Urgent Care

Hello guys,

I bought 2 RES 4 days ago from market. They were kept in small containor. I brought them into fairly large about 14 gallon tank with gravels and wood in it. I also ordered a few other stuff to make them enjoy. Their shell is about 2" and i m not sure they are girl or boy yet. Since the day i bought, they havn't eat anything that i gave them. I had tried some floating food which i bought it from the seller. I bought it on the street without knowing so they might gave me some cheap stuff. It was from YML brand. I tried to worms on second day, they didn't eat it. So, i tried shrimp, no go either. I also bought very small feeder fish for them and they didn't eat them, those fish died the next day from their bite or from the water temperature. I did a lot of research to keep my turtle healty and happy but i can't figure out a way to make them eat. Am i doing something wrong?

Thanks for your help, i can't wait to see my RES eat!!!

Are you using a water conditioner? - not yet but water is very clean
Are you using any filtration? - not yet i m going to

What is the basking temperature? - don't have it setup yet, ordered it
Is there a basking light? - not yet, just ordered
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? - no
What kind is it or what is it made out of? - bought it from petco
Is there a UVB light? - not yet, going to be

What have you been trying to feed it? - green floating food from YML, worms, shrimp, feeder fish
When was the last time your turtle ate? - non

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? about 14 g
Is the tank near a window? - yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? - some

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? - one of the guy sleep a lot and the other guy is very active.

Hi, where are you located? Have you read this topic? http://www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

Hello Steve,

I lived in San Francisco, CA. I had read that topic and tried to follow it but didn't work out that well. I put food in the water but for worms, it died as soon its get into water, so it doesn't help much. I havn't try tuna yet but gonna give it a shot very soon. How do u feed them by hand?

You can or leave it where it's easy to access, like edge of the basking area.

So, what do you think the problem was? They can't reach the food? I always try to put it in the direction that they were looking at but they didn't seem to be that much interested in food. I am worry that my turtles will die. What are you suggestion Steve? I wanna see them at least eat something, so i know they are doing fine.

Thanks again.

It's likely they need time to adjust and settle in. What are the water temps? Are you using a heater? Also, remove the gravel when you can. Buy a fresh can or baby reptomin from the pet store... the stuff the vendors sell is usually garbage.

Are both not eating? Can you take one out and feed the other? You might want to cover the sides of the tank to add some privacy.

Hey Steve,

Good new. I bought some reptomin from petco today. When i came back home and look at them, they didn't ran away like they used to. I think they are not scare of me anymore. I drop one pellect and one of my turtle came up and ate it but still my other guy is still not eating, not that active and still scare of me. I got them a new 15 g tank today and put some decos stuff in the tank for them to enjoy. So, they are showing some positive sign but still i m worry about the other guy that don't play much. my water temperature is 78 F. I am going to build a basking spot for them, i ordered stuff online, should be here very soon.
I got a few question

- is gravel bad for turtle?
- how fast can RES group?

- is gravel bad for turtle?
If it's small enough to fit into their mouths, then yes it is. It makes it harder to clean the tank too, so you should remove it.

- how fast can RES group?
I'm not sure what you mean.

As for the other one not eating... take the one that is eating out of the tank when you feed the other. He should be more comfortable in his own tank and will have more time to take the food.

What i meant was. In like a year how big can they be ( in inches ).

Edited : If i don't put gravels what should i put at the buttom of the tank?

Growth rate is partially genetic, partially environment and diet. Many captive RES reach around 4 inches (shell length without the curve) at a year of age.

Put in a few river rocks. It will make cleaning easier for you and give them something to push around.

Urgent Care :: My RES will not eat whatever I give them help!!!

Who is online