should i be concern that my red ear slider turtle doesnt seem to be eating?

Question

i recently got 3 red ear sliders and im not sure about how to take care of them. i got them turtle pellets but they dont seem to eat it and its been a few days. i heard they dont eat during the winter time but its only sept. is this normal? im considering getting them a water plant, any suggestions about what they enjoy most to eat? also, i know turtle needs to bask but i havent got them a light. instead, i open the window and let the sun dry them. since its getting colder should i buy them a uva/b light or would any regular household lamps work?

Answer 1

like beth said i would try crickets or i would get waxworms my freind has one and he feeds pellets,waxworms, but normally not crickets because he hates the crickets but most all reptiles like crickets but anyays try waxworms or crickets

Answer 2

hopefully the turtles are in at least a few inches of water to swim in. (with a place to get out of the water too)
Try to soften the food in water before dropping the pellets in their water.
Where did you get them? The wild?
PUT THEM BACK. Let them hibernate and make babies.
If from a pet store, then once again, make sure you have them in enough water. They drink water too. If dehydrated, they may not eat.
They need a water heater too... They may think they are supposed to be hibernating, and if the water (if you even have any) is cold, they will slow their eating down for the winter.

put them in water.
get a heater.
get the lights.

You can get a reptile light bulb from anywhere that sells different kinds of light bulbs. I think that Walmart even sells them.
I used to use a silver work light over my reptiles and snakes. Looks like a dome. You can either spend lots of money on them in the reptile section of a pet store, or you can get one at a hardware store.

Depending on the size, try a few small crickets.

Answer 3

1. Cheap turtle pellets are poor nuitrition for turtles- make sure you are using a quality brand.

2. Turtles often do not eat for a while when they are put in new habitats. This is normal, up to a point.

3. Sigh. I get really, really depressed when I hear someone getting a pet and claiming they don't know much about it. Especially something like a turtle which really takes some pretty specialized care.

4. Turtles can hibernate over the winter, and should if it is possible, but it is a very hard thing for a beginner to do. They are triggered to hibernate by temps and shortening days. Using our lighting systems, we can 'trick' them into thinking it is summer all year round.

5. Turtle lighting is one of the tricky things about keeping turtles. You need to duplicate the sun's light- intnsity, duration, and spectrum- all visible light, infrared (for warmth) and ultra-violet (which does not penetrate typical glass or most plastics).

6. Water plant- young Red-ears don't eat plants, they are carnivorous until they get bigger and slower.

7. They NEED TO BASK. They need to get totally out of the water and warm up to about 90 degrees.

PLEASE review a good care site like http://www.redearslider.com to learn about caring for these guys. In the meantime, here are some basics:

TANK- Aim for 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle (that is not the tank size, it is the swimming pond size). This sounds big but it allows exercise, minimizes territoriality, makes cleaning easier, reduces stress, etc. Many keepers use big plastic tubs or kiddie pools instead of heavy and expensive fish tanks.

Heat the water to about 75-80 (monitored with thermometers). you can use several techniques for this- talk to the reptile or fish person at your best pet shop.

Filter the water aggressively. Turtles are messy and soon make the tank stink. Lots of filtration and frequent water changes are important to their health.

BASKING- They need several places to get out of the water- a rock, a flower pot on its side, a raft or ramp, a log... At least some of these sites should be heated to about 90, usually with infrared lighting.

LIGHTING- Good reptile full-spectrum (including UV) bulbs are good. You can simulate them by combining regular incandescent, 'warm' or 'daylight' fluorescents, infrared heat lamps, and black-light bulbs. You gotta play a bit to find the right combination and distances. I put mine on timers that allow me to have a mock day- fluor. first, then incand., then heat, then UV and off in reverse order.

DIET- A high-quality turtle pellet is the best for the foundation of the diet. It can be supplemented with live or thawed/frozen 'fish foods' like fish, worms, insects, shrimp, etc. Baby turtles especially like bloodworms. Older trutles like some greens. Try dark, leafy greens lightly boiled (to help them sink a bit in the water).

Try to feed the turtles seperately. The serving size should be abuot the size of their head or a bit more. We feed babies daily, young turtles every other day, and adults every three days.

OTHER-
- Lots of fresh air. Avoid covering the tank or stale atmospheres.
- Outdoors is great! If you can make an outdoor pool with a fence- fantastic! There are a lot of links for outdoor care.
- Avoid stressing the turtles. They are stressed by loud noises and vibrations, flashing lights, being stared at by giants or predators, being handled too much, cold drafts...
- Research- there is a TON of info about these turtles on-line!

Good luck!

Answer 4

no unless its ben 2 week