and the tortoise looks so healthy and lively in the water. Isaac told me they were able to eat 4 pellets now! Previously they ate 2 per day.
About XO Turtle Food Sticks: Latest formula ensuring every requirement of reptile nutrition, fortified with vitamins and calcium. Promotes colour, health and growth. The food is designed to float, easy to digest and assimilate, also accepted willingly by all turtles. Does not cloud water. Feed w or 3 times daily. Remove any excess left over food. Ingredients --Fish meal, wheat flour, oat, shrimps meal, algae meal, calcium photosphate colours, fish livers, spirulina etc.
Photograph of the terrapins 'tools' or apparatus.
This is a normal fish tank or terrapins tank. My previous school used this type of tank too. But as for the food, I fed Mumbo with the food, I never ever see him eating it before. So he probably die of hunger or not used to the condition (cannot adapt to no aircon?? as suggested by the shopkeeper)
.jpg)
