All Turtles Message Board

myturtle8 · Guest Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 3

The water is heated, there is basking lamp - and the turtle simply sits on the piece of wood under the basking light and sleeps all day. I can even lift the turtle without her waking up.... I bought it last year around November, so it's pretty new. But it used to eat normally, but now it just keeps sleeping. There's another turtle in the tank and it eats and doesn't sleep as much as much. Is there something wrong is the turtle that keeps sleeping?

turtle_grl77 · Level 4 Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 985 Location: Florida

Is your turtle swimming leaning to ine side? Gasping for air? What is the water temp at?

luvturtles · Guest Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 4

My turtle too! I just got two turtles two weeks ago. I've learned a lot since then....

One turtle is just great, zooming around, curious, eats good.

The other turtle sits on a log under the basking lamp, he won't even eat. I thought it had an inflamed eye, so I administered eye drops, then I thought it had an RI (looked like it was breathing through mouth) so I bought a water heater and warmed him up, got vitamins to give to him (kind of hard to give him when I can't get him to open his mouth, so I soaked him in them).

Anyway, if you move him around he'll walk back to his log, if I put him in another container, he tries to get out. It's almost like he's sulking or hibernating?? Since the other turtle is doing fine, I think the water temp is fine (78-80 degrees) (there's a heater in the water that regulates it) The turtle doesn't seem to be leaning or gasping (he was gasping for a while but not anymore) I do know he plays possum a lot. When he thinks I'm looking, he'll act like a rock. But when I'm not looking occasionally I'll find him in a different spot. He's not getting worse, seems to be better (not gasping anymore) just sleeps or doesn't move ALL THE TIME.

Any suggestions or ideas?

myturtle8 · Guest Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 3

Yea, it sounds really similar to my case. My sister and I bought two baby/small red ear slider turtles (turtle1, turtle2) around November, and they don't eat at first, and kept sleeping. Since it was during winter time, the air and water was really cold, and I learned taht they won't eat if they are not warm enough. So we bought a water heater and a light to get them warm. And also a log for accessories.

As soon as they got warm they didn't sleep as much and started to eat. They were really active especially turtle1. But starting since last month, turtle1 has been sleeping all day and not eating. It's always at the same spot on the log and under the light. It seems like it's basking, but it's been doing that for the whole day for weeks and even when the light is off. When you wake it up or put it in the water, it will finds it way back to the same spot and keeps on sleeping. I had to wake it up to feed it, and it does eat.

On the other had, turtle2 is fine. It's really active, eats and sleeps normally. The water temperature is fine and the light should be fine too. Does anyone know what wrong with turtle1? Question

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
Very Happy

turtle_grl77 · Level 4 Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 985 Location: Florida

If your water temp is around 80 and you have proper lighting, you may want to consider taking your turtle to vet for a check up. Make sure your vet specializes with herps.

luvturtles · Guest Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 4

Here's what I'm trying...
In another container, which I fill with medium to hot water and extra vitamin flakes and food, and a light, I soak/bask the turtle for a few hours each night. (He started gasping for air again so I used the opportunity to stuff the vitamins in his mouth since he won't eat.) It seems to make him a little more active.

They say that a vitamin A deficiency could be causing these symptoms or RI (Respitory Infection) which means he needs a warmer environment so that's why I'm trying warmer water and more vitamins, which the other turtle doesn't really need since he's healthy.

Also, in comparing his eyes to the other turtle's, it seems both his eyes are enlarged. So I'm thinking he's basically blind until the swelling goes down. Maybe that's why he doesn't move around a lot - he can't see. So I'm administering eye drops still.

So I think I'm going to have to move him into his own little makeshift tank that's smaller since he's blind and also to move him away from the healthy turtle. I'll be able to make the water warmer for him and also fill it full of vitamin flakes so he can soak in them all day while I'm at work.

I'll let you know if it helps. If you have any ideas or anything is working, please let me know. Thanks! and I hope your turtle gets better. Smile

turtle_grl77 · Level 4 Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 985 Location: Florida

You can buy eye drops for your turtles. As long as one is sick you should seperate them this way you dont infect the other turtle.

myturtle8 · Guest Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 3

Thanks for your suggestions. I hope that my turtle is not sick, but don't know why it keeps sleeping on the log. It would eat if I put it in the water and wake it up..but then it will find its way back to the log. I don't know why it's acting that way, while the other one is always active. I went to a pet store (Petco) to see if there's any vitamins or medicine, but since I hope/don't think my turtle is really sick, I don't know what I should get or if I should get medicine for my turtle.
I'll probably try to separate it from the other turtle if it doesn't get any better. The problem with that is we only have one tank and one heater, so if I move one to another smaller tank/container, it will not have a heater and the water would soon get cold. So I'm still deciding if I should separate them...and still keeping a watch to see if it will act differently later in a few days or weeks.
I hope your turtle is doing well also.

luvturtles · Guest Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 4

Hello,
So far so good! The turtle is doing a "little" better. Occasionally opens it's eyes, so the eyes are getting better. Are your turtles eyes open? If not, this may be an indication of sickness. The turtle eye drops are a good thing to get, since it seems they're basically Vit A, which the turtles need anyway.

I was wondering if my turtles not sick, could it be hibernating still? This may be the case with your turtle. Although I know mine is sick because of the eyes and the fact that it doesn't eat.

By soaking it in the water with the vitamin flakes, it seems to do better, but I'm trying to do this on the weekends when I'm home since I only have one heater/filter/tank also, this way I can keep the water warmer than the main tank.

Also, I got the Anacharis (sp?) plants and he seems to be nibbling on these occasionally. I found a paste made for anorexic turtles and it's supposed to stimulate their appetite, it seems to be working with the Anacharis plant.

On the other hand, the other turtle is doing great, almost twice the size of the sick turtle, very active and eats everything in sight. I'm going to try and keep at it with the sick turtle.

Hope everything is good with your turtles!

hoover05 · Level 3 Joined: 26 Oct 2005 Posts: 137

Hi,

I'm wondering... Do you both have UVB lights as well as a regular light, or just the regular light?

UVB lights are vital for turtles and they do not have them, they can get RI... This is especially true for younger turtles.
_________________
I love my turtle....

My wonderful sister payed out the wazoo to get me her so I guess I better love her Smile

Rennifer · Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 1:11 am Post subject:

I've had the same problem with my little baby girl. She breathes fine though so I know its not RI, and her eyes seem okay so I don't think its a Vitamin A definciency, especially since she's eating fine. She basks all day and I noticed a white patch on her head today so I think she has a skin fungus. So if your turtle doesn't have a respiratory infection or a vitamin A deficiency try checking for skin fungus. Good luck Smile

Turday · Level 2 Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 97

how do u cure skin fungus?
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Aug 29 2006

Rennifer · Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 10:19 am Post subject:

There was a really good thread on it somewhere on this site but I can't find it anymore. Basically you add a tiny bit of sea salt (like 1 teaspoon per every two gallons or something, but I could be off) to the tank, clean the fungusy area with betadine, keep them dry most of the day, and take them outside to bask a lot.