Urgent Care :: MY baby res wants to stay in corners and dark places

[virusspawn]

hi, my baby res who is about 2 inches always satys in the corner or he borrows himself under the pebbels, he doesnt eat, i put him in a wide and long 9 gallon tank, he alwasy tries to swimm towards the fish tank background i have, he never swims to the other side of the tank alwasy in the corner or under a rock, or in side this cave type thing i have in there.
why is he acting like that
today is the third day i had him

Tank- about 9 G
filter- i clean the water
food- hatching aquatic food(floating)
light- i have a 100watt lamp
uv- i gota go get that, but i take him out if its sunny
basking-when i took him out he didnt want to bask

Thank you

[megcornell]

I wouldn't worry, he's just adjusting to his new home. Some hatchlings don't eat right away, it took mine a week or so to calm down and realize she was safe. I would just let him be, don't handle him right now as that adds more stress to his life, let him get used to the tank and soon he'll start to eat and bask. Keep feeding him daily, you may want to feed him and then leave so he can eat in peace until he becomes accustomed to you.
Your set up sounds good but you may want to get a filter as that will save you a lot of work and will lessen the turtle's stress because you won't be changing the water everyday. Also, you'll want to get a thermometer and a heater to keep the water at a steady 78 degrees or around there. Heaters are cheap and can be picked up at any pet store.

[virusspawn]

do you think the uv lamp will affect alot, im trying to get one, but still in progress, i just hope he lives and is healthy till i can give him luxuries

[SpotsMama]

I think megcornell is right on target. Give your new little guy some peace and quiet and privacy for a few more days and see if he doesn't settle down. And finish the good start you've made on the tank as soon as you can as it will make him happier and keep him healthy too. If you haven't already, read up on all the specifics on the main part of this site - there's a ton of good info. Then if you have questions, ask away!

You can manage for awhile without the UVB bulb (be sure to get a UVB bulb from pet store or reptile supply place) if you give him some natural sunlight. Turtles need UVB, which is present in natural sunlight, to absorb calcium, which is vital for the health of growing turtles' shells and bones. If you're able to take him outside in the sunshine - ALWAYS supervised! - for several hours a week - this will help until you get a bulb. Watch out for overheating, though. Don't put him in a bowl of water outside as the water will very quickly overheat in the sun. If it seems he is overheating get him inside right away.

AND....you don't want to be taking him out for sun for a few weeks anyway until he settles down. It would be much too stressful for him right now.

[RunninWideOpen]

Ditto to everything that was said so far!

An important factor that megcornell mentioned is the water temperature. Do you have a water heater? Consistent water temp around 78F is very important. They are cold blooded, so their environment is what regulates their body temperature.

3 days isn't very long at all. Turtles aren't like cats and dogs that get to know you quickly. It will take months, even a couple years. You'll see gradual improvements over time as he slowly comes to trust you more.

Also, you mentioned pebbles.......are the pebbles smaller than your turtle's head? If so it would be best to get them out of there right away. Many turtles eat gravel or small rocks and die from it. There have been many stories on this forum of that. One of my girls tried it one time, fortunately she didn't die.

Congrads on your new turtle!

[WyredHardware]

My turtle did the same thing. Hid for the first 2 days. Now she is active and will eat from my hand. However... since I made her an out of tank basking area she has returned to her previous skittish self. Give it a week. Your turtle will be fine

[urbancleopatra]

um... pebbles?! get rid of those puppies. that can be a big problem later if the little guy wants a rainbow colored snack at some point

[virusspawn]

what should i replace the pebbles with

[kmichael55]

nothing, a bare tank bottom is the easiest to keep clean, and is totally fine, not to mention less dangerous, for your turtles. If you really want something for aesthetics you could add a couple large river rocks.

[turtleowner]

i would'nt worry. he's just getting used to his new home. He probably doesn't recognize you so he's going to get used to that also. Just give him some time to relax and he'll get used to his new surroundings. Good luck to you and your turtle!