General Care Discussion :: hi new here i have a question... pic

[turtleboy66]

my turtles arent eating much what should i do?

im feeding them small greenish pellets called Nutrafin turtle gammarus food
once a day.

anyone have any suggestions to help increase there appetite?

is this normal for there size?

heres a picture of my new turtles:

[missibsu]

How long have you had the turtles...you called them new? My guess is that they haven't had a chance to get settled in to their set up and it may take them a few days before they eat. Keep offering food, and they will eventually come around.

It is also important to have a proper set up including water temps, that will help encourage them to eat. What's your set up like?

[turtleboy66]

ive had my turtles for about a month they do eat but barely.

they live in a reptile tank with about 1/2 inch deep water at one end and small blue pebbles and rocks to climb on at the other.

they seem happy enough the water is at room temp.

any more advice would be appreciated.

thx

[Ferd]

i reccomend loosing the pebbles. They might accidently swallow the rocks thinking they are food. This could kill them if not treated right away. The treatment is surgery on the little fellers, but i wouldnt risk it for the pebbles

[missibsu]

My advice would be to read through the basic care section of the main site www.redearslider.com

There is wealth of information there on proper care of RES. It can be overwhelming at first, so ask questions as needed.

Room temp water is not satisfactory. My guess is that it is too cool for them. Not only will they not eat, they could be more prone to illnesses such as respritory infections and pneumonia.

Basic requirements are 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length, water at 78F for hatchlings, UVB and UVA lighting, water heater recommended. and a decent filter.

It will also help to read through the stickys in the different forum sections.


edit: to add to ferds comment, the pebbles can become impacted, and that can cause a loss of appetite too, but my first guess at this point is the water temp.

[sonyj]

Your problem here is the set up is very inadequate. Have you read the basic care section on the main site? Your turtles should be in a tank that is at least 10 gallons per inch and with as much water as it will hold. The water temp HAS to be 78F for hatchlings like yours. They need a proper basking dock - no gravel. Gravel shouldn't even be in their tanks because as they grow they will eat it and become impacted which will lead to serious health problems. They need a basking temp of between 88-90F. They basking lights should consist of one heat and one UVB bulb that emits 7-10% UVB rays. They need a heater to keep their water constant and a filter rated 3x's the tank size to provide a clean habitat in which to thrive.

If none of these "BASIC" requirements are met then the results are as you see now - a slow road to death. They will not and can not thrive in that kind of habitat. They will not eat if the temps aren't correct and they don't have enough heat to bask to digest their food. If there's not enough water to swim and excercise in it's not good either.

Please upgrade their habitat ASAP for thier sake. Read through the main site and the forum for basic care guides and ideas on providing a habitat in which they can thrive.

[CountryGirl68]

To add to the above comments, try giving them some privacy - as much as possible until they become accustomed to their environment. Avoid handling them too much. And they should have more water in the tank. 1/2 an inch of water is not enough for them to swim around in.

[cprcheetah]

Okay, I will jsut second what everyone else has already said! Great advice! CUTE Turtle Babies! I can't wait till I can get my baby turtle. I am excited to be able to raise it 'right' from the start.