General Care Discussion :: sick or what?

[Kyurois]

I have a six month old turtle I bought on a school trip to New York City, in Chinatown. I felt rather sorry for him and his tankmate, so my friend and I bought them. I've had experience with turtles before, as well as other amphibians, reptiles, and fish. I got him in April, and up until about 2 weeks ago, he was doing great. But now he's eating much, much less and basks a great deal more than he did. When I got him he was about the size of a half-dollar, and now he's just over 2 inches. His eyes are very clear, shell is hard with no cracking and he isn't blowing any bubbles from his nose. Could he have hit a plateau in his growth, or should I look at him closer?

[lotsofpets]

Hello and welcome to the forum! (congrats on becoming the 4000th member)
I think maybe you should look at him a bit closer. Eating less and basking much more could be signs of an RI. How big of a tank is he in? What is his water and basking temperatures?

[ellman605]

Welcome to the forum, you're the 4000th member, therefore you get a fun smiley to look at!

[Kyurois]

Neat, no. 4000? His tank is relatively large for his size, a 5.5 gallon tank(water 3.5 in deep), water is 78 f basking between 80 and 85 f between night and day.

[lotsofpets]

You should really have a 20 gallon tank or bigger for your turtle. There should be ten gallons of water per one inch of turtle. The basking temperature should also be about ten degrees higher than the water temp. 78 degrees for a hatchling is a good temperature. You can also raise the water level much higher - just make sure he can't get out of the tank.

[SpotsMama]

Congratulations No. 4000! This is a major milestone for the forum!

Unfortunately, your turtle's recent behavior is worrisome. One possible cause of the symptoms you describe is a respiratory infection. Another is temperatures that are too cold. A little turtle's water temperature should be around 78 degrees. If he's ill, bump it up to 80 or 82 degrees to give his immune system a boost.

What are your turtle's water and basking temperatures? What have you been feeding him?

[Kyurois]

He cant get out, the tank has a locking lid. That was actually my next move, I have a 29 gallon tank my grandmother gave me when her fish died I was going to clean and set up for Mikey. The basking temperature might really be higher, his tank gets sun at certain points in the day. He only really has a water thermometer.

[Kyurois]

He gets pellets every other day, and I've started giving him some dandelion greens to try.

[lotsofpets]

Don't put the tank in direct sunlight! Direct sunlight can cause the water in the tank to heat up the water way too much! Too much varience in the temperature of the water can cause too much stress for your little buddy. (and could possibly cook him) He should/needs to have a water heater so the water temp. doesn't vary too wildly. (Visitherm Stealth is recomended) What kind of pellets are you giving him? What other foods have you tried? Are you using a UVB light?

[Kyurois]

Its not direct sunlight! His tank is near a south window and the sun never actually hits the tank. The brand is HGB Turtle Bites when he ate better he adored them. Very occasionally he gets a little pinch of goldfish food, and I recently started introducing fresh dandelion greens. He's also got a little tank heater, it keeps the water 78-82 f.

[marisa]

Have you tried another pellet besides those HBH Turtle Bites? (They're fine in moderation, but I wouldn't use them as the staple pellet in the diet.) Perhaps he's sick of the food he's always getting.

Unless he's got some genetic issue, the lack of growth sounds like it's from an inadequate diet and habitat.

If his shell length is two inches, a 5.5 gallon tank is really inadequate, as is a 3.5 inch water. He needs a much bigger tank...

It sounds like his habitat needs improving:

UVB light (He gets virtually not UVB rays through a window)? Heat light (what wattage are you using in a 5.5 gallon tank)?

What kind of basking area does he have?

Filter? I'm assuming in a 5.5 gallon tank with so little water perhaps there isn't one? How often do you change the water and clean the tank?

Does he have gravel, small pebbles in the tank? If he does, I'd take them out.

[Kyurois]

He has had other pellets, Wardley I believe. He refused to eat them. He doesn't have a filter, so I change the water once or twice a week. We have a well with heavy metals and ammonia, so he gets bottled spring water. He does have gravel, and I read about the dangers of it, I can get riverstone for the bottom of his new tank (it's 29 gallons) but I was thinking about sand. Would this be ok? Or is it worse?

[shelach]

when i first got my baby's (also from china town nyc) they didnt like to eat the pellets eather.
i gave them the option of veggies or pellets (no shrimp or krill snacks) untill they got the idea. they figured it out as soon as they were hungry.

It also helps to break up the pellets. hatchlings have small mouths so give them small pices.

now that my guys eat what ever i give them, i like to give them veriety. They seem to like the 'Nutrafin' brand pellets, 'wardley' brand dried shrimp and dried krill. i also like to leave small pices of carrots or a romain leaf in there for them to munch on.
I give then two small servings of pellets a day, and a few shrimp or krill every other day as a snack.

About the basking... the water might be to cold. dont guess. get a $2 thermomiter from the pet store.

He shouldnt stop growing. I got my silver doller china town turtle in late may and he is already a bit over 3 inches.

If you can, check him with a herp vet.

[Kyurois]

He does have a thermometer in the water...The pellets are really small, Mikey lets them soak and get soft so he can bite them in half. Now that hes older though, he will just eat them whole.

I think I should be more specific about him. Mikey still eats, just not nearly as much as he did, maybe half. And if you pinch your forefinger and thumb together in a circle, thats how big he was when I got him. Now he's 2 1/8 inches ( I just measured him), and hes still growing. I think he might be shedding scutes, he has some parts of his shell lighter than others, and the light spots seem to move when you touch them, and I'm sure they're not fungus.

[shelach]

how much are you trying to feed him? ive been told to oly feed them as much as would fill thier head cavity (not including neck).
your little china town guy sounds about the same size as my littlest guy Fidelieto, also from china town ny. maybe they are brothers