Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know, I'm probably so bothersome with all of my questions and concerns!!

Pip, still, is doing amazingly well. He swims, he basks, he eats like a pig, he hides, he climbs on the shore. But Booger... I'm really concerned about him.

I've only seen him hide and bask. Rarely does he swim around, and he'll just sit on his dock. When I come around they both bolt for cover, but Booger doesn't seem to ever come back up.

I feed them twice a day, once before school and once after. I turn off the filter and give them ten minutes to eat. Pip immediately eats the food. But I have yet to see Booger eat, and there are often pellets still floating around.

Should I assume the worse?

Thanks in advance.

Many times 1 turtle will "bully" the other causing the weaker
one not to eat or compete for the food.

I had this problem with mine and so I separated them for
feeding. Give the turtle plenty of time to eat before
putting them back together. If this doesn't work, I
would separate them for a few months until the other is
eating well.

Hope this helps
Linda

But the thing is, Booger is maybe an inch and a half long. He's twice the size of Pip. So I don't see how it would be a dominance issue.

Size doesn't necessarily correspond to dominance. A smaller turtle can bully a larger. Regardless, separate the two so you can closely monitor food intake. It’s the only way to know if your turtle is receiving enough. And after you feed, leave them alone for an hour or so. Your turtle may be intimidated by your presence.

I am having the same problem with my Squirtle. He basks all day long and dive for cover when I approach. I put food in for him, reptomin and shrimp (his favorite) but he rarely eats now. I have Gamera who is about the same size and he eats like crazy. Non of them seem to bother the other. They bask near each other and sometimes sleep really close to each other.

My 2 were the same same size and seemed to get along well.
The fact that one sat back and did not compete for the food
while the other was a pig concerned me.

I think the key here is getting this little guy to start
eating. I would try this. Once my gal established her
eating patterns (away from the other) she became as much
a pig as the other and competed for the food. Both of mine
are 7 years old now and have never skipped a meal.

Bottom line, if this turtle is not eating you need to
try and find out why and correct it. My hunch goes with
my suggestion.

Good luck and keep us posted.
Linda