Urgent Care :: Turtle not swimming or eating

[clearblack14]

How big is your turtle? 3 inches
How long have you had it? Almost a year

What is the water temperature? 80
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? about 18 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes, an eheim filter

What is the basking temperature? about 90
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? Reptology floating dock, plastic
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? he eats reptomin sticks, occasional hikari wheat germ, attempt with leafy greens though usually won't eat, sometimes a treat of shrimp or live fish though it's been a while
When was the last time your turtle ate? 2 days ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes, didn't see much

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? It started last night, he is being very lethargic and won't eat. He's always very active - swimming around, exploring, coming to the glass when I come over (begging). He always freaks out when he sees me pick up his food container. I went over to check on him when I noticed he wasn't swimming around. He swam out of his spot, opened his mouth really wide - almost looked like he wanted to throw up? - and then closed it and went to a different corner. I've never seen him do that before, and I haven't seen him do that again. He isn't reacting to the food container at all and when I put food in last night he didn't eat. Today he is still just hanging out in the corner. Not swimming, not reacting to me or the container.

My one thought is that I used to have a couple silk plants in there. I noticed a few weeks ago that they were frayed and I was worried that he was eating them so I took them out and only have plastic plants now. Maybe something is stuck in there? It's been a while since I took them out so I'm thinking no. Otherwise I haven't changed anything... the only other thing I can think of is that the power flickered while I was at work yesterday (when this started), but when I came home everything was working fine. So just coincidence?

I'm just very worried. He's acting really strange and I'm worried something's wrong internally. Any advice / similar situation stories / etc is, as always, appreciated.

[Jeremiah]

I think you should re-check your temperatures, and then try picking him up again. Many healthy turtles gape from time to time. Have you seen any evidence of poop, either? Even if they eat it, there are usually a few small crumbs of it sitting on the floor. If there's poop evidence, then he's not impacted.

Overall, this change sounds unusually abrupt despite good care parameters. Are you sure you haven't seen any decline in activity or appetite, up to this point? Is there anything in the tank that could injure him?

[clearblack14]

Thank you for responding. I checked all the thermometers again, they all say 80. Up until yesterday he was still pooping - you can see em! lol - not sure if there's any new ones though. I feed him every night and he always eats it right down, even the night before last. The only things in the tank are rocks on the bottom, large rock for resting, dock, heater, filter tubes, and plants. So should be fine there. I see him swimming a little right now. I'm gonna go check him again to make sure there are no injuries or anything.

[clearblack14]

I went over to check him and he swam over to me. Not as vigorously as usual, but it's a good start I guess! I checked him and he looks okay. I tried the "container test" and he still didn't react to it.

I dunno, maybe he just doesn't feel well and I'm overreacting. It's just in the (almost) year I've had him he's always very consistent and the sudden change really freaked me out. I'll keep monitoring him - will be easier this weekend since I'll be home during the day. I'll give any updates I can. Thanks again.

[Kansasslider]

How big are the rocks in the bottom of the tank? Small enough to eat?

[steve]

Have you tried feeding him any treats?

[clearblack14]

The rocks are bigger than his head so I think they're okay. I tried giving him treats and he didn't pay attention to them. Though haven't tried again with those. Today he is slightly better. He was swimming around more but still not much. When I went to feed him he swam over to me (usually he freaks out lol), and he ate about 2 sticks. He would nibble at the others but then spit them back out. So maybe getting slowly better?

[Jeremiah]

Maybe. What color is his skin, as well as his plastron? Any overt redness?

[clearblack14]

His color and skin look good. He seems to be feeling better. His full appetite isn't back yet but he's getting there. I'm not quite sure what was wrong but it's looking up. I'll continue to keep my eye on him. Thank you all for your concern and help!