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i don't know much about the history of this little guy, a lady came into my workplace with him in a critter keeper and a little tap water (no dechlorinator added) and that's how she'd been caring for him for 5 days. she told me that he hasn't eaten since she gotten him from an abandoned apartment in the complex she manages. there was another small res in the tank she found him in, which was dead, and she thought this little one was dead as well, but as she was about to clean out the tank he made some sort of movement.

this is what i do know - he's 2 - 3 inches long, has a soft shell and the bottom of it goes up (my understanding is that means "he" is a female, but he also hasn't eaten in like a week or so), i have him in the bathroom in a 2.5g tank with a flat rock less than an inch tall with a heater under it and (dechlorinated) water that comes just under the surface of the rock. i don't have any light source in there and what i've tried to feed him is mini pellets, dried blood worms, a mix of those 2 and some calcium powder - none of which he is interested in. oh, and his eyes are closed. he'll move some, lift his head and even open his mouth. i tried to sneak a blood worm in there, but he wouldn't take it.

i don't have the resources to take him to a vet as i've heard their really expensive, and i don't know of anyone else that could or would take care of him; i'm doing the best with what i've got, which is why i'm here. any helpful information is greatly appreciated.

First thing to do is keep his water consistently warm, about 76-77F. Find the largest rubbermaid container and clean it up to use a temporary tank. It should be only filled about half-way, but it will be an improvement. Get a good water heater like an Ebo Jager and you'll also need to look into a UVB light (like a ReptiGlo 5.0), a filter and a basking lamp.

should i keep him wet or dry? he doesn't seem to have enough strength/energy to climb out of the water if i leave him there while i'm at work. and do i try to feed him?

this guy i work knows a lot about reptiles and said he was going to die, especially since the lady i got him from had him in chlorinated water for 5 days - is this true/likely? what are my chances of nursing him back to life?

Chlorinated water isn't that harsh on RES, I don't think that's your biggest concern right now. Turtles are pretty resilient animals, so I don't think saving him is completely unrealistic.

I would definitely try and feed him, but until he gets warmed up with a heating lamp and warm water, he likely won't eat much (or at all). I think you should keep him in water (unless he's completely immobile) with an easily accessible basking area, you don't want him to dehydrate, and moving in water is easier on a turtle than moving on land.

To get him going again I would keep his basking area around 90-95 degrees and his water at 80. If he's not moving at all and extremely lethargic I would keep the basking area at 85 degrees. The heat will help his immune system but you don't want to fry him so be careful. He would need twice a day soaks if he's not going into the water to hydrate him. There are two solutions to try. the first would be a warm soak in half pedialite and half water. I think the soaking time is 30 minutes. Just enough to cover half way up his shell. Make sure he's supervised so he doesn't drown if he' s lethargic. The other solution is half low sodium V8 juice and low sodium broth. Same soaking time. I would think the pedialite one would be less messy. If you can get him a little active that would show hope, I'd then take him to the vet for antibiotics. If he pulls through this site has excellent information on housing and diet.

sad news - i came home from work to find that he didn't make it. thank you though for the information and help, i really appreciate it. i'll definitely keep ya'll in mind if/when there is a next time.

Sorry, at least you tried.

resnoob wrote:sad news - i came home from work to find that he didn't make it. thank you though for the information and help, i really appreciate it. i'll definitely keep ya'll in mind if/when there is a next time.

I'm sorry to hear that. You did everything you could.