Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have had a RES for a little over 2 weeks. We keep his water temp 76-80, he has a light over the land part of his tank, just a desk lamp kind of thing, but it is warm. He has feeder fish in with him, and we also feed him pellets 2 times a day. For about the past week, he won't get out of the water (he was doing this quite often the first week we had him), and he also won't eat fish, but eats pellets. My husband is really worried about him, so he took a fish out of the water, let it die, and then hand-fed him. He ate it quickly, but will not hunt live fish anymore. He stays by his plants all day long and only swims around if my kids startle him. I'm so worried about him and don't know what to do! Please somebody give me some advice!

you need a uvb bulb on him. It is pointless for him to bask if he is not getting uvb. He could have shell rot or a repiratory infection. They will become lethargic if this is the case. My turtles are constantly active and bask almost every day. They dont eat live fish though. How big is your turtle?

how big is the turtle and how big is the tank? that will give us some idea of what conditions he is in.. if it is a juvenile or hatchling it might not be able to catch the fish.. some feeders are unhealthy for turtles anyway.. if anything, feed him minnows and ghost shrimp, stay away from goldfish.. although mine have never managed to catch live food as hatchlings..

how warm is the basking site? if it isnt warm enough, he might not use it.. i would recommend spending the money on a real reptile heat lamp, they are designed to output heat and provide uva.. you will also need a flourescent for uvb.. both are important for metabolizing calcium and digesting food. you could try turning the heat in the water down a tad and see if he is more active.. i have read that sometimes too much warmth will make them lethargic.. if he doesnt improve, take him to a vet that has experience with aquatic turtles.. its always a good idea to take them in for a checkup anyway..

the only other thing i can reccomend is test the water quality.. if you are feeding him that often, it can get gross very quickly, even if it looks clean to you.. most pet stores check it for free.. im not sure if that could cause him to act like that but its worth a shot anyway..
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

The turtle is about 4 inches, in a 20L tank, and we have goldfish in there with him. Should we not be feeding him that often? I feel naive, because we have just been going by what the petstore told us... feed him goldfish and pellets twice a day. They also told us that we didn't need a light AT ALL as long as sunlight came through a window in the same room as the tank. I really wish I would have done a heap more research, because now the animal hasn't gotten proper care! I did turn down the heater, and his water temp is now 72-75. Could somebody please tell me how often and what exactly to feed him? Where do I get ghost shrimp? Do we just let him eat until he stops eating, or is there a certain amount? Are the pellets even healthy? And why are these people in the petstore giving out such crappy information??? Sorry, it just frustrates me because I thought those people actually knew what they were talking about. I would really appreciate any extra advice so our little guy gets what he really needs! Thank you for the replies.

he needs a bigger tank, and he will get bigger, males reach around 10 inches and females 12.. so for one turtle, a 55 gallon at least... from what i understand, goldfish can carry more pathogens and bacteria than other feeders.. plus they add a ton of ammonia to the water.. how deep do you have the turtles water right now? it should be as much water as you can put in there without him being able to get out.

the petstore gave you bad information as far as lighting goes.. glass and even small mesh will filter out the uv rays he needs.. i only feed my adult turtles every other day (once a day).. but thats something that im sure varies from person to person.. as far as what to feed him? i like the nutramax turtle pellets, but i feed them a variety of pelleted food, along with frozen or freezedried krill as a treat, and anacharis (a plant you can buy at petstores).. most pet stores sell ghost shrimp as feeders.. try a petstore that sells saltwater fish.. they usually have them.. turtles are horrible pigs and will eat more than they need.. i usually feed them whatever they will eat in 5 minutes.. but that is again a preferential thing.. for my bigger turtles i put them in a separate container to feed to cut back on the mess in thier water.. i use a rubbermaid storage container with about 5 inches of water.. put them in and let them eat for a bit, then wait 30-45 min and put them back in the tank.. the mutramax pellets have calcium in them.. and i usually look at the protien content as well.

as far as why they gave you crappy info... i have worked at petstores for almost 6 1/2 years now and in my experience the majority of my coworkers either didnt know any better, or just didnt care enough to provide proper info.. maybe they were just trying to make a sale, or maybe they really dont know.. either way, its always a good idea to do your own research before purchasing a reptile.. did they tell you how long your turtle can live? im not positive about thier life span but i know it is something like 40 years.. or how big he will get? its very frustrating to me to work somewhere that sells turtles precisely because of this.. if you are really bothered by this, confront the person who sold it to you or speak to the manager and tell them that you felt you recieved improper information.. it might not help you out, but maybe (if its a good petstore) they will encourage the employees to provide more accurate info.. then this wont happen to anyone else.. sadly, sometimes they are just in it for the money and wont correct the employees.. but thats just how it goes sometimes..

i have to go to work now, but if someone hasnt given you a good care sheet by the time i get home, i will hunt one down and post it.. the pic is of the turtle food i use as the majority of thier diet.... ive never had any problems with it..

at any rate, i congratulate you on trying to correct the situation.. im sure the turtle will appreciate it very much also.. if you dont feel that you can provide the right size tank and long term care, see if the petstore will take him back. you were definitely mislead in what care he requires and IMO it is a valid reason to return him if you cant provide that care..

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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

here are a few sites that provide good information for keeping a RES...

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/trachemyscare.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
http://hometown.aol.com/Mite37/AquaticTurtles.htm
http://hometown.aol.com/MMcart3475/chefood.html

hope that helps some... if you have any more questions, dont hesitate to ask! good luck with your new addition...
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my pets: clown treefrogs, reed frogs, big eyed treefrogs, tiger leg monkey frogs, gray treefrogs, milk frogs, cuban treefrogs, whites tree frog, green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, blue webbed gliding treefrog, chameleon treefrogs?, dusky salamanders, tiger salamander, veiled chameleon, box turtles, mud turtle, map turtle, yellowbelly slider, florida softshell, two saltwater tanks, four cats, two chinchillas, and a boyfriend.

That pet store gave you terrible information. Good for you for wanting to correct it. Check out this website for some great info on caring for RES. Definitely get a UVB lamp for the turt. It will probably help make him more active. He will need to adjust to his new home so that might explain the hiding. You will need a larger tank. The general rule is about 10 gallons per inch of shell. Dont use goldfish, use feeder guppies. Keep them in a separate tank. That way the turtle doesnt get used to having them in there. My little one loves to chase them and eat them. Also include some vegetables in the diet. The pellets are very high in fat content. The older the RES is the more veggies they should have. Here is the website: www.redearslider.com.

If you have any questions, let me know!

Ash