Urgent Care :: my 1 -inch RES won't eat and acts extremelt skittish!

[cooleststan]

Hi everyone, I recently got an RES from my girlfriend, she bought 2 and decided she couldn't take care of them anymore, she didn't realize how much it takes to care for them. Luckily I am a soft hearted guy and I am willing to pay the expense of taking care of these cute little creatures!

One of them wasn't eating, so I took that one first to try and help it. I have bought everything except a filter, and I plan on buying that soon.

My girlfriend kept it in a tiny cage that she bought with the res at the open festival. She is currently keeping the other one in the same cage, but don't worry, I plan on taking that one as well. I think the RES that I took was being bullied by the other one. The other one would always climb on top of it, and whenever food was put in the cage, it would always eat everything as fast as s/he could.

My problem is that the turtle will not eat ANYTHING. Since bringing it back to my house, I have tried to feed it all kinds of food. It has been 2 weeks now (since my girlfriend got the turtle) and about 1 weeks since I took it. It hasn't eaten anything!

also, when I watch it, and it knows I am there, it will just sit there and do nothing. ANd then when I twitch a little, by accident, or make any TINY movement, it jumps in the water and desperately tries to swim away, swimmiing into the wall of the tank as fast as it can

It also likes to bask and sleep a lot

any help please!
I really want this guy to make it
Thanks in advance



How big is your turtle? 1-2 inches
How long have you had it? 1 week

What is the water temperature? 75
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? more than enough
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? no

What is the basking temperature? ?
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Turtle Dock made by zoomed
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets, pellets in tunafish, celery, peach
When was the last time your turtle ate? never

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? larger than necessary
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? moderate (my room)

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? when I watch it, and it knows I am there, it will just sit there and do nothing. ANd then when I twitch a little, by accident, or make any TINY movement, it jumps in the water and desperately tries to swim away, swimmiing into the wall of the tank as fast as it can

[Threepwood]

Well, it definitely sounds like your turtle is spooked.

Have you tried putting some food in its tank and leaving for a bit, maybe giving it some privacy while it (hopefully) eats? Tried feeding it baby shrimp yet (they tend to really like those)?

I'm sure others will give you better information than that, since as you said it's been two or more weeks and that's a long time to go without food, especially for such a young turtle. I hope all goes well.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Welcome to Turtle Talk!

Sounds like the little guy is scared of you, which is normal with new turtles, but i'd say two weeks is a lot of time for the little guy to go without food You can skip the celery (its not good for them) and peaches (not good for them) and instead try a live earthworm, or some live fish, food that moves. You can also soak the pellets in something smelly like tuna (dont feed tuna though) and offer it to him. I personally think two weeks is too much time without food, though, maybe he's not eating because your around him 24/7..try giving him privacy, dont look at him, hold him, leave him alone and leave food in the tank, come in and check up on him a couple of times a day, and see if the food is still there (this doesnt count for pellets, since they disolve into the water) but if he doesnt eat after you provide him with privacy and smelly food, i'd take it to a vet.

[cooleststan]

ok, I will move the tank to a new location tommorow, and well see what happens

also, I am thinking about taking the turtle to a vet

do the vets from this website charge money?
http://www.arav.org/Members/MA.htm

and if they do, about how much will I be spending?
unfortunately I am very low on funds right now

thanks for all the help

[marisa]

Yes, vets who are members charge money. Members of ARAV are individuals who have an interest in reptiles and their welfare, but they don't have to be vets. You need to call whomever you plan to go to to find out their fees. They can vary.

For the little one that won't eat, I'd up the water temp to around 80F for a while (if it's now 75F) and see if that doesn't help his appetite. Also you might try pieces of an earthworm as well as smelly foods---they like foods with strong scents and are attracted to the movement of live food.

[cooleststan]

wow I am SOOOO relieved! He just started eating the pellets today, I think he even ate some of the celery that I left on his basking pad.
I guess I was just overanxious
At least I learned A LOT!
thanks everyone for the help!
a few quick questions:
can I feed the turtle
watermelons or cherries?

thanks

[Threepwood]

That's fantastic!

And watermelons and cherries are okay every now and then, yes.

[marisa]

Skip the celery. Try leafy greens like dandelions, red and green-leaf lettuce (no iceberg), and anachris (aquatic plant).