u/wwaffled

ever since i captured squirtle as a hatchling no bigger than the top half of my thumb hes been very scared of me. when if first got him all he did was try to escape, but after a week or so he just began refusing to bask if i was present (or if anyone was for that matter) and he jumps in the water as soon as i walk into my room if he was basking.

the most he will do is stick his head up out of the water to breathe but if i move from my bed or wherever i happen to be he will instantly pop underwater and hide. i sit in front of his tank and talk to him softly and he isnt afraid of that but every since yesterday (the fourth of july) hes been extra on edge and afraid i'm assuming due to the fireworks.

hes so adorable and hes swam up to the glass to me twice but other than that he just looks at me very cautiously underwater. how should i go about gaining his trust? i really want him to feel loved and not afraid of me💔

I rescued my Red Eared Slider turtle on May 25th from a trail really close to the street, when it was a tiny hatchling no bigger than the top half of my thumb. The attached images show its growth progression as well as what its tank looks like.

image 1 is when I found it, image 2 is the second day of living in its tank, image 3 I just took in an attempt show its growth (I'd say its around 2 inches now) and the 4th image is the tank setup.

I named it Squirtle, and it's still very afraid of me when I walk around and stuff. Squirtle only doesn't hide from me when I sit in front of the tank and talk softly to it or I'm just sitting on my bed quietly.

Do any of you turtle owners have any suggestions for Squirtle's habitat if I'm going to make it more fish friendly? I've heard that guppies can be good friends and also food if the turtle decides to eat them, and they apparently reproduce fast. Is that a good idea or should I put in other fish? Also, is the timing right to add fish or should I wait until my turtle is bigger?