General Care Discussion :: not eating, but searching bottom for slimy white stuff

[nick]

i have 2 baby res in a 10 gal aquarium with all the proper heating light, water temp...
so, isabelle stopped eating food a couple weeks ago. i just saw her digging on the bottom and dan (other turtle) brought her some white slimey substance and she ate it! it looked like ectoplasm, and it came from the bottom.
can anyone give me some insight? i'm concerned about isabelle.

[missibsu]

How long have you had them? I know that when I first got mine they ate, but then they went through that stage that I think everyone's turts go through,where they have to adjust and be comfortable before they eat. Also, what kinds of food are you offering? Are you offering any veggies?

[marisa]

What had you been feeding Isabelle when the turtle stopped eating a few weeks ago? What have you been trying to feed her since then?

What exactly is the temp of the water and basking area?

There are no other symptoms besides not eating the food offered?

I'm guessing that whatever Isabelle ate was something that's been decomposing in the tank and was probably smelly. BTW, do you have gravel in the tank?

[nick]

strangly enough she started eating again a bit today for the 1st time in ages. water temp is around 78, probably about 88/90 in basking area. there is gravel in the tank. i was feeding her the reptomin pellets which she used to love, but then for about two weeks she was just sleeping on the dock, and being very unactive. ive seen her eat this white substance a few times- is it poo?

thanks

[marisa]

Poop is normally a dark brownish color, but the coloring (and texture) can be affected by what they've eaten. I don't think what you described is poop, though.

Do you try feeding other foods? Variety is good--there's a list on what's good to give (and not give) in the basic info on the site.

BTW, you might consider getting rid of the gravel. It collects debris, often leads to odors and makes cleaning harder. It also can lead to impaction if your turtles eat it...

[missibsu]

If she's already impacted it could explain a loss in appetite as well. Just thought I would mention that.

[nick]

what exactly does 'impacted' mean? will it eventually be digested?

[missibsu]

impacted means the rocks are piled up in the digestive tract and aren't able to pass. As far as I know, rocks don't digest. You or I would just poop a small rock out, but imagine if you ate the largest rock you could find to swallow and then let it pass...Now imagine that your turtle has eaten several of those and they aren't passing at all. The build up of rocks doesn't allow for much room for food, thus the turtle would eat less. Generally if your turtle is pooing, then that is a good sign. If he/she isn't, then you would worry. Impaction can only be removed through surgery if the turt doesn't pass them on his/her own.

[marisa]

Impacted basically means the pebble/object is stuck inside and cannot be eliminated. Pebbles/gravel obviously cannot be digested. A turtle that's impacted will not be able to poop and will eventally lose it's appetite. Medical intervention would be necessary to remove the object (and is expensive). If you think your turtle is impacted, taking him to a herp vet for an x-ray would tell you for sure.

It really would be good to remove the gravel...