General Care Discussion :: Sad turtle now Happy turtle!

[Dein211]

So as some of you know, my RES, Rolo has been under the weather. She had to be dry docked due to a slight case of shell rot. Well time passed and all she did was sleep all the time. The vet and I thought she was trying to hibernate but i thought it was odd for her to try and hibernate when the temperatures were correct in her box. Well needless to say I found the real issue. I had a depressed turtle. She was sad because she wasn't able to swim so she slept all the time. I know this becasue when i put her in her feeding tank she wouldn't eat but was increadibly stressed about having to leave the water and not having enough time in the water.
This week, her shell has completely healed and last night I plopped her into her tank that I set up for her and it was like having a new turtle! She even basked, which was an activity that I had not seen her do yet on her own terms. Happy Turtle makes me Happy! Yay!

[SpotsMama]

What a relief!!! They do love to swim.

[Dein211]

indeed. it broke my heart to see her get so upset about having to leave the water in her feeding tank becasue she wasn't allowed in there for very long. she acctually bit me once becasue I took her out and she is not an agressive turtle (well towards humans I don't know about other turtles). now she's pretty calm around me and I can mess around with the termometers to check them and she just watches me. Now i just need to see her eat something and everything will be perfect. Its only a matter of time though and I know what will get her to eat, wax worms!

[emma]

That is so great to hear!!

[Bascomb]

AAAHHHH -- A new field --- Turtle psychology. Mine must be stupid. Depressed or not; all they want to do is eat. It is as if they say ''feed me and I will be happy'' or ''feed me no matter how I feel'' Maybe that is why pigs are always happy. ha ha

[shellieInIreland]

MY TURTLE MICHAEL IS WAY BETTER NOW, HE HAS CHEERED UP SO MUCH SINCE THE PROBLEM WITH HIS EYES THEM TURTLE DROPS WERE A BLESSING HE'S GONE SO ACTIVE AND I'M UPGRADING TO A BIGGER TANK SOON THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT GUYS WHILE I WAS ALL WORRIED

[Goddessofwicked]

*lol @bascomb* turtle psychology.... thats how my Squirt is. "feed me feed me feed me".

[Dein211]

I beleive this feild is worth looking into lol. Yeah i've gotten her to eat some Rosie Reds and she <3's them. she put wieght on. A lot of weight. not unhealthy but a good turtle weight. Not exactly sure what its at since i don't have a scale that would measure her. I, for what ever reason am having a difficult time keeping the tank at a steady temp. I have two heat lampts and two water heaters in her water and theoretically just the one water heater I have should have done the trick, but NOPE. and Just when the temp is perfect in water and air and basking It changes on me! :C I hope spring gets here soon!!!

[mikee]

Dn-21 -- Yep! I just got over the battle of the heaters. I had one that would wander from 75 and below and 80 and above. I had to fill a small tank and narrow the problem down and the thermostat was bad. I got it replaced and the wandering temps started again. I don't think that the thermostats in most aquarium heaters are very sensitive. I have finally gotten the one I have had trouble with at 77.5 degrees and I am not adjusting it anymore. That is just going to have to do.

[Dein211]

Yeah i need to add more water to her tank becasue its evaporating and needs to be cleaned, but i'm afraid if i do, it wont heat up anymore. its already at the bare minimum turtles can have. I don't understand why the one heater which is programed to heat up to 78 degrees is only heating up to 70. And of course one of the lamps broke this morning ( the switch wont move) and i broke the most expensive bulb on the planet ( the UVB bulb) and i wont have the money to replace any of it for another two and a half weeks. my poor Rolo. I feel like the worst turtle mom on the planet just becasue her stuff isnt doing hwat its supposed to. Her Filter doesnt even work! ( hope i still have that reccept...)

[steve]

Dein211, I'd say you need a reputable heater and an accurate thermometer. A low power heater may also have difficulty reaching the programmed temperature.

Where are you buying your supplies?

[Dein211]

well the water heaters i have i bought at walmart temporary becasue i wanted to save up for this really nice one at petco, the ubv bulb broke becasue i was moving it when i moved her tank and it well, fell apart because i set it on the floor *ahem* a little hard. as for the tank air, my room is cooler than the rest of the house ( not the coldest) but its the only place i can keep her. i'm getting my paycheck this weekend so by monday, even sunday i hope to have this all set up.

[SpotsMama]

My goodness! I hope you're past your string of bad luck now. what else can go wrong?

It's critical that your turtle not get a chill. That weakens their immune system and makes them much more suseptable to illness. The top prioritywill be to make sure she stays at a comfortable 75 degrees (approximately).

If you have difficulty streaching your budget, you can use a nice rubbermaid tub in place of an aquarium. I got a 50 gallon tub from Lowes for $18.