Feeding and Nutrition :: Small Turtle wont eat.

[gelatta3]

i just got given a little RES he is about an inch long maybe a little more. and ever since i first got him he has not eaten anything. i have offered veggies and turtle pellets and most recently freeze dried earth worms. but he wont eat any of it. other than the not eating he seems pretty happy. whats wrong?

How big is your turtle? a little over an inch
How long have you had it? 1 week

What is the water temperature? 70F
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? 5 gallons?
Are you using a water conditioner? no?
Are you using any filtration? no?

What is the basking temperature? 80F
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
Is there a UVB light? yes

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? not really

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

Help please

[marisa]

Welcome. You really should do some reading on the basics of what your hatchling needs...

It can take a little while before a turtle becomes adjusted to a new environment and feels comfortable enough to eat. That said, for a hatchling like yours, the water temp and basking area temp are really too low. Water temp should be about 78F and basking area temp in the 88-90F range. It's unclear to me whether he has both a heat lamp to get the basking area in that range and A UVB light (which would be flourescent and would not give off heat). He needs both. If he doesn't have one, buy a submersible water heater to warm the water and keep it at a constant temp.

You might try some smelly food (a bit of tuna, sardine) or something live (pieces of earthworm) to get him interested in food.

Do some reading so you know how to improve his set-up and diet...