Baby Red Eared Slider not eating! Need help!

nesries_sam

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Nov 10, 2020
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Hello, about a month ago I brought 2 baby RES back home. I put them in a 20 gallon tank, but the water is only 7 cm high. I provided a basking area, where they can dry off completely, but no basking light (UVA and UVB). However, I put the tank in the terrace, so they could get the sunlight whenever they want (I live in a tropical country btw), and bring them in during night, so they won't get cold.
I feed them lots of stuff (lettuce, pellets, shrimp, papaya, mangoes, banana), but they only eat bloodworm, so I give them bloodworm only. I tried giving them lettuce and pellets for the whole day, but couldn't continue for the next day since they look starving and still wouldn't touch the lettuce, nor the pellets.
Recently, they began to gape for air and stopped eating, and I searched for the answers online, and it's stated that they're experiencing respiratory infection, therefore I put them in a different tank, basked them for a bit longer than usual (couldn't go to the vet, since there r no vets around), and soak (put) them in water that has already been boiled with betel leaves and cooled (many people in this country claimed it'll help them). At night, I put them in a dry tank (no water at all) Unfortunately, one of them died yesterday and I don't know what to do now. I still sunbathe the other one, soak him in the betel leaves boiled water, and also supply him with bloodworm in case he's hungry.


Please help me!! ?
 

jeff kushner

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I've had various water turtles for over 5 decades......I do not claim to be an expert nor educated.....but from I've observed;

Water turtles(like lizards, snakes and crocs) need to bask after eating to digest their food. They need a basking area of 90-95F. If you can use a tall and slim rock, you can increase the water level so a filtering system can be employed for the water and a small 25W heat light can be clipped on the side.

Get a cheap therm (I use a laser type) and get your temps up if they are low.

I NEVER saw a water turtle of any type that did not immediately eat ham, sliced lunch meat ham.....but don't feed it singularly or they will develop issues related to over calcification.


I use one of these;

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GPB8FPJ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Be warned, there is no switch so I loosen/tighten the bulb....

Good luck with your guys.....that you are here shows their importance to you!

jeff
 

Pastel Tortie

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@jeff kushner is more familiar with aquatic turtles than I am. I'm more familiar with mud turtles than sliders. @Toddrickfl1 and @Markw84 can also provide better assistance.

RES are excellent swimmers, even as babies. (They are not considered a drowning risk like some mud turtle hatchlings.) RES can handle deep water, but they do need a place to haul out, dry off, and bask. I like Jeff's suggestion of making the water level deeper and adding a filter. RES don't need to be in a dry tank unless that's required for medical treatment.

If you have a turtle in a glass tank outdoors in direct sunlight, it can heat up much more, and much faster, than you realize. You need a good thermometer (or multiple thermometers) to monitor temperatures of the water and the surface to get out of the water on, as well as the ambient air temperature.
 

jeff kushner

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I'm new here, reach to the guys that are recommended....there really is some serious talent here.

Wow, I didn't even think about windows.......mine were always in inner rooms but in truth, I never even thought about the heat buildup. The fall smells affect them? Kinda makes sense to me intuitively but I've never had a indoor box turtle before little Matilda.

I should have added about the basking....most reptiles cannot digest food in the dark, for some reason it can and apparently does go rancid in their stomachs sometimes (though rare with turtles in the wild), then the guy dies and we never "know" why because we don't see anything wrong. I was taught this by one of the Keepers of the reptile house at the Nat zoo when I asked why they just don't warm the enclosures with the HVAC system we were installing when the building was new in the early 80's but had separate bright basking lights in addition to the airside system of course. I had not known that beforehand and my guys benefitted at the time b/c I had made the mistake of heating the water but ONLY lighting with a reg aquarium light instead of having added a small basking lamp. It was a easy addition.

I'm going to go give Matilda her rain -shower.....she LOVES the spray bottle....even though her home is plenty damp....she loves it!

Good luck again OP!!

jeff
 

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