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A few days ago, my turtle began swimming frantically. She was getting on her basking area and trying to climb out. She also hasn't been eating for a few days. She's done this before, and I thought she was getting ready to lay eggs so I set up a nesting area for her. I put her in the nesting area for two hours today. When I put her back in the water, I noticed some white slimy stuff come out of her mouth. I took it out of the tank, and it's like mucus. Help please?

How big is your turtle? 10 inches across
How long have you had it? 6 years

What is the water temperature? water heater keeps it at 80 degrees F
Did you use a thermometer? no (heater just has a red/green light to tell me if it's at 80 degrees F)
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? half of a fifty gallon tank
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes, 2 filters the sit in the water and large canister filter, (it hasn't worked for the last three days. it's getting fixed today)

What is the basking temperature? not sure
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? plastic
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? dried shrimp, pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? Saturday or sunday (three or four days ago)

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 50 gallon
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

Was the nesting area warm? What was her reaction in there? Have you felt for eggs? When's the last time you tried to feed her?

steve wrote:Was the nesting area warm? What was her reaction in there? Have you felt for eggs? When's the last time you tried to feed her?

Yes, I had her heat lamp over it. She seemed to want to get out of it. I haven't. I tried feeding her yesterday.

Has she had eggs before?

steve wrote:Has she had eggs before?

Yea, two or three years ago she laid eggs in the tank (I thought she was a male at the time, so they came as a complete surprise).

Have you tried any live prey?

steve wrote:Have you tried any live prey?

No, never

To backtrack a little, so you felt no eggs? Is she still behaving this way? Theres a mix of symptoms, so it's hard to know what can be wrong. No appetite for an extended period is not normal for indoor kept RES.

steve wrote:To backtrack a little, so you felt no eggs? Is she still behaving this way? Theres a mix of symptoms, so it's hard to know what can be wrong. No appetite for an extended period is not normal for indoor kept RES.

She has rolls in the back. I pressed on one of them, and it felt like there was something firm in it. She's still swimming like she's trying to get out. And she still doesn't seem to want or care about food today.

If she's generally healthy and just not eating, you can probably wait it out. It'd be a good idea to look into vets, in case you need their services.

steve wrote:If she's generally healthy and just not eating, you can probably wait it out. It'd be a good idea to look into vets, in case you need their services.

After a week of not eating, she seems kind of hungry today. I tried feeding her cuttle bone, dried shrimp, and pellets. She tried everything. But she'd take one bite and spit it out.

If the seasonal weather change has been drastic, then that might be contributing to her lack of appetite.

I'd planned on writing today just to say that she's been eating and behaving normally for a few weeks now and to thank you for always answering my questions! And then today she laid two eggs! One in, and one out of the water. I didn't see it coming at all, but she seems to be alright.

Wow, that must have been a surprise. Glad she's doing better.