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Trying to get him as much natural sun as I can, just incase the UVB bulb I have isn't doing a good job. Here are some updated pics of Gurgi's shell. I have started to cut back on feeding him any pellets until he starts eating some veggies. He wasn't touching the cuttlebone - so I got him a ZooMed Banquet Block which has a Calcium supplement. Now, I am strictly back to only giving him Red Leaf Lettuce, which he has not touched at all. I am feeling really guilty, but I gotta force him to eat it right?

He definitely needs to shed and he needs protien. I wouldn't worry too much about feeding him lettuce right now. He's still pretty little and needs the protein to grow. The vitamins he'd get from the lettuce would be good, but he needs protien. He won't grow much on just the lettuce. He should be fed pellets regularly until he reaches sexual maturity, which would be when his shell is about 5 inches in length. Normally that would be in about two years. If Gurgi is indeed a year old, he is pretty small for a yearling, but he'll get there soon enough.

Is he eating the Banquet Block? The block is designed for when you are away from the turtle's tank for a few days and most people on here have decided they aren't a good food source. If you still have the pellets, try soaking them in some of the water from a can of tuna until the pellets soften.

To encourage shedding, you can try giving him a blueberry. Don't give more than one a week though as turtle's digestive system isn't designed to deal with sugar. His shell will shed when his shell is getting larger, that can only happen with protein, calcium and vitamin D3 from the sun or a UVB bulb.

Be patient, he won't shed overnight and it may take a few days for him to eat the pellets, but nature should take over where his vanity leaves off.

He is so cute.

-Michael

Thanks so much for the reply! I just measured him to make sure I have it correct. He is exactly 1.5 inches. I have no idea how old he is, we rescued him, he must be nearly 1 year, no? I guess I'm most concerned with causing rapid growth.

These are pics from one week ago... progressing so quickly, or maybe not? http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32972

He loves his pellets!! I have absolutely no concern with him eating the pellets at all, which is why I would like him to at least consider some veggies. He is eating the banquet block too - it is really fun to watch when he "attacks" the block. I got him the block to entice him to eat the next cuttlebone I put in his tank, as well as for the calcium. I'm hoping it did the trick - because he didn't touch the cuttlebone that I added before.

He is so docile... I hope that doesn't change. He rushes over to the side of the tank and when I reach in, he stops swimming and waits for me to pick him up... no joke. He is handled every day since I do not feed him pellets in the tank... (with the exception of the banquet block trial, I only leave red leaf lettuce in the tank for him to eat, hopefully). He'll also continue basking if you approach slowly, or else he'll think it is feeding time and rush over to you. I can sit and watch him basking for hours.. hehe... can ya tell I have fallen in love with this tiny turtle?

Since he's very small, be extra careful when he's outside especially if he has no barriers. A simple distraction and he will be very hard to find. Remember, they move fast on land and are good at climbing and digging.

Hurray! Cuttlebone and Red Leaf Lettuce have both been eaten this morning. Not a whole lot - but it is a start!

Alright! just noticed my Nicaraguan slider is growing rather rapidly so I've been cutting down on her food intake too!