Urgent Care :: RES won't eat and sleeps all day

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Post Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:17 am   RES won't eat and sleeps all day

I have two small RES. I got them when they were hatchlings and now they are 1 year old. One of them (Timmy) has nearly doubled in size. Interestingly, Timmy was always the least aggressive and always ate the least amount.
My other turtle, Siras has barely grown in a full year. He was always very aggressive and ate a ton. He would eat right out of my fingers and always got fed a lot (if anything, too much) because all of my friends love him. Recently, he stopped eating and sleeps all day. I can poke him and he barely responds. Sometimes he falls asleep in the sun with his head actually laying on the rock or even in the water. No, he isn't dead. He will eat hamburger, that is the only other thing I have tried.
I bought these turtles in China town in NY. Could one of them be a chinese turtle that doesn't live long. Someone told me that but I thought that was an urban legend and the problem really was diet.
Currently I have them in a sunny spot which may be too warm. The water temp gets high during the day but the other turtle seems really happy and continues to bask many hours a day. Prior to this spot I had them in the basement without a proper light. I moved them into the sun because I thought I had neglected Siras from UVB too long. It was while he was in the basement that he started acting unhealthy. Since I moved them into the sun Siras hasn't responded negatively or positively. COuld it be that my assessment was correct but it will take time for him to come around.
Prior to the basement, I had them in the sun where they are now. Both seemed very happy, even though the water temp could get a little warm during the day. Is this a problem?
One other thing: I did notice yesterday that the edges of his shell are getting flimsy. The tiles can wiggle up and down a little. I think they have been like that all along as he is still the size of a hatchling.
Their tank is very large for them. They have over 30 gallons of water. Their diet has only been Tetroreptomin and ocasionally a piece of hamburger (maybe four time in their life). I have never given them any kind of supplements like I have been reading about recently like cuttlebone and stuff. Recently, I have realized that I might need to put more effort into their enviroment but first I want to get this little guy, Siras healthy again. What can anyone tell me.

Dan
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:29 pm   

they need veggies for a balanced diet. Turtle sticks cannot consist og the entire diet.

Are they in a tank and in direct sunlight? If this i sthe case, move it now. Turts can literally cook in direct subnlight while in a tank. can you take teh temp of the water when it's 'hot'?
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bradhart
 
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:39 pm   

The tank isn't in direct sunlight all day. For about 3 hours They have real strong sunlight. For those 3 to 4 hours the water gets a little warm. Do you still think this is a problem? Even when I use a basking light, I have trouble with the water temp. They are in a glass aquarium and it really holds the heat in. Does anyone else have this problem. I used to have many turtles as a teenager and never worried about water temp. I just hung a light in there and they were happy as could be.

This still doesn't help my emmediate problem. Siras started acting like this while he wasn't in a warmer enviroment. The sunny spot has helped very, very slightly; but he is still sick. I think he is still interested in hamburger. Is this bad for him or should I nurse him back to health on that since he is interested?
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:43 pm   

Ok, have you read ANY of the stickies on nutrition/feeding and how to set up an Indoor Habitat?? if not, you may seriously want to go through all the stickies and read them throughly. Turtles will beg for food non-stop and will eat almost anything you give them whether its good for them or not, it's up to you to make sure they are eating properly.
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cam722
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:28 pm   

Ok - I recognise that I need to work on the diet and environment ect. I am pretty positive that isn't the major issue here. I can work on his diet all day long but what good is that going to do if he won't eat. Going back to the original message, he sleeps all day and hasn't grown any. I am really worried he is dying. Can anyone help me with what to do. I have changed his diet and environment alot recently to try to determine what is wrong. It doesn't help. He is sick! BTW, I did check his water temp today while it was sunny and it is OK. It feels warm to the touch but it is still OK.
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:38 pm   

check the water temp with a thermomiter. to see exactly how hot it is getting. ok for you, might be to hot for a turtle
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Post Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 4:22 pm   

if you think it's sick, use your common sence. Take it to a vet.
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:46 am   

Having the tank in direct sunlight for 3 hours really doesn't give any benefit to the turtle other than some heat, for the turtle to get benefit from the sun, it would have to get the sun with no obstructions like glass or screen, for example, if you take it outside to walk around for a couple of hours a day, it would help the turtle more than any UV bulb can.
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:07 am   

do not feed them hamburger, that is probably the worst thing you could feed him. turts should live for a long time, slider type terrapins can live 20-40 years. you can only give your RES uvb light from a special UVB bulb or unfiltered sunlight. keepin' it by the window doesn't work, it only harms your turtle. do not put a tank in sunlight, not even for a few minutes - that is a terrible mistake many people seem to be making. buy some thermometers to make sure the water is constantly around 75-78 and the basking area is 90-95. give them some calcium or cuttlebone, they need it in addition to uvb. they may seem healthy to you, does that mean you have observed many other healthy turtles and can make that judgment?

if its not his diet or environment, then what else is there? a mental disorder is possible but it doesn't sound like. a genetic disorder, possible but also not likely. their diet and environment are everything to them - he may not be as hardy as your other turts but it doesnt mean he was unhealthy to begin with. quarantine him, then take him to a vet and correct his habitat and diet. if you don't then he will continue to suffer.
Last edited by steve on Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:07 am   

Get them a UVB light if you can't take them outside for direct sunlight.

I'd stop feeding the hamburger. Increase the calcium in their diet and vary the diet more.

The one turtle sounds like he could be in an early stage of metabolic bone disease. Read here for some information on the condition-- http://www.turtlepuddle.org/health/mbd.html
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