Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am very good with aquatic turtles until now. I have a small pond and every couple of years I will get 1 or 2 new turtles raise them until they are big enough to go into it.

I recently got 2 southern painted turtles. This is my first experience with southern painted turtles, however I have had great success with eastern painted turtles.

The problem is, these guys only want to be on the rock in their tank, and they barley eat. When I put them in the water, they just kind of float there until they decide to swim back to the rock and climb out. I am feeding the brine & turtle sticks right now. I have a plant bulb over the tank. I know this is not normal behavior and if I don't do something quick I will lose them.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am assuming these are babies? I have a one year old southern
painted and have never had any problems with him eating or
basking. In fact, he is just like my eastern painteds which
I have had for 9 years.

I would look at water temps first. If they are in an enclosure
that is glass, cover 3 sides of it for privacy.

Good luck.
Linda

I would get rid of the plant bulb. Use a regular household
bulb for heat (make sure you check the temp on the basking area)
I use a 25 watt for mine. Most importantly, get a UVB source
like the Reptomin 5.0. You can get these online for a fraction
of the cost in petstores.

Linda

n/p

One of them died last night, and the other one is on its way out. I have never had this problem, and have brought many little guys up the same exact way. I just don't ever want it to happen again. I am hoping to find out why this happened, could it have been respitory, or parasitic? The shell is really soft, I have never seen this.

It sounds like MBD (soft shell). Are these hatchlings or
older turtles? How long have you had them. This results
from improper feeding and no UVB source. Where did you get
them? breeder?

I got my baby as a tiny hatchling and have never had any
health issues with him and he is just over a year old.

Don't give up on the other one. Try to feed it some softened
Reptomin sticks and get him in the sunlight or a good UVB
source (make sure he has access to shade so he doesn't overheat)
Better yet find a reptile vet. You may be able to save him.

Linda

I purchased them from a reputable guy from Kingsnake. They were hatchlings, and I did lose both of them. Like I said, I have had excellent success with turtles except for these guys. They ate right away, but they only lasted 2 weeks. I fed them brine and turtle sticks. The plant bulb does have uv, and my other guys I brought up the same way. I a have a few that are I would say 5 months old now, that I got as hatchlings. I wish I knew what the answer was. I am heartbroken over this.

I fed them brine

Do you mean brine shrimp? I fed my painted some brine shrimp. He threw up and then in two days he died. Now I raise my own red wigglers and feed them occasionally. Sorry for your loss.

Maybe you can help with an answer to my question...Can a Southern or an Eastern Painted turtle live outside in a pond in New York? Do they hibernate here?