Urgent Care :: URGENT HELP! PLEASE READ!

[Monster]

I have had my turt for a few weeks and he looks like he is dying! He has hardly been eating anything, he hardly moves when you touch him, he sleeps alot, and sometimes if he goes to sleep in the water he will flip over and not right himself! Urgent help please!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[amazingcc]

Can you desribe your set-up? Water and basking temps? How big/old is your turt? Any other symptoms, like mucus coming from the mouth or nose?

[Monster]

They are 1 1/2 inch, petsmart and vet say they okay in large fish bowl, they have rocks to sit on I give them reptomin and vegetable pellets, temp normal, there bowl goes into the sun everyday. Please help, I am worried about monster. (He also has a tank mate, his brother is doing fine tough)

[cprcheetah]

You need to get them a Tank. They should have at least 30 gallons since there are 2 of them. They need a filter, UVB UVA Lights, a heater. They also need to be eating mroe than just pellets. Where in the sunshine does the bowl go? Directly outside? That can overheat and kill them. Please read the basic care site, and all the stickies on this forum, that should help with their setup and care. Don't listen to Petsmart...and find a new vet if your vet knows that little about turtles to tell you they are fine in a large fish bowl. Turtles especially RES are water turtles and the more water the better! They need at least 10 gallons of water per 1" of their shell.

[amazingcc]

I agree w/cprcheetah 100%!!! Your turts need proper housing and everything that goes w/it ASAP! For sick turts we usually recommend increasing water temps by a few degrees, but you are not even able to do that while they are in a fish bowl!

[Monster]

Thanks, guys, i just ordered a 40 gallon tank, a water heater, a lamp, a thermometer, and some basking logs

[Kallistos]

Go to petsmart and slap the vet in the face for me. okay thanks.

Anyways, it's great that you're being responsible and getting them a proper enclosure. Make sure the lamp provides UVB rays. The water heater should be protected, so the turtles cannot bash into and electicute themselves. Read the basic care section for temperatures.

[amazingcc]

You probably didn't realize it, but a 40-gallon tank for two turts will be too small in just a couple of months. If you can go bigger at all, you should do it now, and save yourself some money instead of having to upgrade very soon. Or get a big rubbermaid tote, which will be okay for a while.

[missibsu]

I would add to the wonderful advice mentioned above. If your second turtle is acting normally, you need to separate them. It's highly likely that the other could get sick as well.

It is also important to find a herp vet. There is a list in the stickys in this section. The idea that your turtle cannot right himself is not good, he could drown. When you get the set up, be sure to keep a careful eye on him. Is it possible that he cannot right himself because there is not enough water?

If you can't afford a larger tank at this time, rubbermaid containers make wonderful temporary homes. That would be a good choice for separating them. Make sure all of the equipement gets cleaned as well.