Still not eating...

JenClark74

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So baby Groot Elliott (ha ha...the girls named him Elliott at first, and then decided they liked Groot, so changed it and are calling him Groot, but kept Elliott as a middle name! ;)) has been here since Tuesday (Saturday now), and is about 3 weeks old. He is still showing absolutely NO interest in eating...he just wants to bury himself all day long. I am soaking him every day for 15-20 minutes, and I've tried putting live earthworms in the water. I continue to offer chopped up earthworms twice a day, plus I've offered greens and fruit. He literally climbs through the food to get to the other side. :rolleyes:

I read on this link that hatchlings may not eat for a few weeks after absorbing their yolk sac, so I'm just wondering if that's what's happening?

I know I have his enclosure too chilly...it's only around 72...my bulb is only 25 watts, so I've got a 75 watt bulb coming Monday. The humidity is around 65%.

I also just ordered some Phoenix Worms to give those a try.

Is there anything else I should be trying? I just want to take good care of this baby! :<3: Thanks! Loving this forum!
 

Turtle girl 98

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So baby Groot Elliott (ha ha...the girls named him Elliott at first, and then decided they liked Groot, so changed it and are calling him Groot, but kept Elliott as a middle name! ;)) has been here since Tuesday (Saturday now), and is about 3 weeks old. He is still showing absolutely NO interest in eating...he just wants to bury himself all day long. I am soaking him every day for 15-20 minutes, and I've tried putting live earthworms in the water. I continue to offer chopped up earthworms twice a day, plus I've offered greens and fruit. He literally climbs through the food to get to the other side. :rolleyes:

I read on this link that hatchlings may not eat for a few weeks after absorbing their yolk sac, so I'm just wondering if that's what's happening?

I know I have his enclosure too chilly...it's only around 72...my bulb is only 25 watts, so I've got a 75 watt bulb coming Monday. The humidity is around 65%.

I also just ordered some Phoenix Worms to give those a try.

Is there anything else I should be trying? I just want to take good care of this baby! :<3: Thanks! Loving this forum!
I was going to mention this in my message; little bubba only eats when I am not around. If I walk up to his tank and he's eating he will run and stop eating until I leave again. I've tried hiding and sneaking up to watch him eat but he's quick!
 

JenClark74

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Please enclose photos and raise the temp asap

Could I put a heating pad under his enclosure? That's the only thing I can think of to raise the temp right now, until the bulb comes.

The left half is actually covered with the lid to the container, though...only the right half is uncovered. And the moss is a lot more messed up now from him digging around...he loves digging around and burying himself! We half to really dig around to find him when it's time to offer food or soak him! And I put 2 containers of 25 each earthworms in there with him...so it's possible he's eating and pooping without me seeing him, I guess...
 

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JenClark74

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Ha ha...false alarm!! Groot is finally eating!!! I realized, reading that other post, that I wasn't feeding him in his home...I was feeding him after soaking him, and if he's nervous and doesn't want us watching him, or he's stressed from all the newness, that could be contributing. So I put some worms, apple and grape on a lid in his container and put the lid mostly on, leaving just a crack so I could see in, and set him in front of it...and within a minute, he went to it and grabbed a bite of worm!! I'm SO happy and relieved!!!!
 

Blackdog1714

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Sorry old eyes here! What kind of tortoise do you have. The moss is usually not good because if eaten it can cause impaction. Just trying to get you the right info. Also WELCOME
 

JenClark74

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He's a 3-toed box turtle.

I was told the spaghnum moss was good for cover...but maybe bark would be better? I have some orchid bark I could use. Or I could just use some leaves. I spray the moss a couple times a day, and it seems to help keep the humidity up.
 

PJay

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He's a 3-toed box turtle.

I was told the spaghnum moss was good for cover...but maybe bark would be better? I have some orchid bark I could use. Or I could just use some leaves. I spray the moss a couple times a day, and it seems to help keep the humidity up.
I think the sphagnum moss was recommended to you because you have an open top container and your humidity was low for a hatchling box turtle. Burrowing in the damp moss helps send the effective humidity immediately around the turtle skyrocketing to ideal levels +. I have used sphagnum with young box turtles for years without any problems. The only caviat being that I feed my turtles outside the container while they soak in water. This method contradicts some of the advice given in this thread but will allow you to keep the open top container you have set up. If you would prefer to feed your hatchling box turtle in its container I highly recommend a closed top container that can maintain proper humidity without the sphagnum moss. My hatchlings learn to eat in the soaking container within a few days to a week. The key is consistency, use the same container every time in the same place every time. I start off with a small container like a deli cup, margarine tub, etc. The exact container doesn't really matter just keep using the same type every time so the turtle recognizes it and feels comfortable. Add a small bit of 85F ish water, the turtle and a few pellets, a worm, a black soldier fly larvae, blood worm, etc., then walk away for 20 minutes. Within a week a healthy box turtle hatchling will be eating. Some more outgoing individuals will even open their mouth like a baby bird anticipating food when you put them in the container. It's really cute!
 

Pastel Tortie

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When my box turtle was a hatchling, I usually fed her outside her enclosure while she soaked. It's much easier to keep an eye on what goes into and out of the turtle that way... ;) It takes some practice (and negotiation, of sorts) to get the "feed the turtle in a separate soaking container" routine down smoothly. You can also monitor and adjust the temperature of the soaking water to encourage the hatchling to eat.

When it was time to take the turtle out of her soaking water, I would scoop any leftovers (pellets softened from being in the water, uneaten pieces of earthworms, etc.) out of the soaking water and put them on a dish in my boxie's enclosure. I'd set her down near the food... Sometimes she would pretend to ignore it, then double back and eat it the moment she thought I had headed out.
 

Pastel Tortie

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I was going to mention this in my message; little bubba only eats when I am not around. If I walk up to his tank and he's eating he will run and stop eating until I leave again. I've tried hiding and sneaking up to watch him eat but he's quick!
See if you can get into a "habit" of turning off the (ambient) room lights when you step away. After the turtle becomes used to the new routine, you can probably turn off the lights and immediately crouch down, out of sight, instead of exiting the room. Then you can be all sneaky... Listen for the sound of the turtle at the dish, and raise your head just enough to see. If you must take pictures, disable the flash on the camera first. :)
 

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