My son had been asking for a turtle, so after Christmas I went on a hunt to find one, and a hunt it…read morewas, until I called Wild Cargo. I was informed over the phone that they had a variety of turtles available for purchase, so we headed over to check them out.
This store is located in a gas station parking lot but is not too difficult to find. The store was pretty busy when we arrived, with many guests in and out, browsing the aisles, and employees bouncing back and forth attempting to help them all.
I got lucky and got the attention of an employee in the fish section in the back, who redirected me to the aquatic turtles they had in stock toward the front of the store. Once my son decided on a species (Western Painted, $45), I headed to the cashier desk to discuss what other items we would need. Luckily enough, they sell a full aquarium starter kit ($200), which included: a 20-gallon tank, UVB light, water filter, turtle food, turtle treats, basking plank, water conditioner, decorative rocks, and a few other items.
After I made my purchase, a nice employee carried the tank and loaded it into my car while also providing a business card with numbers I could call if I had any issues or questions going forward.
Once I arrived home, tank setup was pretty easy; however, I realized the pole required to install the basking plank was missing. I drove back to the store, and the staff were so helpful and accommodating, it truly made the experience great. I was provided with some pieces of driftwood to use in the tank instead, which turned out to be of way better quality than that crap ZooMed puts in those starter kits.
Fast forward three weeks: my son and I arrived home one evening to our turtle floating lifeless in the tank. Based on observation, I had not witnessed him really eat since bringing him home. He stayed on the driftwood or floated in the water leaning against it most of the time (very lethargic) and undoubtedly was suffering from a respiratory issue. I took pictures of the tank setup and brought the turtle back to the store so I could:
1. Purchase a new turtle of the same species so my son was not distraught
2. Ensure I knew what went wrong so it wouldn't happen again
After much discussion with the same employee who sold me the turtle initially, I was able to understand how to better configure the driftwood in the tank so our new turtle would get the proper UVB needed to live properly in its new habitat.
Just as I stood anticipating purchasing a new turtle, we were sent home, uncharged, with an identical turtle for my son and the knowledge I needed to better fit my aquarium for turtle life. I cannot thank the staff here enough for their dedication and help.
