Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all!
I'm new here. We purchased a small, what I think is a mud turtle, ( he's small and has orange spots on his neck like on the pictures). We've had him for 2 months. I'm certain he's outgrown his tank, this is all new to me and I've just fallen crazy hopeless over "Buster"..my husband thinks I've gone crazy. He is about 3x as big as when we purchased him and until a week ago, was eating fine, he would eat the reptile sticks, ( I've purchased two different kinds for variation) out of my hand. Now he won't eat anything. I've tried earthworms, small snails, tiny wild strawberries..nothing works. Well, about a week or so ago, he ate the algae eater fish I boughtto help keep the tank clean, the pet department person at Walmart told me it would be fine because she said he wouldn't eat him because he wouldn't taste good. She was WRONG. I do not know what to do. I've looked in the area for vets that care for reptiles and come up with nothing. Anything would be appreciated, I will certainly get another, bigger tank and a better set up but I'm afraid I'm going to lose him ..I don't think I'd want another one. My children and especially me are quite attached to him.
I'm rambling..sorry. Any ideas?
Wendy

Does it seem to be otherwise OK?
Try feeding it some feeder fish from an aquarium store---just a few! See if it acts interested.
Also, I would strongly recommend adding different food items to the diet besides those sticks.

Thanks!!! I had bought 4 feeder fish day before yesterday, I took one out because it died but after watching him with the others, I THINK, he was the cause of it, and I took it out before he could eat it, he is looking SO aggressive!!! I put an earthworm in there but I am pretty sure it escaped down in the rocks, what else should I give him? I'll get anything to keep him eating and happy! I've looked at a variety of things at the pet departments but wasn't sure what would be appropriate. PLUS, this morning, another fish had disappeared !!! YAY!!!!!!
Are the tiny feeder goldfish ok for him to eat regularly?
Thanks a bunch!!!
Wendy

I was just wondering when you bought the algea fish, did you tell the person at the pet store that you had a mud turtle?
Because my mud turtles eat anything even if it doesn't taste good haha

Anyway, a mix between the fish and the pellets is good, but there are other foods out there you can try. My Muds love crickets and little peices of shrimp.

Good Luck with your mud they are a lot of fun
Best Regards,
Kevin

AKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK......................We went away for the night and I came back home, all three fish are dead, one is floating, he was dead when we were leaving and I figured "Buster" would eat him while we were gone. Nope, he's still there and looking and smelling "funky". The other two are dead on the bottom of the tank. That a new one for me. Any fish I've ever had that died were floating. There looks to be no missing pieces of any of them but I'm pretty sure Buster killed them, he was chasing them like crazy the day I left and I was pretty amazed for a turtle that hadn't eaten in 5 days. I don't know what to do. A friend of mine has a great turtle aquarium and one turtle. I wonder if he would be happier with another one? I would give him to her if it would make him happy to be with another turtle..and he would start eating.
Any other ideas?...mud turtles have yellow/orange spots like on their neck right?
Well, gotta go thanks to anyone who has responded and can help me further. How long can he go on and not be eating?? The last sticks I put in there along with the fish are still there at the bottom of the tank disinigrating (sp?..)I am really at a loss for what to do about him.
Wendy

sorry, i didnt replay earlier just got back from Hawaii,

anyway, i know mud turtles can go a while without food, I do not think that putting him in with another turtle will make things better if not making them worse, muds can get very tertorial so they often tend to fight with tank mates.

Just a hint, pick him up and turn him over and feel the bottom of the sheel, although muds dont have much shell down there feel the shell and make sure it is not oddly soft, then you will have bring him/her to a vet asap

good luck,
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
Thanks again! Hope Hawaii was nice but am pretty sure ..it MUST have been!
He (I guess he is a he..how do I tell anyway?) still isn't eating, how long can he go without eating? It has been more than 2 weeks! He used to eat out of my hand, I'd reach it down in and he'd pop up and get a bite. I did feel his shell, it did not feel soft to me. I'm putting food in but it is just lying on the bottom of the tank.
He acts normal for the most part, somewhat more "skiddish" than before but I think it is from me handling him a bit more since he stopped eating. How do you force feed a turtle..do you recommend it...what could cause him to stop eating?
AKKKKKKKKKKK..I'm so frustrated...
Thanks in advance..
Wendy

Hey, Wendy
I have not used force feeding but i know how people have done it in the past.

They put there fingers right behind his front feet, and then squeeze lightly until his head is out and his mouth is open, then just simply put a piece of food in his mouth and put him back in the water.

