My turtle isn't eating

kyle123

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Hi,

My 5 year old female map turtle stopped eating 3 weeks ago. She eats a mix of shrimp and pellets usually but won't even look at food now. I took her to the vets after she stopped eating for a week and the vet said she was perfectly helathy and to try feeding cat food. I tried feeding her raw fish but she didn't even look at that. I've been putting her in a nesting box for a couple hours a day to try get her to lay eggs but that hasn't helped. I've just brought her a new tank and I'm currently building in a nesting box into it. I've run out of ideas after that.

I think I may have found what could be wrong with her though. I picked her up today and noticed some white marks on her shell. I don't think they were as prominent before so I'm wondering if it could be she'll rot. I don't know if you'll be able to see from the pictures but any help would be appreciated 20180507_172939.jpg20180507_172935.jpg20180507_172931.jpg20180507_172928.jpg
 

SteveW

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Hi there. Lots of possibilities here, from water quality, to the recent move. But just to start simply, my understanding is that maps are highly carnivorous and you might try tempting her with earth worms and soldier fly larvae. Sometimes the moving prey is hard to resist.
 

kyle123

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Just tried it and he didn't eat the worm but I dunno if it was the complete water change I did again this morning but for the first time ever he ate from my hands
 

mark1

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personally I do think there is something going on with her shell , I would try an anti-fungal to see if it improves ....... as far as I seen that wouldn't cause her to stop eating ........ unless she eats a lot of quality commercial pellets , i'd vary her diet a bit more than just shrimp ....... beef liver once in awhile is like giving her a vitamin , once they eat it they generally like it .......how's her water quality ? and lighting ? does she regularly bask ?
 

kyle123

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Yeah I do feed her pellets as well when she's eating. I've tried feeding her other food in the past but to no luck.She also does love to bask and spends nearly half the day basking I'd say. I do give her vitamin eye drops a couple times a week as well. And the water quality currently is perfect I'm changing it completely once a week
 

mark1

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as a different perspective , if i keep a water turtle indoors for some reason without a biologically cycled functioning tank , i find it necessary to change their water every day , and i find their water quality conditions are never really acceptable ....... i have tanks that have never had more than a partial water change , and that very infrequently , have been running for years , i would call their water quality conditions excellent ..... possibly her shell is just hard water stains , or scarring from an old infection , hopefully someone with more experience with shells that look like hers will weigh in ....i believe if it's hard water stains it'll come off with white vinegar .... what do you use for UVB ? while a change in appetite can mean nothing , it often means something ......... if you are confident in her health leave her get hungrier and then try a new food ........
 

Yvonne G

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At first glance, I thought the shell looked like the top layers of keratin were getting ready to shed off. This is quite common, and normal with water turtles.

Also, I don't think a steady diet of shrimp is a good idea. It should be used more as a treat. "Map turtles are omnivores. In captivity, the majority of their captive diet consists of floating aquatic turtle food and a variety of aquatic plants. Typically, hatchlings and young map turtles feed on more plant matter than adults. Physically, adults develop large, muscular jaws in response to a natural diet of hard-shelled snails and crayfish. They also eat a wide variety of insects. Freeze-dried shrimp and krill are a great treat for map turtles. "

See if you can find someone who has water hyacinth in their pond. Water hyacinth is readily accepted as food by turtles.
 

kyle123

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Yeah all good help thanks, and the water quality in the tank should be fine as I am using the same filter I have for 3+ years and it was half full with the previous tank water. Also I am using a mercury vapour bulb for uvb. Yeah I'll try some more greens everything I've ever tried has been left to rot
 

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