Urgent Care :: Red Eared Slider sleeps all day!

[Sen5es]

My girlfriend bought me a Red Eared Slider three days ago. It's about an inch big. She bought me a basking rock and a bowl and filled it up with warm water. Two days ago, I noticed it wouldn't eat and searched online. So I ended up buying a heater and maintained temperatures at 28degrees. Today I just added a UVB bulb shining at the basking rock.

However, it just sleeps all day while hugging the heater and randomly sticks his head out for air and breathes through his nose. What could be the problem? Is he stressed? How long can they survive without eating? Are they nocturnal?

He sleeps eyes closed and sticks his head up for air eyes closed. Sometimes when I'm really loud he'll open his eyes for a bit then closes them again. This morning for an hour it swam a bit and now its back to sleeping even when the light is on.

I've searched everywhere and couldn't find the cause. Please help!

[jozzep]

hello Sen5es....
We all start somewhere.
i got my first RES from an ex girlfriend that found him in a little plastic cage in a hotel room where she works.Some tourists had bought 4 in china town NY and decided to leave them behind.Her and her co-workers took one each and that's how i got into turtle keeping.
Read the "basic care" section of this site an educate yourself.A bowl is not the proper enclosure but it sounds like you're on the right track
Now about the turt.....
He's probably just a little off balance by the new surroundings, but you should also get a thermometer and make sure the temperature is ok .
By 28 degrees i'm hoping you mean C lol.The temp should be around 76-78 F
I could go on and on about turtle care, but lots of people posted some useful info about that already...explore the site and read up.
If the problem is still there after you provide the best enclosure possible, then it's time to see a vet cause he might have a respiratory infection.
Good luck

[Sen5es]

Thank you jozzep. Yes 28C. But for the first two days I left it in there without a heater and my room temperature is around 22C. Do you think it's stressed or do you think that because it was so cold in the beginning it doesn't want to eat now?

[jozzep]

Could be both.....It might have gotten sick when the water was cold.
Besides the UVB light, it also needs a heat light over the basking dock so he can warm up.
Please start by reading this and all other sections.

http://www.redearslider.com/startup.html

If he has everything he needs and is still sick....You need to take him to a "herp" vet.

[Sen5es]

Is the heat lamp necessary? I asked the place where I bought the turtle. They said if I have a water heat, all I need is the UVB and that it would not be necessary to have a heat lamp.

[Kemul]

The heat lamp is necessary to entice your turtle to bask. The UVB bulb doesn't
really give off heat. A turtle will be enticed to bask if the basking temperature is
about 10°F higher than the water temperature.

[Sen5es]

Will an incandescent bulb do? Or should I buy an infrared bulb? My tank is really small. If i get a 75 infrared bulb how far should i put it away from the basking area?

[jozzep]

Will an incandescent bulb do? Or should I buy an infrared bulb? My tank is really small. If i get a 75 infrared bulb how far should i put it away from the basking area?

Sen5es....All these questions and more are answered in the link i sent you.