Feeding and Nutrition :: Can't get my turt 2 eat ANYTHING!!

[limu'smom]

I have 2 RES, both not quite a year old. One of them,Limu will eat anything and everything. My other turt, Lani, stopped eating her pellets and plants about a month ago. I tried all the suggestions on your link, and I keep offering her everthing, but the only thing she will eat is krill or shrimp, and I know that that is an improper diet. She refuses to eat pellets soaked in tuna water, but once I accidently dropped a piece of tuna in and she gobbled it up!
I also tried different brands of pellets, but no go. She has never been a big veggie eater, but I keep throwing those in too. Otherwise, she acts normal-swims, basks... She has always been a lot smaller than Limu and I am worried that she is not growing properly. I'm really worried about her! Any suggestions would be appreciated-thanks!

[SpotsMama]

She's probably figured out that she doesn't have to eat her pellets because you'll give her delicious treats like shrimp and tuna. Have you tried refusing to give her anything but good pellets (soaked in tuna water) and her veggies for several days? If she's healthy and gets hungry enough, she'll go back to eating her pellets.

If she's not healthy, there are a couple of possibilities. Is she showing any other negative signs - like acting lethargic (tired, not lively, wanting to bask all the time), swollen or irritated eyes, breathing with her mouth open or yawning a lot? Along with poor appetite, these are also symptoms of illness.

Is it possibly that the bigger turtle is bullying the little one and making her afraid to eat? That's not unusual with turtles.

What are the sizes of the two turtles? (straight shell length)

[limu'smom]

That's what i do-give her ONLY pellets, plants and no "good stuff".That's what I've been doing for about 3 weeks. She isn't showing any of the signs you mentioned-she acts like she always has. My turts are separated due some signs of agression on Limu's part!

[limu'smom]

Limu's shell length is 3", and Lani's is 1"

[steve]

Did you get them at the same time and were they the same size?

[limu'smom]

Yes to both questions.

[SpotsMama]

Is there any gravel in the bottom of the tank?

One of the common reasons for a turtle to not grow or grow slowly is internal parasites. With internal parasites, you'd expect a turtle to have an especially big appetite, since he/she is eating for two. That doesn't sound like your turtle. However, if you haven't had a stool sample checked for parasites I'd go ahead and do it since he is so small. A check for parasites isn't hard for a vet to do and it shouldn't cost much.

[limu'smom]

No gravel in the tank-I've never used it. She's never had a big appetite like my other turt. I've found a vet that sees reptiles, so I will get her checked, no problem.

[SpotsMama]

Glad you're going to see a vet. There's only so much we can help with on the forum. In the first place, we can't actually see the turtle and, more importantly, we're not vets! My position is that we're better safe than sorry and if you've got serious concerns, go ahead and get advice from a vet.

[limu'smom]

Thanks for the help-I was thinking of taking her to the vet, but I wanted to see if you guys had any suggestions. I knew NOTHING about how to take care of them when I adopted them, and your site has been a BIG help. Mahalo!