i've recently purchased to baby red ear sliders and one seems to enjoy the new home but the other just sort of mopes around, should i be worried? i have a basking area for them a water heater and filter.
2007-06-16 07:12:18 · 5 answers · asked by fuzzie_banana 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
its a 10 gallon tank with about 4inches of water
2007-06-16 07:24:58 · update #1
i have a regular bulb, i guess there a diffrence???
2007-06-16 07:30:15 · update #2
A regular bulb, is fine for heat. If you have the money, getting a full specrum UV tube is good. But not all UV light are equal and you need to change it every 6 months. Try Repti-Glo 10.0 tubes. They are freadily available and relatively inexpsensive and work.
Back to your original question. It's neither sleepy or unhappy. The other turtle is well adjusted by now and it leads me to suspect it is sick (possible respiratory infection).
I would seperate right away and not it affect the healthy turtle. A lethargic turtle is a sign of illness and they go bad to worse very quickly. Increase the water temp for the sick turtle to 80-82F which will help the immune system. If you have the resources, take it to a herp vet and it can give it a shot of vitamin A and/or Baytril. However, it is often too late and futile for hatchlings, since many turtles are just not meant to make it, even with the best care and intervention from a vet.
What I usually do is increase the temps and hope the little guy is strong enough to make it. It may sound cruel, but it's nature and I have kept and bred many turtles.
2007-06-16 10:42:50 · answer #1 · answered by wu_gwei21 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need to get a heat lamp so that they can bask as well as a uvb light to stimulate sunlight. this is important because they need sunlight to produce vitamin D and to absorb calcium. I wouldn't worry to much though. My brother has a red-eared slider that he got when it was pretty small who did not eat for a week after we got him and wouldn't eat when being watched for another two weeks. this is common behaviour in a stressed turtle. They need to adjust to their new environment. If your turtle has not eaten anything for two-three weeks you should consult a vet (try to find a herp vet), until then just make sure that there is food available 2 or 3 times a day (try live meal worms, young turtles love them) and give them lots of alone time. You can work on helping them adjust to you after they adjust to to their new surroundings.
2007-06-16 09:43:55 · answer #2 · answered by Janra 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm having to coax my turtle to eat as it likes to be hidden by grasses and things. Maybe placing some covering in the tank will help!!
2007-06-16 07:41:18 · answer #3 · answered by shhhhhhhhhh 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do you have them under a UV light? Without the UV light, they will slow die. They need it to absorb calcium. If they are not getting enough cakcium and absrbing it properly, their bones, including shell, will become soft and they will die of MBD or metabolic bone disease
2007-06-16 07:24:45 · answer #4 · answered by hummi22689 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
how big is the tank and how deep is the water????
2007-06-16 07:17:10 · answer #5 · answered by Kit_kat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