Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two questions actually.

First, when I got my slider about a year ago (he is a year old), I set up his tank so that the depth was the length of his body. I read somewhere that its suppose to be two lengths. Whenever I try to fill the water up any higher, even if its just an inch, he gets mad and starts swimming up and down the glass and into it all crazy. He flips out if he can't just tilt on his tippy toes and reach the air with his nose. This will sound stupid, but I'm worried he didn't learn how to swim to the surface for air since I didn't ever have it deep enough for him to do so. Did I do something wrong here and can I rectify it? Should I put more water in and if I should, will he learn how to get air without a problem? Because he also flips on his back and doesn't necessarily try to flip back over. I know its a wierd question but I've been worried about it lately.

Second, I've been feeding him ReptoTreat dried shrimp but he will not eat anything else. I've tried reptomin sticks, I've tried strawberries, bananas, carrots, and lettuce. I've tried feeder fish. He refuses to try anything. I was also wondering where to buy these plants that can be put in the water for him to eat. I'm at a loss as to how to get him to eat anything else other than shrimp and to get him to eat on dry land, not just in the water.

Thanks for any comments!

First question, ALWAYS PROVIDE SOME KIND OF ROCK OF SAFETY. This can be a rock, log, plants etc. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOUR RES TO CLING TO, IT'S DEFINITELY NO PROBLEM THEN. Moreover, you should always have a basking spot.

Your res probably thinks this exra water means freedom. I hardly doubt it's angry. I've had many a turtle do the same.

Second question, AS LONG AS YOUR RES IS EATING, I WOULDN'T WORRY. I mean, you can introduce other foods too, and these ReptoMin sticks may just not be its choice of food. Sometimes turtles are like that.

The same thing happened to me. My Eastern painted would not eat anything but dried shrimp. Someone told me not to feed him for two days. The first day, every time I passed by his tank he went crazy begging for food. I felt so bad. By the second day, in the am, I gave him some Rep. sticks and he finally ate them. Now I just give him the sticks, and after he finishes all of them, I give him a red wiggler. I always did that with all my other water turtles, and I don't know why I started with the dried shrimp. They really should only be given as a treat. I have an indoor compost bin, and raise the red wigglers. I feed them all kinds of veg. and fruit. So when I feed them to my turtles, I know they are getting the benefit of all that good food too. Good luck.
Terry