Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think my turtle is sick he will sit in the corner of his tank for hours. I think it is only swimming when it is scared or to breathe. This is quite a contrast to before I moved him to my girl friends, she is turtle sitting, he would get very excited and would eat right away. Now I he has not eaten for three days and barley moves. I cannot afford to take Ringo to a vet but I don’t want anything to happen to him, is there anything to do to help him I am very worried.

You need to give us information on how long you have had him
and his enclosure set-up. Is there a basking area? temps?
etc.

This is not meant as an attack on you but why would you own a
pet if you cannot afford to get it help when sick. I'm
sorry but this is part of being a responsible owner. Please
give the info and find a qualified vet who may allow you to
make payments. My thought is that it wouldn't be that
expensive.

Linda

I am just a college student so money is quite short, and when I bought the turtle I didn’t know the responsibility that was required. Now it has clean water 72 degree water and it was basking. It has a 2 inch shell and a 10 gallon tank, I know that it is a little small but I know that is not the problem. He was perfectly fine when I set him up at my girlfriends house and it has been two weeks since the move so I don’t think it is stress from a move. He did not eat again to day and swam very little. I an just looking for some advice so that I can make it feel better.

What is your temp at the basking area? Do you have a UVB
source like the Reptisun 5.0? Please give details of exact
set-up. What are you feeding, how often. Can the baby see
through the aquarium?

Linda G

i don't know the exact basking temp but i have a heat light and it was basking regularly i also have a uvb light i don't know how long they are good for so it may need replacing, i don't know. it can see through its tank and there is more traffic around it than befor the move but it is still very is a private area.

I would move him into a room that does not get alot of traffic
for now. Also, very important....don't EVER guess at your
temps within the enclosure. You need to buy a thermometer
and place it on the basking area for about 15 minutes and
see what the temp is. Is there a basking light above where
he is basking? (sorry, can't remember).

Please invest in a new UVB light like the Reptisun 5.0. You
can buy them on the internet for much cheaper than petstores.

After doing all of these things try feeding him some canned
dog food or soak some dry cat food until it is very soft.
Try this along with pellets and I bet you will get good results
if he is not sick.

Keep us updated.

Try feeding some live food like earthworms or take a small minnow and cut its tail off so it cant get away. The movement may stir an interest in the turtle.
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iturnrocks.com

Raise the water temperature up to about 78 - 80°.