General Care Discussion :: RES strange behavior and possible Diarrhea

[bowchelsea]

Hi,

I just adopted a RES from a friend who left the country. She gave me her 30 gallon tank, rocks and food with all the water chemicals. I thought this was all he would need. Well needless to say after some research on this site, his habitat is lacking and I have a bigger job than I thought. He has been with us a week and I have ordered a heater, new filter (for a 60 gallon tank), a basking lamp and a ramp (that is acrylic and easy to clean). Until I get these items he has rocks built up on the side of the aquarium for him to dry off which his previous owner used before.

Right now he is eating and swims but is not basking or drying off. He gets up on the rocks but he ends up walking into the corner (almost on top of the rock) and then he turns into the aquarium glass corner and then falls back into the water. He does this repeatedly. Does anyone have any ideas for me about why he is doing this or what I can do if he isn't supposed to??

Also, tonight when I fed him, I noticed that he looked like he might have been straining and when he went it looked like dark black liquid (reminded me of ink). Is this urine or feces or it is something I should be watching??

He has been living without all of these things (indoors) for three years and in the same or worse conditions. If he is ill, why would he be getting sick now? stress??

Thank you

[SpotsMama]

Hi there,

Sounds like you've got your hands full! You'd be surprised how many of us on here have been in your shoes, not knowing when we got one what it would take to make a good setup for a turtle. Once you get it all set up, though, and your turtle healthy, then it will be a lot easier - and you'll be able to enjoy your turtle.

It's quite possible he/she is suffering from stress. They are sensitive to big changes in their environment. He is probably still adjusting.

How long has he had the diarrhea (or whatever it is)? Was it just the one time? What are you feeding him? Does he have a good appetite?

How is he behaving? Climbing up on the rocks and sliding down repeatedly sounds like he's restless, perhaps from the change in environment or perhaps because he doesn't feel good.

There's a set of questions at the first of the Urgent Care section on your turtle's description and conditions. Could you please post answers to those questions on here? It would give us a clearer picture of what's going on.

Good luck. If the diarrhea continues you'll need to take him to see a herp vet. Do you know of one nearby?

[bowchelsea]

How big is your turtle? about 5 inches
How long have you had it? 8 days

What is the water temperature?70 - 72 degrees (heater on the way)
Are you using a water heater? not at the moment (one is on the way)
How much water is in there? about 1.5 his shell
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration?yes (Zio med turtle clean filter 318) I know this is inadequate and have purchased a Fluval canister 305.

What is the basking temperature? he has none at this time (on the way) post)
Is there a basking light? no (on the way)
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? I think so
What kind is it or what is it made out of? rocks
Is there a UVB light?no (I am getting one)

What have you been trying to feed it? Reptomin
When was the last time your turtle ate? last night

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?30 gallon
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? I live in a small apartment and he is in the dinning room I would say it has moderate to frequent activity

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Well, he is so new to me everything is kind of unusual.....the other things he does is he goes underwater and puts his head to one of the rocks (he doesn't eat it) but he reaches his front arms up and does something like spirit fingers. It looks like he is praying. Whatever it is he seems to like it.

[RunninWideOpen]

Welcome!

Congrads on your new turtle! Sounds like he's not feeling very well. How often are you changing the water in the tank, do you know how often the previous owner did? From the sounds of it.....that's only a gallon or two of water. This can cause them to be sick because of their own feces and urine. Even the best filter in the world can't keep that amount of water clean with that size of a turtle for more than a day or two. Turtles are quite the dirty creatures.

Get as much water in the tank as possible without giving him the ability to escape. This will also give him much more swimming room as well. RES live in lakes and ponds in nature, and have been found at pretty great depths. They are aquatic turtles.....they only come on land for a few things. They need room to move around.

A lot of people on here are using 55 gallon rubbermaids as cheap turtle enclosures pretty successfully. I've read that the clear ones last longer than the blue or gray ones. That would be my suggestion for your new friend. General rule of thumb is 10 gallons per 1 inch of turtle. If you decide to invest in a bigger tank, be aware that he/she will grow. Females can be up to 12" long, therefore needing a 120 gallon tank.

Also, whenever you change or upgrade filters, know that filter ratings are based for fish. For a turtle, you'll need a filter rated at least 2 times greater than the size of your tank.

