Feeding and Nutrition :: I'm worried

[LeoAndRaph]

I got my baby RES on saturday and I've tried giving them food and they won't eat. I'm worried that they aren't eating and I don't know what to do/try. I've tried the ReptoMin pellets and lettuce and another type of pellet. Help!

[kaimarion]

Just break 2 pellets in half and put them in or some lettuce which is the size of there shell.
New turtles are like that mine didn't eat till the second day (got mine 6 days ago) , he wont starve himself to death.

Have you found a name for him/her yet....I'am still searching for a temporary name for mine till I find out what sex it is.

[untsmurf]

Try giving them food and leaving the room for an hour. Most babies are too scared to eat when you are standing right there. They won't starve themselves though.

[LeoAndRaph]

Their names are Leonardo and Raphael. Raph is by far braver and likes basking. Leo likes swimming.

I don't have a lot in my tank ie water heater, uv light. does that have to do with their lack of eating? i'm supposed to get these things today or tomorrow.

[steve]

How many do you have? Have you read www.redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

It's very stressful for them right now so you need to offer something very interesting to them. I do think they can starve themselves though it's obviously not intentional.

[Safdar]

It takes time for new turtles to get used to their invironemnt and in this time they are really stressful and wont eat.
Check out the link steve gave

Try putting the pellets in the tank and go out of the room for a while, come back and check if he ate

[industrial_girl_2000]

Welcome! Read the basic care portion of the website www.redearslider.com (scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the topics). It's great reading & will tell you lots of awesome info to get you started.

Keep in mind that the babies are very shy because they know they are more vulnerable to being eaten by bigger animals in nature. Even though you don't plan on eating your little turtles (:lol:), it is important to be sensitive to this fact. Remember that you are a GIANT compared to them. They see you and see a GIGANTIC animal coming at them! Be patient, move slowly around them (don't make quick movements that frighten them), and just let them get used to their new home. It can take a few weeks for a baby to get used to his new tank in your house. In the meantime, read the site Steve suggested, and don't worry about the fact that they aren't eating for the first coupla days you have them. Just be patient. They will eat when they are hungry. Try hand feeding too, where you hold the food in front of their face.

[dawn9800]

It took almost a month for me to see Monday eat...try putting the food in there and then walk away and then sneak back real real quiet like...he he he

[megcornell]

What temp is the water at and how is your tank set up? Did you read the care sheets on RES on the main site? I see you said you only had a little water in the tank... you can add more water, the turtles won't drown, they're born swimmers. Also, how large is your tank? If it's only 10 gallons or so you may want to start with a larger tank off the bat so that you don't have to upgrade so quickly in the future. Once they start eating you'll be amazed at how fast two turtles can grow
New turtles can take a few days to adjust to a new tank, but there are also some basics that you need to entice them to eat such as a stable temp (~78 for hatchlings), good filtration for clean water, proper lighting, etc.

[kaimarion]

My turt (still to name) ate in front of me today , only had him/her since last Wednesday.

[SpotsMama]

Sometimes the reason a turtle won't eat is that he's too cold. The water temp for a hatchling needs to be around 78 or 80 degrees. I agree, though, that the most likely reason for a brand new turtle not to eat is that he's scared and needs time to adjust and settle down.

[camee1991]

My little Leo didnt eat for almost a week and boy I was freaked out. But I realized that he had had nothing but some ole crickets before and was just scared since I had put him in such a nicer environment than he was in before.

When they calm down, their hunger will surface! Promise!

[industrial_girl_2000]

As everyone else said, the water temperature is very important. Get a submersible heater & thermometer to make sure you have the water at around 78-80 degrees F. Water temp is very important for turtles to be able to digest their food. If it is too cold, they won't eat.

[LeoAndRaph]

My turtles started eating yesterday and plus they're eating in front of me. This is pretty much the cutest thing ever. LOL they're going after the same piece of food right now.

[SpotsMama]

Wonderful! makes you want to hug them doesn't it.