Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased a new RES on 4/9/04 and he was healthy, strong, and a very happy turtle. He was a strong swimmer and loved to eat worms, tomatoes, and apples. I tried crickets, but he did not want anything to do with them. He pretty much stayed in the water, in his hiding places, and in the plastic plants. Never really went on the rocks to bask unless wanting food. I change half of the water every morning (temerature ranging from 86 - 72). Now for the past 3 days he has not eaten anything, and pretty much stays on the basking rocks. I have a background on the back of the tank that has grass and other rocks on it and he acts like he is trying to find a way out. Any suggestions on what is wrong with him or a herp vet in the Detroit/Warren area. He still does jump in the water and swim and is stretching his neck out and looking around at everything. I am not sure how old he is, but his shell is about 4".
Thank you.

Some things to consider...

The water temp should be around 72-74 degrees. The basking
area should be about 85 degrees.

Try adding some Reptomin floating food sticks into his
diet. I use this as a staple and then give other stuff
in combination.

Do you have a UVB light? Reptisun 5.0 are very good to
use.

Do you have a photoperiod for him. 12 hours-light/12
hours dark. This is very important and is often overlooked.

I would try covering part of the glass aquarium for a while
to see if that helps. Some turtles are very shy with new
surroundings and it may manifest with these symptoms.

Hope this helps.
Linda

Is the water temperature ranging from 72-86 or is the water a constant 72 and the basking area 86? Also do you have a heater and filter in his tank?

The water temperature is usually between 73 - 70. At night the water turns cooler - 70-69. I do need to get a submersible heater, right now I have a under tank heater and it is not doing that great of a job. I believe that the basking light is close to 84-86. He pretty much stays there, he will jump in and take a swim though and then hide for a while behind the fake plant or under the rock for a while and then go back on dry land. I was wrong about his size, his shell is 4 cm long. I put in the Reptovite floting sticks today and still nothing? Anyone have any idea of how old this turtle is?

You said "you believe" the basking temp is----. Don't
ever guess at what your temps are. Buy a thermometer and
check to be sure.

One other thought....How big of an aquarium is the turtle
in?

Can you find Reptomin Floating food sticks at your local
petshop? I have tried some other brands and my turtles
will not eat it. Also, try some chicken flavored canned
dog food. After a few attempts, your turtle will most
likely eat it. They love it! Just don't overdo it. Another
favorite of my turtles is the frozen shrimp you buy at the
grocery store. Just thaw out, rinse, cut up into bite pieces
and the turtle should do the rest.

I believe that if the turtle was eating to begin with that
something is not right with its habitat. This should be
addressed first and foremost and then the turtle should
begin to eat again.

Linda