Reptomin is a good turtle pellet to feed them. How much are you feeding him and how often? Is he pretty eager to eat?

Do you know if it's male or female?

[steve]

I would pick up a water heater at a petstore. Without a basking lamp for warmth, there is nothing to entice your turtle to bask. Here is some basic info about the kind of setup you need: www.redearslider.com/startup.html

[bowchelsea]

Thank you guys so much for responding to my questions. I know "Flash" is going to benefit. Here are the answers to some of the new question and some new things I have found out.

How often are you changing the water in the tank, do you know how often the previous owner did? Well, I have only had him for a week and per the site I should be cleaning a little every week. His prior owner didn't clean his water but ever month or so. She didn't clean it weekly.

New info: I received the turtle's supplies yesterday and got them ready for today. I just finished the three and half hour job and now I have to clean up. Wow, am I tired. Ok, I know I put in about 10 gallons of water (and took out the same) and there is probably 20 gallons or so in the tank now.
I rinsed the filter (not the carbon), the heater is in, he has a basking area and NO small rocks. I left a few larger than a fist size rocks to cover the heater so he doesn't get to it. While I was cleaning I had him out. He definitely has green diarrhea and he was pooping rocks!!!!! I was sooooo shocked. This is when I knew from this site to get rid of them. When I put him in the tank he started his search for rocks to eat. I hope he is going to be alright.

One other thing, I put the vitacreme on his shell before I put him back. He didn't seem to like me doing that. But, I know it will help him.

The last questions I have are "How long should I wait to take him to the herp vet (which I have found)? and Is there anyway I can make his life less stressful?

Thanks for all your help!!!

[marisa]

Skip the Vitashell. It's oil based and regular use over time can clog the shell, which needs to breathe. (It it can also help put a film on the water.)

He may be pooping rocks for a while if he's eaten a lot of them. As long as they're coming out, you shouldn't have to worry. Perhaps the rocks are contributing to his defecating problem (straining).

What are you feeding him? I'd give him a pellet like Reptomin and see if the poop doesn't return to a more normal consistency and color. (Don't overfeed.)

You can take him to a herp vet if your concerned or take him any time you want to. It's good to get to know the vet and get a feel for him/her so you're confident of the vet should any emergency occur.

Live will be less stressful for him as he gets used to his new habitat and you. Try to give him the best habitat possible.

[RunninWideOpen]

The quieter of a place you put him in, the less stressful. I live in an apartment too, so I know how hard that is.

Feed him a little extra romaine lettuce or something with lots of fiber to help him poop out those rocks. Rocks can get stuck in their intestines and kill them. It's good that he's passing some of them. You may keep finding them for weeks. Make sure to get them out of the tank as soon as he poops them out or he'll eat them again.

I'm not real familiar with vitacreme or other shell ointments, but I've read that they're actually bad for the turtles. Someone else will come along who can give more detail......

20 gallons is still little water for a turtle already that size. I would suggest doing a complete water change every week. Water temp and cleanliness are 2 of the key things in keeping an RES healthy.

I'm not experienced or read anything that has to do with diarhea problems, so I'll leave that to someone else. I don't know if the rocks can cause that or not? I do know, if it's something serious, the earlier they're treated for it the better. As far as getting him to the herp vet, it's kinda your call on how healthy you gauge him and how serious the diarhea is.

If you do take him to the vet, in addition to a regular checkup, have him x-rayd for rocks to see how many are in there and the vet will be able to prescribe something to help him pass them easier if it's necessary.

Sounds like you're doing a great job improving his living conditions! One lucky turtle!

[bowchelsea]

Runningwideopen,

Thank you for all of your helpful advice. I will get right on getting him some romaine and stop the shell creme. I am getting a new larger canister filter in the mail and when it gets here I will change out all the water then. That should only be a few days and then I will give him more water. I am keeping an eye on him and if he passes any new rocks. He was acting a bit scared in his rockless tank so I surrounded his tank so that he couldn't see out. He has quieted down nicely and hopefully he will have his appetite back tomorrow.

Thank you and I needed to hear your encouraging words!!!

Debbie

[RunninWideOpen]

No prob! Keep us updated on how he's doing.

If he's a little freaked out by an empty tank you could add a couple fake plants. My turts like to play in them and "hide" in them, lol.