Urgent Care :: HELP! Don't know what to do..

[AliciaTTU]

I am turtle-sitting my friends two turtles. He had to leave unexpectedly to go overseas and had no one else to leave the turtles with. I know absolutely nothing about turtles, but I know that something is not right. Previously, I have seen how these turtles behaved at my friends house. They would swim and play and bask. At my house, they now stay withdrawn into their shells, are barely eating, and are not basking. They are also not in their 'home' tank. They had to be moved into a 10 gallon tank, which I know is too small for them. They also seem to have their eyes closed a lot.

One turtle is particularly worse than the other. Stays withdrawn into his shell, and I haven't seen him eat yesterday or today. Very little movement/swimming. Initially, I know the water temperature was too cold - around 70-72 degrees. After doing some research, I found that the temp needed to be closer to 80. I don't have a heater for the tank - I am having to maintain water temp by periodically adding warmer water to the tank. I'm afraid that they are both going to die.

I'm thinking about replacing the tank my friend brought them in. I don't have room for 120 gallon tank, but I know anything would be better for them than a 10 gallon tank. Would this help? Are they sick? There is no mucus/spit around the mouth or nose. They seem to be breathing ok, just lethargic when in the tank. I take them outside every afternoon and allow them to get sunlight and play, and they are active and alert. It seems to be limited to when they are in the tank.

Please help me! Anything I can do?!

[SpotsMama]

They may be lethargic from cold. Try getting a water heater - you can get inexpensive ones from places like Petco. It is important to keep the water from getting too cold because they are more suseptible to respiratory infections when they are too cold.

On the size of tank, generally speaking the bigger the better. How large are the turtles? Turtles will be happier over the long run in a larger tank and it is much easier to keep the water clean.

Have you looked at the info on here on setting up a turtle habitat and how to take care of them? There's a gold mine of info. Seems like your friend would have left you the equipment to go along with the turtles.

You are very kind hearted to be looking out for these little creatures.

[Lantic]

Hey Alicia,

How big are the turtles?
Do they have a UVA/UVB lights ?
The water temperature seems decent enough and pictures would help us determine the extent of the sickness of the turtles. Also, replacing the tank would be the first step to do.


Also, Please fill this out so we can get pure info on the situation.

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2142

Hope we can helP!

[AliciaTTU]

Each turtle is about 4 inches from one end of the shell to the other. Maybe a little bigger. He gave me some kind of light for them, but I have no idea what kind of light it is. It gets pretty warm, so I'm going to guess it is the heat lamp. They also have a dry dock, but honestly, it takes up about 1/2 the tank. They went from a 100 gallon tank into this 10 gallon tank because he couldn't move their normal habitat to my place due to time constraints, and I couldn't care for them on a daily basis at his house because he lives 50 miles away from me. There is no filter, no heater, etc. I should only have them for 2-3 weeks, so what are the 'must' items that I need to get for them? I can't spend $1K on them, but I'm willing to spend a couple hundred if it will sustain them for the 2-3 weeks until he can return to the states.

The most lethargic one periodically 'stands up' and sticks his head out to breathe, and the other one does it as well......but there is just a noticable lack of/decrease in activity. I'm really hoping that it's just because of the size of the tank and the previously cold water....

I have no idea how to get pictures to post. I only have them on my computer.

[AliciaTTU]

How big is your turtle? 2 turtles each having shells about 4-5 inches
How long have you had it? I am turtle-sitting. I have had them in my possession for 2 days. They are more than 1 but less than 2 years old.

What is the water temperature? 80
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no - maintaining manually
How much water is in there? about 5 inches deep
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? no

What is the basking temperature? I have no idea
Is there a basking light? There is a light of some sort - don't know what kind
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? There is a platform but I think it is difficult for them to climb onto
What kind is it or what is it made out of? I think like a plastic type material
Is there a UVB light? I have no idea

What have you been trying to feed it? So far - just pellet aquatic turtle food
When was the last time your turtle ate? One eats every time I feed, the other hasn't eaten yesterday or today that I have witnessed, but I have not monitored continuously

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallons (yes I know it is way too small)
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes

Have you read the Basic Care section? Umm...no
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes, but I didn't find one

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?just lethargy and decreased appetite

[SpotsMama]

You can get a large rubbermaid tub (50 gallon) from someplace like Home Depot for under $20. It would make a very good temporary home. You wouldn't want to fill it up all the way because they sides aren't too sturdy and it might leak. However, it will be better than a 10 gallon aquarium.

The most important piece of equipment is probably a water heater. With increased temperture you will hopefully see more activity and an improved appetite. You can manage without a filter or good UVB for a few weeks. Be sure and change the water frequently - you may need a couple of changes a week (sigh).

Be sure they have a chance to bask and dry out completely - top and bottom - at frequent intervals. If the weather is pretty, you can take them outside to get a little sunshine - very good for turtles. Just be sure when they are out that you watch them every single minute. They are a lot faster than they look.

[seanwb]

I agree with SpotsMama on the tub and the heater.

If you have the space to move to a room with less activity they may feel happier.

Really impressed with your kindness in wanting to look after your friends turtles as best as you can.

