General Care Discussion :: New Baby Red Ears Are Very Shy and Not Eating- Help!!

[gt5268]

Hello.A week ago I bought 2 red ear baby sliders.They are about the size of a sliver dollar more or less.Anyway all they are doing right now is hiding under the basking dock or other hiding spots in the tank.They also are not eating.What should I do?? Should I worry?? Also how much water should be in the tank?? I have them in a 20 gallon right now and it is filled enough to cover their shells.Please help.Thank You.

[SpotsMama]

Hi and Welcome to the Forum.

Have you seen all the info that is on here on turtle keeping? If you'll follow the links at the top of this page you'll find answers to most of the questions you'll have as you go along.

New turtles in a strange habitat are usually very nervous. They're afraid you're going to eat them so run and hide everytime they see you. They tend not to eat and not to bask too. This can go on for a week or more and is normal.

To help them calm down, give them plenty of privacy. If they are in a room with a lot of activity, you might put cardboard around the walls of the tank. Don't pick them up unless you have to.

They'll come around. Different turtles have different personalities and some are shyer than others. They may not eat in front of you for a long time, but you can tell if they're eating if you leave food in the tank then come back later and find that it's gone. They may not bask in front of you either, but you can tell they are basking if you hear a little "plop" when you come into the room.

For little bitty turtles that aren't used to deep water, you should start with it shallow (a few inches) then gradually raise the level an inch at a time until the tank is as full as it can be without allowing the turtles to climb out and escape. You must be sure and give them places to rest as the water deepens. The basking platform should be easy to climb up on and something like a plastic plant that reaches to the surface provides a good resting place.

More info on water depth. You should always leave the water deep enough so that if the turtle accidently flips over, he/she can get right side up again easily. Some little turtles have drowned when they have flipped over and the water water too shallow for them to get right side up but deep enough so they couldn't get their heads above it. Basically this means you should always have the water at least as deep as the turtle's shell is wide.

[gt5268]

Thanks for your great info!!

[Coli123]

This also happened to me. Ive had my turtles for about a week now. When i had bearly got them they would just hide behind the log and plants lol i was also worried that they were not eating. But now they bask and eat in front of me . Just give those little guys some time.

[gt5268]

Thanks for your great help!!

[LorJ]

I'm going through the same thing now with my two babies. We only had them for a day or two though. I hope they get used to us quickly.

[momoandappa]

same with my two baby turtles and thank for the advice it helps!

[1981camaroz28]

I got 2 of my RES when they where that size and I had to chop the food up like raw shrimp grind up pellets and blood worms

[Kool]

First you should raise the water level and theres never such thing as too much water. Dont worry about the eating and hiding they just need some time to get used to there new home.

[Lantic]

Thanks for the advice! I just bought my little red-slider , and hes going crazy!

[Mandyb]

i dont know if its just me but maybe on the main site we should write in it that new turtles are very shy cause i think at least once a week someone has this questions.

[Bumby's Mom]

Kool- there is such thing as too much water when it comes to hatchlings. Hatchlings tire very easily and can drown if the water is too deep and there aren't very many resting areas. Once they get older then no there isn't such a thing as too much water but the "rules" are different for hatchlings.

To get my babies to eat I bought them a little container of shrimps, I think they are called krill? They scarfed them down and then I weaned them onto pellets. It is better for them to be eating something (even if it is a food that she only be given as a treat) rather than nothing. Same thing with my adult. When I first got her she refused pellets so I got her freeze dried meal worms. After a few days eating them she started taking the pellets. Good luck! Hatchlings are so cute and fun to watch.

[REStless]

I recently acquired two hatchlings about the same size as yours. Initially they were in a breeding container with just enough water for them to stick their heads out of while resting on the bottom of the tank. I just set them up in their new 70 Gl home, initially, they were very shy, wouldn't eat, or bask in front of me.

It's been about a week now and one of them will come and check me out when I walk up to the tank, he will let me watch him bask while the other one is terrified of me. I can testify to the fact that they just need time as I am seeing constant improvement in their level of comfort as time goes on.

Give them time to adjust to their new home and new family. They'll be alright. Mine did the same thing and they are starting to come around.

[Impulse Shopper]

To help them calm down, give them plenty of privacy.

How much is too much? I don't want him to get in the habit of being antisocial.

The basking platform should be easy to climb up on and something like a plastic plant that reaches to the surface provides a good resting place.

Right. Hope he can access his basking rocks. Seems he does a lot of things I don't know about (like climb). He becomes still and hides when I walk in the room. It's been over a month. So I really don't know what he can and cannot do.

[steve]

This is a super old thread, but they won't be more or less social. Try to keep a distance until feeding time. You'll notice when he gets used to you.