Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had this soft shell turtle for 5months now that i had bought from a reptile show, up until a week ago he was doing fine. I have him in a 10/gallon with 4 inches of water, sand for a substrate and a fluval, he has always shown much personality and has always eaten but latley he stays buried and hardly ever eats, he would eat several times a day, now i am lucky to feed him once, could this be some sort of seasonal behavioral or what, i am very worried about him. thank you much........Erica

Hello Erica:
A little more info will help in solving the problem.
Does the turtle have a basking site with an overhead light source?
What is the temp of the tank?
Are there lights on during the day?
What kinds of food are being offered?
Though Softshells can be very hardy and live for years they can also be a bit challenging. The sandy substrate is fine as these turtles love to bury themselves. They do, however, bask on occasion so a basking rock (or platform) is equally important. They may not use it much but it should be available. You also have to be careful if using rocks to only use rounded stones with no rough edges.
Softshells also require quite a variety of foods to keep them healthy. They like shellfish (Crayfish, Ghost Shrimp), Fish, snails, crickets, earthworms, as well as dry catfood and manufactured turtle foods. If they are fed the same thing all the time they may become reluctant to feed.
Hope this info helps.
Good Luck!!!

thank you much for the fast reply, to answer your quesions, I didnt have a basking spot until 3 days ago when all of this began, i know i should of had it sooner, with the light its 84 and water is 83, should it be hotter? since being sick i have left the light on all day and night. he has never had a light and seemed to do great before with 80 degrees, he was eating 4 times day. since he has been this way i have been doing 3 water changes a day just in case it is something in the water, I only keep five inches any way. i feed him repto treat suprema food sticks, when he is eating, however i will take your advice and switch it up. anwyay hasnt eaten in four days and contiues to stay under sand. last thing, when she would see me she would always come out and now she hides. thank you for your help, Erica.

Hello Erica:
I looked back over your earlier post and noticed you used a fluval. How is the current? If it is too powerful you may want to put some kind of obstacle for the flow to go around to subdue the current a little. This may not be a problem, just a thought. You might also try going to a pet store and getting some anacharis water plants to put in the tank. These can be used to give the turtle a chance to get out of the sand and still be concealed a little. The plants will also help keep the water a little cooler. The turtle might also munch on the plants a bit.
As far as the lighting is concerned, if you cut back on the wattage a little it might cool the water slightly. 78-82 degrees is fine for raising a softshell. Staying under the sand may be an indication that your little softshell may be uncomfortable in the warmer water. Under the sand would be cooler than being in the open water.
I hope this helps. Keep us posted as to the progress of your "Softie."
Good Luck!!!