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my turtle recently stopped eating. when i try to feed it it swims up to me and then opens its mouth a tiny bit, but won't actually bite/swallow the food. also, it is making strange bulging movements with its neck. have tried pellets/lettuce/guppies. wont eat anything.

does anyone know what is wrong with it.

20 gallon tank 82F
uva/b light
basking area only 78F the light doesnt give off much heat

does he have a uvb/uva light? that could be the problem if you dont have one..

The water temp needs to be about 10 degrees cooler than the basking area (according to your info, the water is 82F and the basking area is only 78F; basking area should be 88-90F). You need to add a second light for heat, which can be a regular light bulb. Correct your basking area and water temps.

OK, that said, how long has it been since he's eaten? What pellets are you using? Was he eating them before? The breathing you described (with the bulging neck) is not unusual.

OK.

He was eating the turtle pellets like mad before 2 weeks ago! It has been so long, I am honestly surprised he is still thriving. He has not eaten any of the guppies as far as we could see, and no lettuce either.

He is in a seperate little tank tonight w/ 50% pedialite solution, just for the night... trying to get his electrolites up. I am also leaving the combo light on through the night as suggested by another's post.

There will be an additional light now, to make the basking temp higher. He did seem to respond to the addition of the water heater 1.5 wks. ago.


On another note, last week, my bf cleared what apperaed to be mucus from his mouth, he has had none since. That was scary though.

I cannot find a herp vet around here, and we are going away for the wknd.

We'll see. He seems to want to eat, he comes to our hand, but then opens his mouth,like we described, which doesn't seem to open very far, the throat puffs out, and he doesn't go get the floating pellet(s).

This whole thing has my stomach in knots. The longer we have him, the more attached we become!

PS) I thoroughly enjoy your qoute.

I just saw someeone write somehting re: light brown spots on the underbelly. He has these, but they may have been there all along. they are not so much spots as they are like shadows.

Why are you soaking him in pedialyte? Many older RES have brown spots/splotches on the scutes on their plastron. There should be a few pics of what they look like in the gallery.

The 50/50 pedialyte was recomended by a vet. And, he is a baby, not an older RES (in regards to the brown spots).

Still not eating going o 3 wks. We are taking the turtle to the vet this week, if I can find a herp vet here in Phila.