My muds have not stopped eating for that long, but my two red eared sliders stopped eating for over a MONTH and then one day they just eat like crazy.

Do you have a heater in the water?
If the water is to cold i am thinking he could have become dorment or something.

good luck,
kevin

Hi again Kevin!
Well, this morning to my amazement and suprise, I found turtle poop in his aquarium!!! I had not seen any for about 2 weeks. Who would have ever thought I'd be so happy about turtle poop "sightings"..ha ha ha
I think he was dormant because the water temperature dropped. I'd had him in a great partially sunny place ( away from A/c) and my daughter ( 2 yrs ) had access to him and kept emptying his aquarium. So...I moved him and it was closer to the air conditioning..so, I bought a small heater and he is so much happier! I'm hoping he will begin eating regularly as before. Do you have some ideas of tasty treats for him besides the sticks..I heard some people mention several things but plan on writing down the ideas this time and posting it to the refrigerator.
So what all kinds of creatures do you have?? I'll get some pictures of "Buster" soon..
ps..how to tell if they are male/ female????
Thanks again bunches!!!
Wendy

Hi Kevin!
Well today, I finally did more research on him/ her because of what you said about your red eared sliders...I thought to myself, he looks like he has red ears too..and he is one!!!!
I asked in a post before about the orange spots on the side of his head but it may have not posted or might have been overlooked. So what did you do when your sliders did not eat?? Did you continue to put food in there everyday? How do you keep your tank clean in times like this? Are they social? You said you had two, I thought about getting another one if they weren't territorial..so as to keep each other company. I am getting a bigger tank regardless. I'm a dog lover..it amazes me that this little turtle has stolen my heart. My daughter is running around the house saying "Butter not sick!" after I told her he was "O.K. now"
Do you handle yours? Do they like it?
She has made him skiddish I'm certain of it but now that I've moved him to a safe place, he is beginning to come up to see me when I talk to him like before, instead of jumping in the water and hiding in his rock cave.
Ah well, I think the mystery is solved!!!
Looking forward to hearing about your turtles/ pets!
Wendy

wow, that different

how did you get the idear that he was a mud?
i am not sure how to tell the sex though?
when my red ears stop eating they were in with one of my muds.
so when i fed my mud, i tryed to feed them and after the long time they had stopped they started again.

I have to red ears together with no problems at all. So i am sure that you can feel free to get a friend for him. They are greet community turtles meaning that they get along with alot of different types. If you find a mud in the pet store and it is smaller then the guy you have now you can get that two a lot of people have had luck with a slider and mud together. Also look around online a you can find baby turtles of every type you can think of.

I have two red ears both around 4 inches.
Rafeal and Leonardo
I bought them in China Town, Little Italy
Then i have a Eastern Mud Turtle, Three-striped mud turtle and a razor-back musk turtle.
Pete, Scooter and Sherman

good luck, any more questions feel free

Hi Kevin!
I'm not sure how/ why I thought he was a mud turtle. I think I saw a picture, possibly confused it, read the wrong caption, but it looked like him and was labeled mud turtle, so..I thought that's what he must be. He was just bigger than a quarter when I got him and is now about an inch and a half in diameter, I'm guessing. I'm excited about getting him a tank mate. I"m going to lok up turtle anatomy to see if I can figure out what I have and possibly get him/ her a mate of the opposite sex...baby turtles!! WoW!!
Idea is neat anyway!
I'll keep you posted, you do the same!
Thanks again bunches!
Wendy

http://market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=39
go to that web site
it is sponsured by the same people as this forum
you can find almost every type of turtles at any size.
The bonus of going there is that most of the people that sell turtles there know what they are doing and your turtle will be healthy.
you might also wanna chech out www.turtle-town.com
he is oput of town right now but he can ehlp you with what ever you want.

Hey there Kevin!
I moved my "Buster" to a 10 gallon tank and got an adequate heater and he is so happy. He is eating every cricket I can catch, enjoying shrimp treats and also eating the reptile sticks!!! Hopefully, we will be in the area where we got him in a few weeks and getting him a tank buddy!
I would still love to figure out how to tell male from female and try to let them breed.
He hangs out a lot right beside the heater. It keeps the water between 78-80...do you think he is cold or just likes the extra warmth of being right beside of it???
Wendy

red ear sliders arent really sexable until they are about 4 inches. i have 4 females and 1 male that i breed. all about 5-7 years old