Feeding and Nutrition :: Feeding Young Turtles

[Gyalgatine]

Hi, I recently bought two small RES from Chinatown. They are about 1 inch each and I put them into my paludarium. The water depth is around 6-7 inches and at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I owned another pair of RES about a year ago before they died of random reasons. However, this pair doesn't seem to eat (I bought this around four days ago). For the older pair, I used to either place pellets on the basking rock or hand feed them (one of them would accept, the other one was extremely shy). However, these ones both appear to be extremely shy and will run away when I walk near the tank. If I drop the pellets into the water, they end up disintegrating and the fish end up eating it. If I put it on the rock, it eventually becomes soddy as well as the tank is well moisturized and it dissolves. I am using Reptomin. Does anyone have any ideas on how I could entice them to eat? If you have any questions on my tank and the conditions please feel free.

[penelope]

Four days...they could just be getting use to their new environment, plus they may simply be shy.
You can try Reptomin Baby for them(?)
You can also try to feed them in their very own feeding bucket (individually). That way you can see if they are eating 'behind your back'. If they are real shy, and you are confident that the water level won't risk drowning, try leaving them alone for a bit. Some little ones (and big ones) are either too shy or too interested in what is around them to eat.
Also, check the water temp. If it's too low low they may lose their appetite; if it's too warm, they may want to come out
Though, my first thought is that absent signs of illness, they are probably still getting acclimated.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Like penelope said. ID try feeding them in a container of some sort and see if you can get them to eat in there and probably the reason they wont eat in their normal habitat is their still getting used to it and to you. They dont know what you are to them yet.

[Gyalgatine]

Alright thanks guys. I will try that asap.

[Gyalgatine]

Hey guys, they're still not eating anything. I'm actually quite surprised that they're still alive... (can turtles live a week without food?) Anyways, I tried placing the turtles in a separate tank with food pellets, but they didn't eat it... I honestly don't know what to do. Could you guys help out? Thanks so much.

[penelope]

Hey there - This is what I would do:
Make sure they don't have signs of illness: http://redearslider.com/index_health.html
Realize that while for a positive reason,they are in fact going through several adjustments: a new home (stress #1); a new way of being fed (#2); and a new face caring for them (stress #3)
Who knows what their life was like before you got them - who knows what they are used to eating, or how humans treated them.
They were home four days and didn't eat (probably because of stress of the new environment). So, if I am calculating correctly, they have been exposed to a new feeding routine for three days. While a great choice, it is still new to them. Give them a little time to adjust to their new home and to realize that you are not a threat (caution is an instinct for animals and people alike)
I will reiterate and emphasize ***if, and only if, they are not showing any indications of illness**then they can go several weeks without eating.
Illness, less-than-optimal water temperature, inadequate or incorrect lighting, and a plethora of other things can affect their appetite.
These little guys can be quite stubborn when it comes to "breaking" them from food they love (i.e., whatever they ate before you brought them to their new and permanent home) - Combine that with the stressors mentioned above and it's not surprising they haven't eaten yet.
It's only been a week. It's OK. If you are 100% confident that they are healthy, and their habitat is optimal, then find peace in the fact that you are not starving them. You are giving them food and they are choosing not to eat.
The best way to alleviate any concern is to take them to a vet for a "welcome to my care" checkup
Then you can walk away with the confidence that they are healthy.
Sorry, I should have warned you that I am the Queen of Vet Soap-Boxing
Absent a vet, give them another week.
If they still don't eat, well...time for a vet

[steve]

Are they kept together?

[Gyalgatine]

Are they kept together?

Yes. Is that a problem? (there is plenty of space for both of them right now, as they are both around 1.5 inches in carapace)

[steve]

Feeding them separately just helps to see if anyone is having a particular problem.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Well next option i would recommend is see if you can get any live prey for them like small worms or small guppies. Not sure what type of fish you have with them. Also try like dried krill. The bright orange should attract them to it, just to get them started on eating.

[Gyalgatine]

Would you recommend dried shrimp? I don't know if you know what I'm talking about (it's an Asian thing...) just tiny shrimp that are dried and are a bit salty.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Would you recommend dried shrimp? I don't know if you know what I'm talking about (it's an Asian thing...) just tiny shrimp that are dried and are a bit salty.

Yes, it is basically the same thing as dried krill.

[WorkinHard]

When I first got my 2 res's they were very shy and didn't eat for 3 or 4 days... Once they did start eating I had to be at least 4 feet from the tank for them to feel comfortable... Now (3 months later) I can hold pellets in my hand about an inch out of the water and they will swim up and grab them... I can't even walk past them without them begging for food! lol.
Once they get to that point make sure you don't give in to their begging and stick to a regular feeding schedule...