General Care Discussion :: turtle isn't eating

[daryldick]

Hi: I have 2 RES turtles that I bought last year. One is now about 4" long while the other is only 3" long. Up until about 2 months ago, both turtles had great appetites. Now the smaller one doesn't see to eat any more. I visibly haven't seen him/her eat for weeks. The larger one still has a great appetite. The smaller one also spends a lot of time underwater with it's head tucked into a large ornament that I have in the tank. He still looks healthy, swims well and basks too.
Should I be worried about his lack of appetite?
Thanks

[jozzep]

What's your water temps?
I think you should boost the temps to 80 for a bit and see if he's more active.

[daryldick]

The water temp is 79F. He's active when he's out swimming but never eats!

[Kemul]

You may want to try feeding separately in another container. Some turtles don't
like to be watched while they're eating.

[steve]

I would feed them separately too. Sounds like he's being out-competed right now.

[res08]

maybe he's just being picky? feeding something different may rejuvenate his appetite.

[bigG]

When my turtles were younger, they didn't eat much and certainly when I was around. However, once they knew where dinner was coming from, that's a different story. My female RES has no qualms about telling me and begs for her food. In fact, I can feed her by hand. However, she is much larger than the male. I sometimes feed them separately if she hogs the food.