I recently bought 2 baby slider turtles and 1 is now sick!?

Question

i recently got 2 baby slider turtles... i have been feeding them turtle pellets and they have been enjoying eating them. However about 1 week ago one of the turtles stopped eating. I tried boiled lettuse and other foods but he is not eating at all and has become week and thin. He sits up on the log all day to bask and even all night. He keeps opening his mouth now and again as though he is trying very hard to breeth.
I keep the tank very clean.... what medicine can i use?

thanks,,,,

Answer 1

Don't try to self-medicate. This is for a herp vet to decide on the course of treatment. There is a possibility of an upper respiritory infection. Antibiotics are needed for this.

You need a UVB source, the correct temps, and a different diet than lettuce and pellets. The Tetrofin pellets for your RES are a good pellet, but it's not enough for a complete diet. Lettuce...especially boiled...has no nutritional value. They need foods such as collard greens, mustard greens and more...and some of the aquatic plants like duckweed...which you can gert online. Feeder guppies and insects make up another portion of their diet.

Use a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer w/hygrometer for the best accuracy. You can get these for about $15 - $20 at Wal-Mart. Once you get the thermometer your goal is meeting the required temperature gradients in three different spots of the habitiat.

Not all UVB lights are created equal. Some decay very quickly. You need no less than two 4' flourescent UVB tubes. Short version - UVB helps the ig to process the calcium in their diet. Without the UVB...the calcium does not get absorbed and the result is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and renal failure. The brands to go with:
Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0
Iguana Light 5.0
Exoterra 8.0
Arcadia 5.0 (UK)
...or:
Mega Ray EB (external ballast)
http://www.reptileuv.com

Many of these can be purchased at http://www.reptiledirect.com for a more reasonable price than the pet stores. Once you provide these lights for your RES...set them in the 6" - 8" range for flourescent tubes. Any farther and the UVB drops of so much that they don't do any good. For the Mercury vapor, such as the Mega Ray...no closer than 12" to the basking area. There's an excellent care page to go over to see if everything you have is correct.

Then get your baby to a qualified herp vet for a diagnosis and treatment. You may not find one very close, but a little travel is worth keeping a life healthy. I travel 73 miles one way for my herp vet...;-/ Sure wish I had one closer...but my luck's not that great...

Answer 2

Well first of all...did you know that owning baby red eared sliders under 4 inches is illegal in the US? But second of all...do you have lighting and heat in the tank? Many times if the temp. of the tank is under 70 degrees or so turtles go into a kind of hibernation state where they still move and look awake but they don't eat and become less active. Turtles also need a UVB light to simulate the sun, their shells can become very soft and break apart. Without the proper heating and lighting your turtles will not grow properly and will eventually die much earlier than they should. You should really go to a small local pet store (petco and such doesn't know what they're talking about) and get the proper setup which will run you over $100 if you want to care for them the way they need to be cared for. Good luck. Email me with any other questions.

Answer 3

We use a turtle health conditioner called ReptoGuard. The web address on the box is WWW.TETRA-FISH.COM. We bought it at walmart. Also aside from pellets our turtles love worms, beetles, and small fish. Sometimes we will pick up some live bait fish for them. Best wishes for your turtle.

Answer 4

...could be a respiratory infection and he should be taken to a vet. in the meantime, go to turtletimes.com and look though the "first aid" section right on their front page. The people on that site have helped me with my turtles many times.

Answer 5

It sounds like the poor thing might have an illness, possibly pneumonia.

Review the cares and health or medial info at these sites for ideas:
http://www.redearslidercom
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Answer 6

your turtle has an upper respiratory infection, find a vet and get your pet over there asap

Answer 7

Go to the vet! Your turlte could be in mortal danger!

Answer 8

I don't have an answer...just a recommendation of where to look for one...
http://redearslider.com/forum/index.php

They will probably be able to help you quicker and with more expertise.

Answer 9

HELLO ! I AM FROM ARGENTINA ! I AM GOING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION BY SAYING THAT YOUR TURTLE HAS PULMONIA.
THEY GET ILL BECOUSE HUMANS DO NOT READ BEFORE BUYING IT !!
THEY NEED CALCIUM,VITAMIN A, MULTIVITAMIN,TAKE LONG HOURS OF UVA ( 12 HS A DAY ),
THEY EAT SNAILS,WORMS,INSECTS IN GENERAL (ALL THAT MIX WITH VITAMINS AND CALCIUM )

PLEASE DO NOT PERMIT HE DIED IN YOUR HANDS !!!

GO TO A VET !! HE NEEDS DROGS !! WITHOUT THEM,HE WILL DIED !!

SAVE EXOTICS ANIMALS...
DO NOT BUY THEM !!
THEY ARE FREE !
YOUR HOUSE IS NOT THEIRS !
THANKS AND GO TO A VET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FROM ARGENTINA.
DID YOU UNDERSTAND MY ENGLISH ?