Habitat - Indoor :: do my turtles need to adjust after change?

[maymay]

I finally bought a turtle dock....the ones with the suction cups, I used to use a big rock, that my turtles loved, and they seemed to bask a good amount. I just bought a turtle dock that most people seem to have here on this site, and I haven't seen them get on it once. Do they just need time to adjust? I'm so tempted to put the rock back!!! But it takes up so much room I also added a plant, and a nice background, so it's kind of a new environment for them. One more question.....how long is too long for a turtle to not eat anything? One of my turtles isn't eating, my other one is.

[sonyj]

I would say that they need an adjusting period after any change in their habitat. Usually if I just change the water and clean the tank, Koopa pouts for about a day. Give them time and make sure the temps are still accurate for basking and for water after any change you do.

Why do you think one turtle isn't eating? How long has this been, just since the change or something that started before you changed things? Are there any signs of aggression between the two that would cause her not to eat? Also, are there any signs of illness that might be affecting her appetite? There's a number of reasons turtles won't eat. It's a symptom that can be listed for several issues - stress, illness etc.

[maymay]

well i'm not so sure, everything seems to be fine. I guess coz my other turtle is doing fine, basking, eating etc. So i'm just wondering why the other one won't eat. I got him almost 3 weeks ago. He eats at times, but most of the times he doesn't. Sometimes he won't eat for 2 days at a time. I just changed his surroundings today. It's just been going on for a while, and i thought he just had to get adjusted, but now it seems too long. My other turtle got adjusted in no time. I guess all turtles are different. I don't see any signs of illness. All he does is sleep, stays beside/beneath a rock. No aggression btwn them. 3 weeks does seem long right?

[sonyj]

Yes, three weeks is too long for a little one. How big is she? I'm guessing that you didn't quarantine her before introducing her to the other turtle and the tank? Usually quarantine is 90 days to insure that she isn't carrying any illness that will spread to the other turtle.

I would consider hand feeding her to see if you can get her to eat like that before taking her to a vet. By three weeks she should feel comfortable in her surroundings unless she feels threatened by the other one.

[maymay]

really?? oops i didn't know that i had to quarantine him. How exactly do I hand feed? she's only about an inch or just over an inch.

[sonyj]

Usually to hand feed, you can hold the food above the turtle in the water. If she's interested she'll come get it. Or if she won't come for it, you could just hold her in one hand right above the water and wave the food around her nose/mouth area to see if she'll bite. If she does put her gently back into the water because they can't eat out of water and never force feed her. Usually smelly foods work best when trying to entice turtles to eat. Bits of boiled egg whites, krill, shrimp, boiled chicken breast etc. These should only be used to entice her to eat and gently wean her off of them onto her pellets and veggie/plant matter diet.

I had no idea about the quarentine period until I researched on here but it makes sense if you think about it. You're taking all kinds of chances if you don't know where your new turtle has been or what conditions he was kept in.

[maymay]

yea that's true...quarantining them does make sense. i'll try those suggestions. I tried it once, but it didn't seem to work. When i tried it that one time, I held him in the water, and held the shrimp close to his nose too, i tried outside of the water, and inside....he kept his head inside his shell. I'll try again. Maybe i'll boil eggs. I don't have shrimp or chicken right now!

[maymay]

okay so i tried feeding my turtle by hand in the water with the shrimp, but he just looks at it, and basically shows no interest. =(

[marisa]

The turtle that's not eating is the one you said only sleeps? This in itself could be a sign that something's wrong. What do the eyes look like? Do they appear swollen at all?

[maymay]

his eyes are fine, nothing wrong with his shell, or body, he basks......he basically seems to be okay. Just the fact that he sleeps a lot, and doesn't eat.

[marisa]

Being lethargic and not eating could mean a problem is on the way. I'd really be watching for other symptoms. Was the turtle eating previously then stopped eating?