Urgent Care :: WATER TEMPERATURE!!! HELP~~~

[anniegege2000]

my turtle is about the size of a quarter, there are 2 of them, female and male,
one has RI, well... someone said he has
they don't eat much, or at all
i just got them 3 days ago
the temperture is around 72?

they breath like bullfrogs, bloat up their throat and keep their mouth cloed! help?

[Arisu]

you can't tell their gender until they are around 4" in length. it is impossible to sex turtles if they are still the size of a quarter.

also, you don't know if your turtle has RI or not. what are the symptoms besides them not eating (which is actually sort of normal)? if you really think your turtles have RI, read this:
http://www.redearslider.com/respiratory_behavior.html

so. here are some basics to help you out.

• NOT EATING
  your water is too cold. in the wild, turtles hibernate when the temperature drops (around the winter time). HOWEVER, your water is not cold enough for hibernation (pet turtles don't hibernate, anyway) but not warm enough to keep their little metabolism going. water that isn't warm enough causes their systems to slow down and greatly affects their appetite
  
  your turtles will eventually develop an healthy appetite if all basic requirements are met; water temp, basking temp, lighting, filtration. (given that the turtles are healthy too)
  
  until you have a bigger tank with the right equipments, it will be fairly tough to determine the health of your turtles, let alone getting your turtles to eat. because they are now in a foreign and new environment, it usually takes a while for new pets to start eating- even IF the requirements are met.
  
• THROAT PUFFING
  normal. red ear sliders inflate their throats very often. 1) it helps them float when in water and 2) it aids their smell when they're out of water
  
  I doubt your turtle has RI simply because of they inflate their throats

with that said, make sure you read through the main portion of this site for great information. your main priority right now should be water quality and a bigger enclosure. next, focus on a basking area (can be ANYTHING that allows them to get out of water COMPLETELY and dry off) and adequate lighting (heating AND uvb resource)

[bradmeisel]

yeah what Arisu said

[bradmeisel]

they must be cuties ... could you post some pics in the photo gallery?

[Daniel3507]

pretty sure urgent care isnt the place to ask for pics.

you need to bump your water temp up to 78 asap.
give them awhile to start eating but dont stop offering proper food.

[megcornell]

Like I said in your other post- the water temps need to be at least 78 degree for hatchlings. Getting the water warm enough should be your priority, everything else is secondary for the time being. If the turtles aren't warm enough they'll get sick, and they won't eat when they're cold.

[bradmeisel]

Annie, Did you get the small heater and thermometer yet? Please do.