RES question

[DAC8671]

My RES hasn't eaten in a few weeks. The last thing she had was about 7 feeder fish a week or so after Christmas. I've been putting pellets in the tank and as I was sitting thinking about it last night I realized she hasn't eaten them. I've seen them stuck to the filter, but didn't make the connection.

She is acting completely normal otherwise. She basks, she swims, she interacts with me through the tank. She has been scratching more and more on her basking platform. The one thing (other than not eating) that she normally does but hasn't been doing is come swimming over when I shake the food jar. She will follow it if I move it around in front of the tank. But lately she's not been doing it.

She still looks bright. We have only seen her actual poop just a few times since we've had her (thanks to a good filter).

She doesn't look thinner.

Any suggestions?

 

[Shelly]

Have you tried some more fish?

 

[terryo]

How old is she? If she's scratching on the basking platform, could she be looking to lay eggs? Could she be slowing down because it's cold outside...don't ask how they know, they just do.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

She's acting just like my Western Pond Turtle and it was seriously stressing me out until I finally decided that it's winter and they would normally be hibernating and so I think Wobbles is hibernating only staying awake. I think the quality of the light is different, even if we have lights on them the ambient light changes color and I think they are in hibernation mode. But Wobbles is losing weight and that is worrying me. I offer her food daily and she sniffs it (under the water) then rubs her nose like the food smelled bad. She does it everyday, rubs her nose. She pushes the food away then violently rubs her nose...like ewww awful stinks! Her tank is in front of the window and I have a light on her. She is missing one front leg and the rear leg was almost severed so she can't use it, it's worthless, so she can't swim having only 2 working legs both on the same side, hence the name Wobbles. Maybe I'll post a picture of her...anyhow I can relate to how you're feeling because I have one acting like that too...

 

[DAC8671]

We rescued her in Aug of 2008, so I have no clue on age. I know she's grown quite a bit since then, but she was living in a 15 inch long by 10 inch wide clear plastic rubbermaid container. No basking rock, no light, not enough water to keep her submerged. She was living in that tub on the back patio of the person we rescued her from.

I haven't tried more fish, she usually gets them as treats once every 2 months or so. She doesn't eat veges or dark leafy greens. She never has. I've tried, but she puts her nose up at them.

She's not been around a male since we've gotten her, so would she still try to lay eggs? She didn't do this last winter, so that's why I'm a bit concerned. I honestly didn't know RES's hibernated. I had two of them YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS ago and they were active all the time everyday of the year.

If she were trying to lay eggs and become impacted, how long would that take? Like I said, she's acting completely normal every other way.

She's in an 80 gal tank that's filled 75% with water. Temp in the tank is 72.

Here is her setup...

Here is Gunther on her basking rock we made...

Here is Gunther actually basking...

Here she is posing for a photo op (excuse the dirty tank glass, but if you have an RES, then you know about how long a tank stays clean)...

Here is a pic of her shell while basking...

Here is part of her shell I've always been concerned with. It's been like this since we got her. Almost looks like it was melting off of her at one point...

 

[DAC8671]

Update:

She is NOT eating ANY pellets. I've tried getting her to eat dark lettuces and veges, but she never touched them since I've had her. I did try again, but nothing.

I bought some more feeder fish and she ate 7 of them (I bought 10).

So I'm wondering if this is what her diet will be now? I have a cuttlebone in the water, but she's not touching it. How concerned should I really be? Right now, on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being high, my concern level is about a 5-6. She is BAR in every other way, but just not eating.

 

[terryo]

You could buy some duckweed on line, and put some in the tank. I just put a little because it can become invasive if they don't eat it. That 's the only green that mine will eat. I brought mine inside for the winter, and she totally stopped eating for about a week, then she went up on the land area, and dug under to hibernate. I have her in the garage now where it's colder. If I didn't have any land area in her enclosure, she would be doing the same thing that yours is doing. Is she WC? If so, then she would be used to hibernating and would stop eating. She could be digging on the platform to lay eggs, or to dig under. Her eyes look clear, and you said she is still active. I also give mine worms instead of goldfish. See if she'll go for a worm. She looks good.

 

[Shelly]

Sounds like she just likes fish, some turtles are picky like that. If she gets hungry enough, she'll eat...