[AliciaTTU]

Thank you SO much! I am going to get a container and heater tonight, and will also get some materials for them to climb onto as a dry dock, instead of just the floating dock that they have now. I think it is too difficult for them to get on. I do have a room that gets good sunlight and has very little activity - I was thinking of moving them into that room. I don't have a problem changing the water regularly. I'm not sure if I should use a dechlorinator in the water - any thoughts? I did notice some improvements the longer they were in the warmer water last night...almost like they were thawing out. The smaller of the two is still pretty lethargic, but when I got up this morning he was out of his shell and standing up with his head sticking out of the water. I had to do another water change to bump the temperature up, and they seemed happy to get some warmer water. I've moved them to in front of a window that gets some sun throughout the day and warms up a bit warmer than the rest of the house which I thought would help maintain a warmer temperature in the water over the day while I'm at work.

Should I keep the smaller, more lethargic turtle quarantined in the 10 gallon until I can determine if he is truly sick or just cold? I don't want to risk him transmitting any infection to the other turtle. Maybe just for a day or two so I can watch and see if keeping the water maintained at 80 improves his disposition? Just a thought...

Since it's been pretty warm outside in the afternoons and evenings, I have been taking them out and letting them play in the grass in my front yard a couple times each day after I get home from work. I give them 15-20 minute intervals, or until I see that they are moving slower or not as interested with their surroundings. I watch them very closely, as I'm paranoid that something might happen and then I have to explain to my friend that I'm a bad turtle-sitter.

Any other suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated. I'm doing as much research and information gathering as I can to make sure that I give the little guys a happy home while they are with me. I have only had dogs and fish before - never turtles. This is a first for me...

[SpotsMama]

If you can keep the one that might be sick separated from the other until you feel he's acting normal, that would be best. Just be sure that you can keep him warm enough. He/she should be even warmer than the other if there's a chance he might be sick. The warmth will stimulate his immune system.

[AliciaTTU]

I will just buy two heaters - one for the new container, and one for the 10 gallon tank that I have now. I will keep the little guy in the 10 gallon. Seems that the recommended temperature for a RES that might be sick is between 82-85, right? I will monitor him for a couple of days and see if he looks to be improving...

[steve]

82F would be good for older turtles, 85F for hatchlings.

[AliciaTTU]

Ok, so I went to PetSmart tonight and I got my boys a 40 gallon reptile aquarium that is short and wide. I filled it about 2/3 full. I also got a heater that is good for 23-56 gallon aquariums (which I have set to 82 degrees), and another landing dock that I like much more and will allow them to get completely out of the water. I got a decent filter (I figure anything is better than nothing) that will cycle the tank about 2.5 times an hour. I also bought them some edible live plants that I thought they might enjoy eating/playing in. The larger of the two - I have started calling him Big Boy or BB - is a very happy camper. He is getting in and out of the water, swimming around, ate a much healthier amount than he has been previously, and is checking out his new surroundings.

The smaller of the two - I call him Bully as a joke since he is the more submissive and laid-back of the two - still doesn't seem to be feeling well. He remains hidden in his shell, and isn't eating. I even tried to entice him with some tuna. He came out and sniffed it but never took a nibble. I thought it might be that I was sitting there watching, so I have left the room and will check back in a bit. Oh - and I set this tank up in a very quiet room with very little activity - maybe they have been overstimulated? I have a toddler that liked to go up to the tank (while I was holding her) and would point at them and hit the glass if I couldn't catch her hand in time. The new tank is on the floor, so I am keeping the door closed so that she can't get in and risk getting her hands into the tank.

One question, though. They don't seem to want to open their eyes in the water. Could it be that the chlorine content in my water is too high and I should treat it with a dechlorinator? That was the only thing I didn't get because I wasn't sure which one to use. Is that something I can add to the existing water in the tank, if I just remove the boys before adding it and let it have a chance to disperse throughout the tank before putting them back in?

I really hope that they both start improving. I know the size of the tank still isn't ideal... But at this rate, I might just keep them permanently even after my friend gets back. I have become rather attached to them.

[steve]

Did you recently do a water change? Chlorine usually evaporates in 24hrs and doesn't pose a problem afterwards.

Have you tried live foods? Maybe some feeder fish and if the turtle can't catch them, hold the fish by the tail and let it wiggle in front of it.

[AliciaTTU]

Previously - they were in a 10 gallon tank and I was having to clean and change the water daily - there was no filtration system. This will be the first time I will be able to go at least 3-4 days without having to do any kind of water change. I was thinking a 10% change once a week? The tank they are in now has all fresh water, and due to the nature of how quickly they were digressing, I didn't let the tank sit for more than an hour before putting them in. I got the water temp up to where it needed to be, and then transferred them into the new tank.

Hopefully the water will be balanced out tomorrow and they will start opening their eyes again. When they are out of the water - their eyes are open and alert, just not when they are in the water.

I had asked the pet store about getting some feeder fish to see if that would perk him up, but she told me that would be too much excitement all for one day.... And since they have only been in my care for about 4 days now, I didn't know if maybe she had a point. I'm learning all of this on the fly, doing research whenever I get a chance, and reading just about everything I can get my hands on...

[AliciaTTU]

Also, I put the tuna on the dry-dock because he didn't want to be in the water. Will they eat food off the dry-dock, or do I need to put it in the water? I know RES prefer to eat from the surface of the water, but was just trying to get a reaction and possibly some food into him. They both seem to be sleeping now. I had turned off the light when I left the room and I guess they were tired. At least I will sleep better knowing they will have a steady water temperature and more room to move around....