My RES' behavior has changed, very drastically, and literally overnight. It's jarringly different enough to very deeply concern me.
I've had Enbi for about 7 months; since he was no bigger than a quarter. While not necessarily social, he's never been unusually skittish for a RES. He's always approached the edge of his tank when I walk by, and been an avid swimmer. Yet today, all day, he's been hiding under his basking dock. He wouldn't even approach me to be fed; I figured at first maybe he was unnerved because I had just gotten new glasses this morning and don't look quite the same, so I fed him and left to run some errands.
But when I came back, I found all of his food sunk, untouched, to the bottom of his tank, and that's what really spiked my concern. NEVER, not once, in the entire time I've owned him, has he ever refused to eat. I got worried, took him out of his tank, and inspected him for any obvious signs of illness; his eye orbitals seemed a bit swollen, and his eyes seemed glassy, but they weren't sticky or shut. I dry docked him, and his eyes promptly cleared up, within 15 minutes, though they do still seem swollen.
I have no idea what could have caused this. There's been no major change in routine, habitat, or products used since I initially set up his habitat. I changed his light cycle a bit, to coincide with the natural winter change, but that was almost two months ago. I put rocks in his tank that a friend gave me, but that was almost six weeks ago. And I've generally rearranged his tank layout, but I haven't added or removed anything, just switched their placement, and that too was at least two, if not three weeks ago. He seemed unphased by the change; kept eating, swimming, and generally being his turtly self.
I have been having trouble with a reoccurring green algae bloom that nothing seems to rid me of, but I did a deep clean about six weeks ago and it's only starting to flourish again so these aren't even the worst algae conditions he's been under. I don't use algaecide, or any chemical other than the same conditioner I've been using since I got him, and though I did clean his tank and filter thoroughly, I did so without the use of any solvents, detergents, or other chemicals; using only a clean toothbrush, rag, and hot water--again, that was six weeks ago, at least. His nitrogen cycle was reestablished, and everything seemed fine. I'm not sure what to do.
One other thing I noticed was that he'd been basking significantly more often in the past few weeks. I didn't think much of it; I was actually kind of happy because his basking had been notably inadequate through most of November, and I figured it was a good thing. His eyes concern me; I haven't adjusted the height of his light to any noticeable degree, yet I vaguely wonder if maybe the extra time under the lamps might be hurting his eyes? He has a tendency to seemingly stare at them while basking, but he's always done that, since I've owned him, and I've never seen a problem before.
How big is your turtle? 2.5"
How long have you had it? 7 months
What is the water temperature? 79.5
Did you use a thermometer? Yes.
Are you using a water heater? Yes.
How much water is in there? ~20 gallons.
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? Yes, an Eheim Classic Canister.
What is the basking temperature? Unknown, estimated 90-96.
Is there a basking light? Yes.
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Forget the brand. It's made of resin, I've had it for months.
Is there a UVB light? Yes.
What have you been trying to feed it? Zoomed Hatchling Formula
When was the last time your turtle ate? Yesterday. He refused food today.
How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? ~20 of usable water space.
Is the tank near a window? It's to the side of a window; not in any direct light.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? It's in the livingroom, but has been since I've owned him.
Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes.
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes.
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Aside for the vaguely unhealthy seeming eyes and the sudden change in general behavior, no.
