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sraet
Level 1
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 5
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 Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:14 pm Post subject: RED EARED SLIDER PLEASE HELP................... |
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Hi. My boyfriend and I just got a red eared slider.
His name is Toma.
Toma is about a month old.
Well we got Toma some things for his new home.
A 10 gallon tank.
A heating Lamp.
A basking Rock.
Some rocks for the bottom of his tank.
A water filter.
We filling his tank half way.
The water is approx. 76-80 degrees F.
We love Toma. But he just isn't eating.
I dont know why.
We have had him for about a week and he hasn't eaten.
And now he isn't swimming either.
We put floating baby turtle pellets and he won't eat them.
Same with frozen turtle snacks.
How can we get him to eat and start swimming.
We are so worried.
Please help.. |
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Storm_Rider
Level 2
Joined: 28 Oct 2006
Posts: 99
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| Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:45 am Post subject: |
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maybe he needs time to adjust to his new home? maybe the water is just too deep if he really is a month old. does he still have the little hard "beak" tip on his nose that he used to crack out of the shell? i had six RES that young before and they didn't swim or eat either till way later. maybe they were just really stressed out being handled too much.
i got my baby turtles to eat live california black worms (often mis-titled tubifex worms). baby animals act on instinct i believe, and instinct is to eat small moving things, not floating weird things. give it some time, and try the live worms, you can find them at most mom'n'pops fish stores, not giant corps like petsmart or petco. |
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sraet
Level 1
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 6:30 am Post subject: |
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| Storm_Rider wrote: | maybe he needs time to adjust to his new home? maybe the water is just too deep if he really is a month old. does he still have the little hard "beak" tip on his nose that he used to crack out of the shell? i had six RES that young before and they didn't swim or eat either till way later. maybe they were just really stressed out being handled too much.
i got my baby turtles to eat live california black worms (often mis-titled tubifex worms). baby animals act on instinct i believe, and instinct is to eat small moving things, not floating weird things. give it some time, and try the live worms, you can find them at most mom'n'pops fish stores, not giant corps like petsmart or petco. |
thank you. how do you feed the worms to the turtle. do you put them in the water or do you get a feeder tray?? also where would you put the tray if i did get it. |
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Storm_Rider
Level 2
Joined: 28 Oct 2006
Posts: 99
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| Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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um, at first i just put the worms into the tank and they sunk to the bottom and dug around. the turtle sees or smells it and just eats it by itself. i'm not sure what a feeding tray is, is that like for tortoises? you can use that too if it sinks. turtles eat their food in water since they have no saliva or something like that.
my tank always has a sand bed though and i usually inject some worms right into the sand also, that way the turtles can dig around and get a more natural feel to it. but that's not necessary. california black worms also live in water so you don't have to worry about uneaten ones. though dead ones might rot. |
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sraet
Level 1
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Storm_Rider wrote: | um, at first i just put the worms into the tank and they sunk to the bottom and dug around. the turtle sees or smells it and just eats it by itself. i'm not sure what a feeding tray is, is that like for tortoises? you can use that too if it sinks. turtles eat their food in water since they have no saliva or something like that.
my tank always has a sand bed though and i usually inject some worms right into the sand also, that way the turtles can dig around and get a more natural feel to it. but that's not necessary. california black worms also live in water so you don't have to worry about uneaten ones. though dead ones might rot. |
so how should i have my tank set up. i just have rocks. should i get sand. I was told if the rocks were to small the turtle might eat it and it will get sick because it cant digest the small rocks. so i didnt think sand was such a good idea. maybe i need some more help with my tank set up |
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Storm_Rider
Level 2
Joined: 28 Oct 2006
Posts: 99
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| Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:30 am Post subject: |
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each person has their own method and beliefs. i think sand is fine and a closer feeling to mud than river rocks for my musk turtles. they can't dig in rock gravel i used to have, but they dig fine in my sand bed. not to mention i keep cory cat fish in their tank to clean up left over worms and they need sand.
an interesting note, i remember reading turtles eat small rocks to help clear their digestive track. it helps push out undigested food and what not since the rock does not dissolve. it made sense to me, why would a turtle eat a rock?  it has no taste and doesn't break. but either way, i dunno if what i read was fact or fiction. just throwing it out there.
your current rock gravel is fine. bare bottom tanks are fine. don't worry too much about it. your tank specs seem fine to me. just focus on getting it to eat, but don't flip out when it doesn't. they can go a while without food, a week or so. |
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sraet
Level 1
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Storm_Rider wrote: | each person has their own method and beliefs. i think sand is fine and a closer feeling to mud than river rocks for my musk turtles. they can't dig in rock gravel i used to have, but they dig fine in my sand bed. not to mention i keep cory cat fish in their tank to clean up left over worms and they need sand.
an interesting note, i remember reading turtles eat small rocks to help clear their digestive track. it helps push out undigested food and what not since the rock does not dissolve. it made sense to me, why would a turtle eat a rock? it has no taste and doesn't break. but either way, i dunno if what i read was fact or fiction. just throwing it out there.
your current rock gravel is fine. bare bottom tanks are fine. don't worry too much about it. your tank specs seem fine to me. just focus on getting it to eat, but don't flip out when it doesn't. they can go a while without food, a week or so. |
well it hasnt been eating for over a week. it looks like its really sick, and i want to take my baby turtle to the vet, but technically he is illegal. I bought him for $20 at a fair. And I bought over $100 worth of stuff for him. And Then the guy at the pet store told me he was a very illegal pet and if i get caught with him, i can be arrested. I guess if you own a turtle or sell turtles that are under 3inches long you can be arrested. BUt RES come from florida and down south. I am not going all the way down there, and i wont let him into the wild here. He will die. And i love my Toma wayy to much. So thats why I have been doing some investigating. But it doesnt look like anyone has had the same problem with their turtle.
I am just afraid he might die. I have never owned a turtle before. And He still wont eat I got him over a week ago. |
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KrisDog
Level 2
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 33
Location: Sacramento, Ca
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| Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not a leagal reptile expert, but owning a small RES isn't illegal, just selling them are. If you feel you need to go to a vet, then go. The law passed passed because of too many tiny turtles being given away/sold at fairs and swapmeets to people who don't know anybetter... and they let their little kids play with them and put them in their mouths, etc... Putting a tiny turtle in your mouth is like sucking on day old raw chicken... not verh healthy! So now all turtles to be sold at pet stores (here in california, anyway) have to be at least 4". But I can go to the local swap meet and get baby turtles... My pet store guy told which stall to go to!
Good chance the pet store guy was trying to sell his own turtles!
_________________
Kris. |
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sraet
Level 1
Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:53 am Post subject: |
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| thankies !! You have been a big help |
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