General Care Discussion :: Is my baby turtle ok?

[Jwyatt9]

How big is your turtle? Maybe 3 inches
How long have you had it? A week

What is the water temperature? 76-78
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 5-10 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? No

What is the basking temperature? IDK
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Maybe?
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Floating dock, some kind of waterproof foam
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Exo-Terra baby turtle pellets and he has a cuttlebone
When was the last time your turtle ate? Yesterday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallons
Is the tank near a window? yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? It's in my bedroom, moved from the kitchen

Have you read the Basic Care section? I've read several basic care sections of turtle websites


Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? He never seems to bask (he did the first night I had him when the water temp got too cold) and he has light pink marking on his plastron



My turtle seems to never be basking or drying off. He's always swimming at the bottom of the tank, clinging to the plants, or just chilling near the water's surface with his head out of the water. I think the pink might be from scraping his stomach on the bottom of the tank but at this point I've spent so much on this turtle that I'm going to be really pissed if he dies. He's much more active in the 10 gallon tank than in the Kritter Keeper he came in, but he basked in the Kritter Keeper. The UVB light and heat lamp are directly over the floating dock and the thermometer on the other end of the tank says the water temp is between 76-78 degrees. He always pulls all limbs and his head in when I pick him up but swims off immediately when I put him back in the water. Should I be worried or does he sound like a normal baby turtle?

[ljapa]

How long has it been in the 10 gallon?

Turtles are often cautious in new environments. If it has been a few days, I wouldn't worry much yet.

Is your turtle able to get up easily? Do you know the temp of the basking area?

You might try putting a pellet or two up there. She may be sneaking up when you're not around.

[Jwyatt9]

He's been in the tank since Wednesday. Before that it was in a kritter keeper. I'm not sure of the temp of the basking area but to the touch it is warmer than the water which is 76-78 degrees. He refused kale when I put some in the tank. I tried your suggestion and put some pellets on the log. Should I be concerned about the pink spots?

[Jwyatt9]

EDIT: He is a little over the size of a silver dollar. I held him up to one. He looked bigger in the tank.

[ljapa]

A picture of the pinkness will really help. With turtles that small, I've seen reports of a slight reddening on the plastron which is harmless. It can be a sign of something more serious.

Even with a picture, I couldn't say definitively, but there are others here with more experience.

Not basking since Wednesday when he's just gone into a new environment is nothing to be concerned about. In the wild, you could have storms for a week and the turtles who don't bask are fine.

See if the pellets disappear. Get a picture of the plastron.

And, don't worry about the kale. At his size, he's going to be primarily carnivorous. Keep offering vegetables. If they don't get touched in an hour or so, fish it out. Try a variety. He may just not like kale. When. Y son's turtle was that size, she would peck at vegetables, but she still won't eat kale.

[ljapa]

Here's a thread with a picture discussing the same concerns about pinkness:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33631s

Two posters there both said if it is symmetrical it's not anything to worry about.

Another thread with a picture that was not any concern:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33651&p=320107