Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found a tiny stinkpot...he fits on a nickel! I have no experience with hatchlings (We have 2 adult painteds that we aquired from a neglectful owner that are now healthy and happy). Since he is so tiny I have him in a 10 gallon tank with just an inch of water. My question is: how do I keep it warm? I was looking at under tank heaters but they say they are not for tanks with water...but I don't know how else to keep one inch of water warm for him. I have a basking light but that doesn't help at night. He is not eating and I'm hoping that warming him up will help (found him 3 days ago). I put in a 'log' for him to hide under and a few things he can climb up on but for now he is content to stay in the water and 'walk' around. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

well, you could raise the water level some, and get a water heater. stealth imo are the best.im assuming this is just a temporary home because your going to release him back to his REAL home right?

I have a heater and I tried raising the water level...and he nearly drowned despite ample things to crawl up on. He is tiny tiny...fits on a nickel. I am going to try an under tank heater even though it says not for use with aquariums. I just don't know what else to do. Thanks for the suggestion though.

be careful, this could electricute him.

I don't know if you're still around or not, but I'll reply anyway.

Your turtle may be so young that he/she is still living off of the nutrients provided by the yolk. It can sometimes take several weeks before a baby turtle begins to eat. Most take a few days at least.

Stinkpots are fairly secretive turtles, especially when young. Think about it, this tiny guy/gal is a snack for so many things in the water. They often need to feel secure in order to eat. Place a lot of structure in the tank...driftwood, water plants like anacharis, smooth rocks, even terra cotta pots broken in half and laid on their side. Anacharis is great...it's cheap from any pet store with aquariums, turtles can munch on it, and they love to hide amongst it. Just lay it in the shallow water. Make sure the water depth is enough to where the turtle can right itself if it is flipped over.

A heat emitting UV bulb is great when placed over a basking spot. It'll even warm the water, especially at that depth. Stinkpots don't need very warm water. The basking spot at one end of the tank will give the little thing the opportunity to warm up if it needs to. At around room temp.(70 to 75), no additional heat source would be required for a Stinkpot aside from the basking bulb. Temps can drop fairly low at night.

Offer only live items at this point...no need to foul the water with anything else. Earthworms, waxworms, mealworms, pinhead crickets, baby superworms, etc. are all great. Earthworms are probably your best bet. They'll wiggle around in the water long after most insects have drown. Leave the little guy/gal alone as much as possible...it's more likely to eat when it feels safe and secure. Live insects should be the staple diet with other things mixed in. Reptomin is often relished.

I hope the little turtle is still doing ok.

Thanks so much...he is doing better! So far he will eat earth worms and brine shrimp. I will keep offering other things. I was able to raise the water level in his tank and put in a submersible heater under a wire mesh platform so Chompy is still in fairly shallow water with plenty of stuff to climb on and hide under. I have a uvb bulb for him as well. He seems to be adjusting well.

I'm glad that he/she is doing well! Well, I know how you got him/her to eat. You just named it Chompy...with a name like that, it would have to eat