Urgent Care :: Peanut is not eating........

[Jayqualin]

I bought some reptomin and fed it to my turtle, he happily ate it. next day when i offered him the reptomin again, he refused to eat it.......so I gave him gammmarus pellets which are his favourite but he refused to eat that too! Will any of you help me and my turtle????? I don't want my turtle to starve! :cry:


How big is your turtle? - 4 to 5 inches
How long have you had it? - 2 years

What is the water temperature? - 81 farenheight
Are you using a water heater? - yup
How much water is in there? - 3 quartres of the tank
Are you using a water conditioner? - yup
Are you using any filtration? - yup

What is the basking temperature? - don't know
Is there a basking light? - yup
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? - yup
What kind is it or what is it made out of?- floating dock which Everyone in this forum has
Is there a UVB light? - yup

What have you been trying to feed it? - Reptomin pellets (new to my turtle)
When was the last time your turtle ate? - 2 days ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? - 20 gallons tank
Is the tank near a window? - nope
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? - not always

Have you read the Basic Care section? - yup
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? - yup

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? - sleeps alot, and "yawns" underwater

[flutterby]

You're water temperature seems rather high, for that size turtle it should be about 75 degrees (someone will correct me if I'm wrong) You really need to find out the basking temperature it needs to be 5-10 degrees higher than the water temp.


I just woke up so my memory isn't working well right now, though I strongly recommend getting a thermometer for you basking area.

[TurtleFreak 65]

Your water temperature should be about 75-78 degrees ferenheit. Your tank should be about 40 gallons or more,( water should be filled up only 1/2 of the tank) for a RES. Try to feed him something nem once in awile like some romaine lettuce, carrots, and other vegies. You can feed your RES fruit, but only as an occasional treat. Try not to use a water conditioner because it can irratate the turtle when it is swimming, but other than that with my information your turtle will start eating in no time. (These are the words from an expert.)

[CountryGirl68]

Your water temp is high, like others have said. Basking area should be about 10 degrees warmer than the water. I would try to get the water between 74 and 76 degrees - warmer water temp is only recommended if your turtle is sick.

I have to disagree with Turtle Expert, though. RES should have as much water in their tank as possible without providing them with a means of escape. RES love to swim and spend most of their time in the water, so the more water you have, the happier they will be. But you should have a larger tank. If you can, you should get as large a tank (long not tall) as you can - 75 to 90 gallons for a male turtle and at least 120 gallons for a female. For a female turtle, other than the basking area, you will also need to provide a nesting area.

Check out the stickies under Habitat - Indoor for more information.

[marisa]

Turtle Expert 42,

Why should the tank only be half full? And why specifically for a RES?

When used correctly, I've never heard of water conditioner irritating a turtle when he is swimming...

Where are you getting your information from?????

respeanut, does your turtle have any other symptoms other than not eating for two days? (If he's healthy, he will not starve having not eaten for two days.) Lower the water temp a bit to about 76F. Get a thermometer and check the basking area---it should be around 88-90F.

Sometimes it can take a turtle a little while to make a transition to a new pellet (although most do like Reptomin). Don't know where you are, but if he's healthy otherwise (no symptoms), it could just be the change of seasons that is making him a fussier eater.

[Jayqualin]

That's so wierd! I gave him the reptomin one by one tonight and he's eating it!
But he doesn't eat any of them when I just drop a whole bunch of pellets in the water! As for symtoms I notice that he mostly stay underwater and not bask. He only seem to bask at nighttime. I'll lower the heater and see what happens........And as for the larger tank that country girl mentioned, I'll say that I'll have to buy one next year because my family doesn't have the money for it yet. (not that we are poor)

[marisa]

Aside from lowering the water, check the basking area temp and get it up into the 88-90F range if it's not. If there's no meaningful difference between the water and basking area temp, he won't want to bask.

Perhaps he's not "seeing" the pellets when you put them in the water. With some of my painteds, I have to point out the food to them before they'll realize it's there and eat it. They're too fixated on my presence to realize the food is right in front of them.

[CountryGirl68]

Turtles can be expensive, especially their setup. I was able to upgrade my tank to 75gallons a couple of weeks ago because I had the funds; I knew if I waited until he got bigger I might not have been able to afford it (we're not poor either but frugal ).

You can get a stock tank or rubbermaid container in the meantime for the turtle. They are much much cheaper than a tank. But you really need to upgrade as soon as possible. Your turtle, at his current size, should have no less than a 55 gallon tank.

Others here have gotten 65gallon stock tanks for under $30. That would be a good alternative than buying a glass aquarium tank.

[Andrew7769]

my painters do the same thing!

[marisa]

Somebody please tell me where they got a 65-gallon stock tank for under $30! I've only seen 40-gallon ones for that price.

[CountryGirl68]

I don't remember where I read it - if it wasn't someone who posted it here it was probably at another website. Sorry!

[Jayqualin]

Good news!!! Peanut is eating his reptomin! But I have to point them out first in order for him to see it.............do turtles have bad eye sight????? :?:

[flutterby]

Sometimes pointing at them makes it easier for them to see them since they have to get them from under water.

[marisa]

They do tend to be nearsighted, and I've read they rely more on sense of smell than vision for food that's really close to them.