General Care Discussion :: inactive

[Tris]

I had a painted turtle for about 14 years and NEVER had a problem with him, he was always active and when he wasnt i knew exactly what was wrong with him, well now i have a baby red eard slider and hes not active, i mean he pokes his head up and climbs out of the water- but hes not swimming around and it doesnt look like hes eating, I put several different things in his tank because i know they are picky. he seems to be pretty heavy for his size, he has a light and i put him in the window once in a while for the sunlight. I dont know how differnt they are from painted turtles because thats all i know, so if someone could PLEASE give me some advice i would be thankful

[missibsu]

Some basic information on your set up would help. How big is the set up, how big is the turtle, what is the water temp, basking temp, what kinds of food are you offering, and how long have you had the turtle?

RES take a few days to adjust to new set ups, so it could be that he just isn't interested in eating yet. Also, it isn't advisable to put the tank in the window, because the sun can cause the water temp to spike to dangerous levels. It's best to regulate the water temp with a submersible heater.

Read through the basic care information on the main site. There is a lot of good information there as well as in some older posts.

[sonyj]

Another point, your turtle isn't getting anything beneficial from being placed in sunlight through a window. Glass, screen, plastic etc filter most of the beneficial UVB rays. He needs these UVB rays directly so buy a UVB bulb to go over his basking area with nothing in between to block out the rays and/or take him outside in direct sunlight (a small kiddie pool is good for this).

And just to back up what Missi said, if he's new it may take a while to adjust to his surrounding. Also knowing the basking temp, water temp and set up details would help pin-point if anything particular may be causing his lethargy.

Is there any other signs of illness (open mouth breathing, swimming lop-sided, mucus from the nose)?

[Tris]

No open mouth or anything like that- his eye are closed alot but he does open them, so im not so concered with that

I think i need to get hjim a heater to keep the water temp to about 80 altough it is pretty hot out and i dont think the water temp is too cold but ya never know! , he is new- hes about the size of a half dollor, i do have a light for him but i dont have any UV lights left from my other turlte, so ill need to go out and get one, i thought the window would work but i guess not- I cant put him out side because i live in a complex and plus thats how i lost my other turtle, its rained and i was at work and the water levels got to high and allowed him to crawl out : ( ]]

But def thanks for letting me know about the window, i didnt even know that! im assuming thats whats wrong with him, heater and UV light.

Are red eared sliders as active as painted turtles?

[missibsu]

I don't have any experience with painteds, but it is my understanding that they should be. The basic care for the two are very similar. Several people on here have both.

Are the eyes red or swollen at all?

Start with the heater and lights and see if that doesn't help!

[Tris]

No they dont look swollen to me, but then again he could have already been sick when i got him and they just look normal to me ( they arent red)

Ive only had him for a couple days

and i was just wathcing him and it does seem like hes floating a little uneven in the water.

[sonyj]

If you don't have a thermometer to check the water temp get one (and also check the basking temp while you are at it). Water temp for a hatchling should be a constant 78 degrees (older turtles 72-75 degrees) with the basking temp at least 10 degrees higher or around 88-90.

For a turtle that is ill, it is usually recommended to raise the water temp a little (81-82 degrees) to help kick in their immune system. I'd start by making sure the water temp is correct (78 degrees) and then if he doesn't respond you might want to up it for a couple of days to see if it helps any. Many times after a week or so, they adjust to their new surroundings and are just fine. As long as his habitat is set up correctly then give him a little time.

[marisa]

Check the basking area temp and water temp.

What do the eyes look like? Does he keep them open or close them? Are they swollen at all?

[Tris]

Hes keeping his eyes closed alot but he does open themthey dont look swollen to me, and they arent red, so im not sure if i should get eye drops and put them in just in case. hes so tiny so its hard to tell.

[Tris]

I just picked him up and put him on the groud and he started walking around- which he never did before- so tomorrow im getting the light and the heater and hopefully he will start being more like a turtle!!
Ill keep you guys posted Thanks so much for the advice!

[repetit]

yea
setup ur tank nicely
and if u probably got him jus a few days only , its probably becuz it was stressed or not used to humans being arnd him , so maybe ya hav to give it some time
my small res was also very shy when i first bought him , but got used to it eventually.
it actually would help to hav a transparent tank or plastic kinda tank so tt it can actually see human , otherwise most of the time , it will jus be startled