Urgent Care :: Is he sick?

[MizzDrea]

Just in the past week (i think), my turtle has stopped eating. He use to be such a pig. When I'd walk into the room, he'd just off, and swim around and watch me, but when he stopped jumping off his dock, I figured he just got use to me. He was very friendly. Now if I put him in the water, he will swim, but he generally just basks and doesnt eat. I even bought some crickets to try and get him to eat. No luck.



How big is your turtle? 1in

How long have you had it? a month

What is the water temperature? 78

Are you using a water heater? yes

How much water is in there? it's over half full in a 10gallon tank

Are you using a water conditioner? yes

Are you using any filtration? no, but i completely clean out the tank once a week

What is the basking temperature? im 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? zoo med
Is there a UVB light? yes, 8%

What have you been trying to feed it? turtle pellets, I dont remember what brand and i tried to feed him crickets

When was the last time your turtle ate? a week, if not more?

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10gallon

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? yeah

Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yeah, but i dont feel like I found an answer that satsified me

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no, his eyes arent puffy, he just doesnt move much or eat. Maybe i'm just not paying attention to something I've read and making a connection.

Can anyone make some suggestions about what I should do?

[missibsu]

Have you tried some live foods such as guppies or an earthworm? If he's sluggish, you may have more success with the earthworm. You can also try pellets soaked in some tuna juice.

Has there been a habitat change for your turtle? It's important to know what the basking temp is. I'd recommend getting a digital thermometer. Temps that are too warm can cause hyperthermia.

If the overall mood of your turtle doesn't change, I'd recommend a vet visit. Lathargy is not a good sign and turtles are often good at hiding symptoms of sickness. If anything it would be a good precaution.

[steve]

Definitely try some different foods and entice him to eat. In addition to what Missi wrote, you can also bump up the temps about 5F.