Urgent Care :: New baby terrapin help

[Kane]

My friend has a adult slider and bought a baby one and put it in with it, and it bullied the small one ve so i took it off him and hagot it in its own tank now, but it just sits in the corner of the tank under the water and hardly moves, it wont eat and it wont bask, do you think it just needs to realise its in a tank itself or is it traumatised?

[Take-One]

Tramitised. Or he got bit. Got to a vet.

[jenaero]

Turtles, especially babies, need time to get used to their new environment in a case like this. You don't need to go rushing off to a vet just yet. Keep an eye on him for a few days to see if he starts to display any symptoms of illness. He is most certainly stressed and he does probably need time to figure out that he has the tank all to himself. Keep offering food. It may take a week or so for him to start eating and basking, but if he is otherwise acting normally, just be patient.

[Nettle]

Ya, when I moved my babies from the outdoor pond to a tank for the first time, they took about a week to adjust.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Try giving him some yummy treat-type foods so he'll begin to associate you with food and happiness. Try some tuna or salmon or white fish, buy fresh fish and bake just a little piece (about head-sized) in the oven with no oil, or those packs of tuna or salmon, you know, the flavor fresh packs or whatever they're called, they are over with the canned tuna, they seem to be well-made and just get ones in water. Don't overdo it, but for a few days to get him adjusted faster, the treat-type fish can help. Then get him back on pellets as soon as he starts adjusting. It took my baby turtle about two weeks to start eating, and even then it wasn't every day. Then he just "got comfy".

[marisa]

Welcome. Does the tank have all the necessary equipment in it (submersible water heater, UVB light, heat light, filter, etc.)?

What are the temps of the water and basking area? Aside from more time and not having the poor thing in an area where there's a lot of activity, make sure he's warm enough (water temp about 78F, basking area temp 88-90F).

Some smelly foods might whet his appetite and encourage him to eat.