Feeding and Nutrition :: My RES isn't eating

[andrewmarie]

Hi! My name is Drew and I have a res (Sergio) that is about 3 inches big. I got him as a gift about 3 months ago. He lives in a 20 gallon aquarium equipped with a heater, water filled to about 6 inches, thermometer (which is usually between 75-80 degrees), a large basking area with uvb lighting and "hiding spot", and a filter. He usually eats floating pellets,freeze dried shrimp, or freeze dried krill. About 2 weeks ago,Sergio stopped eating. He's usually quite the greedy fellow, but now he just swims away when I try to feed him. A week ago, I tried to change it up a bit and give him live fish. Out of the 3 I put in there, he nibbled at one. I'm quite worried about him and will take him to the vet as soon as I can, but money is very tight at the moment and I am unable to. Besides eating, he is acting exactly the same. Swims around, basks for a few hours, and even walks around in my backyard with me. If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thank You.

[steve]

Do you have any gravel in the tank? What kind of basking area? Has the temperatures outside dropped noticeably? Have you tried different pellets? How good was he at catching fish before?

He could just be experiencing seasonal affective disorder which doesn't require a vet visit. Have you tried any of the tricks here? http://redearslider.com/entice_eating.html

Try adding some plants with a veggie clip or aquatic plants so he can nibble on it when he wants too.