Urgent Care :: it maybe kinda stupid, but i had to ask...

[b0rn s0 awed]

this is the first time we had a turtle, it's (i'm still not sure whether if it's a boy or girl) been with us for 7 months. wax (the turtle) doesn't eat much anymore and i've read from this site that the temperature is one of the factors for it. but wax is still very active, likes to move a lot. is this normal? we're worried about the eating habits. if anyone would read this and reply, thanks so much

[jenaero]

There are no stupid questions

What are his water and basking temps? How big is he and how big is the tank? What and how much do you feed him (when he was eating)?

The more info you provide, the better equipped we will be to help.

[b0rn s0 awed]

wax is about 5-6 inches. the tank's a small one (a foot long and probably 6-7 inches wide). i only put small amount of water in the tank, enough to keep him/her wet.
wax is mostly out of the tank, walks around the house a lot (with supervision).
we feed him pellets (sprinkles of it, but enough to have a few left overs sometimes none), very picky even. he/she used to eat much these past few weeks. but for the past few days, wax takes a few bites, then would beg to be let out.
since i still go to school, my mom takes wax outside of the house for sunlight. ever since yesterday, i'm raising the water temp, making it warm.
i know my treatment of the turtle is probably not how it should be, but it just so happens that we're the type who likes to be with the pet most of the time, giving our love and attention as much as we can.
this is already too long, but i hope this'll do. thanks

[jenaero]

ok, first you need a longer, larger tank. Think 60 gallons at least. Next, fill that puppy up. RES love to swim, the deeper the water, the better.

Does he have a basking area with a heat/uvb lamp or does he only dry off when he's taken outside?

Temperature and housing play a vital part in the health of your turtle. Please read the care info on the main site. Once you have everything how it should be, he should start eating again.

i know my treatment of the turtle is probably not how it should be, but it just so happens that we're the type who likes to be with the pet most of the time, giving our love and attention as much as we can.

That bothers me a bit. Turtles don't need love and attention like dogs or cats. Taking him out of the tank to roam the house is never a good idea. He could get hurt or lost quite easily, not to mention it causes stress, which in turn causes illness. You can love your turtle without cuddling with him or taking him out to play like you would with a mammal.

[b0rn s0 awed]

thanks a bunch.Ü

[missibsu]

wax is mostly out of the tank, walks around the house a lot (with supervision).
we feed him pellets (sprinkles of it, but enough to have a few left overs sometimes none)

I am confused by the comment on feeding him. It immediately followed the comment of having him out of the tank roaming. Do you feed him in the tank or out? I guess it was my understanding that the turts had to be in water to eat. I could be wrong.

[jenaero]

Sliders do have to be in the water to eat. Something about not having saliva and they can't move their tongues.

[marisa]

I didn't see it specifically mentioned anywhere by the original poster, so I just want to be clear---is Wax a RES?

[missibsu]

I thought I had read that somewhere, but I didn't have time to go back and try to find it. Thanks! I still don't know if that could be part of the not eating problem, but it was something that caught my attention.

[b0rn s0 awed]

wax is a RES. i feed him outside the tank, to a big and wide enough container and put water in it. now, i put more water in the tank than i usually do. i'm worried about rock ingestion.

[jenaero]

Best thing to do is remove the rocks if they're small enough to be swallowed. Replace them with river rocks that are larger than his head so he can't eat them.