Feeding and Nutrition :: new baby slider not eat and bask much

[Hanan]

good evening
i had a new baby slider from 1 week, he did not eat at all and bask nearly all time.
he is in 6 liters of water with a filter that is used 5 hours daily as he is so stressed when it work, i change quarter the water everyday with chlorine free water . i know the tank is small but I will get a bigger one later on.
the fist two days i used florescent lamp then i found water cold so I get heating lamp and i checked water temprature with my hands and i think it was fine.I get it out in the sun 5 hours during the week (3 days).
There is a strange thing that i feel: the turtle as if do not know how to swim when it get to water after basking a long
time it still searching for rocks or something to hold an still moving its hands to the sides of the container to get his head
out of water, also a strange thing happened today : he closed one eye for sometime and switch the eyes after that.
During the first 3 days i tried to feed him in a separate tank and then i stopped moving him.I tried to feed him freeze
dried tubifix and the turtle food (made of crude protein and crude fiber) but he did not eat anything. i remove the uneaten
food everyday.
What can i do to make him eat? why did not he swim (is there something wrong)?

[steve]

Are you using a water heater and thermometer now?

Can you answer some of these questions? (Sorry about any repetition.)

How big is your turtle?
How long have you had it?

What is the water temperature?
Did you use a thermometer?
Are you using a water heater?
How much water is in there?
Are you using a water conditioner?
Are you using any filtration?

What is the basking temperature?
Is there a basking light?
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
What kind is it or what is it made out of?
Is there a UVB light?

What have you been trying to feed it?
When was the last time your turtle ate?

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
Is the tank near a window?
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?

Have you read the Basic Care section?
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?

[Hanan]

How big is your turtle? 1 inch
How long have you had it? 1 week

What is the water temperature?
Did you use a thermometer? no
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there?6 liters
Are you using a water conditioner? use water left 24 hours
Are you using any filtration? yes (not all day as the turtle is stressed)

What is the basking temperature?
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? rock like
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? freeze dried tubifix and turtle food made of crude fiber and crude protien
When was the last time your turtle ate? not eaten since i get it (8 days)

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?40*25cm
Is the tank near a window?yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? moderate

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? bask too much and seem as if it do not know how to swim, keep searching for something to handle when it get into water.

[steve]

There are a number of things I would try. Cover the sides of his tank to provide some privacy. Give him regular soaks in diluted unflavored pedialyte. Try some live prey like feeder minnows or earthworms. Hold it by the tail and let it wiggle in front of your turtle's face. Avoid too much handling and tank re-arrangement.

[Hanan]

Another strange thig happened today, i put a foom plate that floats on water and the turtle can get into and out of it through the rocks of baskig, i watched the turtle for about an hour it ate nothing but get in and out , after another hour i found the turtle on its back (shell) putting one hand on an eye and not moving. i tried to move it gently but no answer and then i turned it so it became somehow afraid and moved into water, what is wrong with him???

[Hanan]

Also i saw something in white colour (or light brown) on the right side of the neck (from the bottom)
what is this???

[steve]

I'm not sure, could it have been some loose skin? Have you tried the pedialyte? Any of the feeding option?

[penelope]

Was he on his back under water?
Do you have a picture of what you saw on his neck?
He sounds tiny.
Maybe keep him in shallow so he can stand and get air if he has trouble swimming, but it also needs to be deep enough for him to turn over if he falls on his back again.

[Hanan]

@ steve : thanks for your advice, unfortionately the store has no life preys, i will get the pedialite tommorow.
@ penelope: he was on his back on a plate for feeding not in water, i tried to get picture but it was unclear, at first the water was shallow but i increased it after i read that it must be deep but i feel that my turtle is not happy by deep water.

I am afraid that the light brown area on the right side of the neck is fungus , Do you think so? what can i do?

[penelope]

just as a guide, the water only needs to be about 1 1/2 the the length of the shell. So, if he is scared of water, about 1.5 - 2 inches should be enough until he gets used to it. Maybe crush a little food between your fingers and drop it in the water right under his nose. He may like it if he can smell it.
I don't know much about shell and skin problems. sorry.

[Hanan]

today i found it again upside down on its shell(back ) but on water with hands seeming thinner than usual ? what is happening?

[steve]

Well, he needs to eat! Is he stressed out? If he's trying to get out of the tank, he might have the privacy he needs to get used to his surroundings. You really need to try and get him to eat something.

[Hanan]

i want to ask about the pedialite , i only found orange flavoured (no unflavoured), also it is powder packets how to use it (please specify quantities if it is safe to use)

[steve]

I guess if you have no other alternatives. However you really still need to get him to eat something.

[Hanan]

how to get him eat? i put the wet food near his mouth he turns his head away? what can i do?