why won'y my turtle eat?

Question

he is really little (thiswide) (----------------------------)he is either a red eared or a yellow bellied slider.(i dont know) i got him small feeder fish..(.guess he couldnt catch them) i give him shredded lettuce and Carrots( i think he has eaten a little lettuce) and i got him turtle pellets. he has a uv light that gives off heat, a dry spot and a wet spot, and so i don't know....=)

Answer 1

it might be becuaz he doesnt like the food try putting in some worms and small salamaders

Answer 2

I'm hoping the turtle is still a baby, because that is a VERY small size for either of those types of turtles. If he is a baby, that could be part of the problem, I dont know what causes it, but sometimes babies just stop eating. Even humans do it. My brother had to force feed his kid, and I raised a litter of kittens, one of them stopped eating and I took him to the vet and he gave me nutrient fluid to inject into his neck several times a day.

anyway, what I'm getting at is that this is a common problem and probably has nothing to do with food. You need to find a small animal vet and have him looked at.

On the other hand, you didnt say how long its been since he's eaten, or if he's eaten at all. If this is just happening today, and you havent noticed it going on for more then a day or so, its probably not a big deal, he'll start eating soon. But keep a close eye on him and make sure this doesnt continue for more then a day.

really this depends on how old he is and how long he's gone without eating. If you want more information, feel free to message me. I hope this has helped

Answer 3

I think you are following some outdated advice.

First, let's figure out the species. Red-ear Sliders have bright red streaks on the sides of their heads. Yellow-bellies do not. Both have yellow bellies. If the belly is red or red-orange, it may be a Painted Turtle, etc.

Now- turtles want three things to be happy, and I am guessing yours does not have all of them.

1. Good water- a LOT of water (about 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length), warmed to 75-80F (which takes a water heater, not a bulb overhead), and kept very clean with a really good filter (about 2-3 times bigger than a fish tank the same size needs.)

2. Good sun- a safe, easy to access basking site that is warmed to about 90F, and lighting that illuminates the tank for about 12 hours a day. UVB is good- but plain UV does not help.

3. Good food- until they hit about 4-6" long, sliders are carnivores. Try a mix of about 1/2 good quality pellets and 1/2 live or frozen/thawed fish foods. Blood worms, small shrimp, krill, etc. are good for babies. As they get bigger, try small fish, insects, other worms, strips of beef heart, etc.

For some great care info, try http://www.redearslider.com

Good luck!

Answer 4

My 2 baby red-eared sliders have also not been eating much at all recently. This is pretty much because of winter. Turtles have the instinct to go into hibernation.... and they don't eat. They use the food they've eaten as fat to keep warm.

You should keep the water at room temperature to keep them warm enough during this season.

I've been keeping my turtles warm, but they are still not eating. They look totally healthy and act healthy too. So they're not sick. This is just the season they don't eat much.

You need to inspect them. See if they look fine.... make sure there isn't something that looks wrong. See if they move fine too. If they are, I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Answer 5

He probably needs more heat. He is a cold blooded creature. And therefore needs external heat source to heat its body to digest food. You want to provide a basking spot that is at least 80 to 85 degrees. Also you don't want the water to be too cold either. the water should be about 75 degrees. if you give it the proper habitat, it will be more active and eat just about anything you give it. My advise on food is to stick with the pellets or feeder fish. Try not to feed it Iceburg lettuce, as that is like 90% water. Sliders are more carnivorus then anything else. I hope this helps.

Answer 6

The UV lights don't give off enough heat. Turtles won't eat when they're cold. Try getting a basking light with at least 75watt.

In addition to the fish and pellets (because I would keep trying those) you can try worms. They usually like red wigglers.

Answer 7

My babies would only eat live plants for about the first 1 to two weeks and then started to eat some small fish and turtle food. So I would try that and also get a basking light so your turtle can bask.

Answer 8

a million) call some vets and ask in the event that they are knowledgeable approximately turtles. 2) Google the internet. 3) call a organic international rescue place - I see turtles in those places for all time. 4) call your Park District. 5) seem up shops on your section focusing on aquatic animals. 6) PetSmart sells them - call them.

Answer 9

pleaze dont listen to them i got my turtle last month for the fist week and a half they did not eat beacuse they were just getting use to there new envionment. So what i did was got them a heater and kept food in the tank until they got tired and was ready to eat. So keep throwing foood in there they will get hungry sooner or later

Answer 10

What is your water temp??
If the water is too cold he won't eat.
How did you get a turtle that small this time of year??
We get those during the spring and feed them worms, turtle pellets and little crawdads.

Answer 11

Buy floating turtle food and break into bite size pieces.