Urgent Care :: Red Ear Slider in Singapore needs help.

[sup3rm2n]

I am new owner of a Red Ear Slider hatching that i bought from a pet shop over here in Singapore about a week back, and now his behavior is seriously worrying me. He has stop eating and now keeps sleeping non-stop even with the new basking light i bought for him, the most he did was basking for a while and then go into the water for a dip and get out immediately back to the same spot.

How big is your turtle? - 1" ( its a hatching)
How long have you had it? - 1 week

What is the water temperature? - not too sure ( i live in singapore, so the average temperature a day 28 degree Celsius to 34 degree Celsius)
Did you use a thermometer? - no
Are you using a water heater? - no
How much water is in there? - 3 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? - yes ( i also add vitamin complex drop that HAS it Vitamin A, D3, E,B1,B2,B6,D-PANTENOL, NICOTINAMIDA,C, METIONINA, CLORURO DE COLINA, EXCIPIENT)
Are you using any filtration? - no ( i change the water everyday)

What is the basking temperature? - not too sure
Is there a basking light? - yes ( i am using exo-terro solar glow 125W)
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? - yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? - a floating log
Is there a UVB light? - yes

What have you been trying to feed it? - 2 different types of commercial pellet ( at first i was think he didnt like the food)
When was the last time your turtle ate? - 4 days ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? - 30cm by 15cm by 10cm ( i know its a small tank, but i was planning to get him a bigger tank when he grow bigger.)
Is the tank near a window? - yes ( but out of direct sunlight and wind)
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? - Not really ( its my bedroom)

Have you read the Basic Care section? - Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? - Yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? -

1. His eye are not swollen, its clear, but he seems to have trouble opening its eyes when he wake and use his hand to rub his eyes.

2. shell not soft, no discoloration or mal-formed, no white spots.

3. his hands and feets are shedding i think, i see brown scales peeling off.

4. no mucus on his nose, mouth or eyes.

[Kemul]

It happened to my turtle Ramen when I just got it home. Because it's not eating for about two weeks, I suspected respiratory infection based on discussions in this forum and I brought it to a vet. The vet wasn't familiar with reptiles, but deduced that the dosage for Enrofloxacin (generic name for Baytril) should be similar to the method used for avian (chicken in this case). Reptile and avian are close in the animal kingdom. Anyway, the vet gave me the diluted medication to be given orally for a week. After about two weeks more, my turtle finally ate the worms I gave it.

Once the turtle eats, recovery should be swift.

Here's a link to the thread about my case:
viewtopic.php?t=19786

By the way, in my case, even for a vet who's not really knowledgeable in reptiles, once I mentioned "Enrofloxacin", the vet seemed to think that I knew what I was doing. Thanks to this forum

Good luck!

[Kemul]

To comment on your setup, I really suggest using a filtration system rather than changing water everyday. The chemicals in the water might not be suitable for a hatchling. Also, avoid giving vitamin drops as hypervitaminosis (too much vitamin) can harm your turtle. Make sure you know what you're giving to your hatchling. The basking light might be too strong for a tank that small. If you can, just bring the turtle for a morning direct sunlight bask daily at a non-windy location.

[vear]

Like Kemul said, your basking light might be too strong for such a small tank. You should try to get a thermometer and check the temperature, if the light is too strong it may be irritating his eyes. Also, when you change the water, do you dechlorinate it? Chlorine irritates their eyes as well.

[kmichael55]

Perhaps you could find some container that's suitable and larger and try to get filtration established. If the light is indeed too hot, it may be overheating the water. Is he basking? Make sure there's a difference in the water temperature and basking temperature of about 10 degrees. He could have stopped eating because he is not basking properly. Basking helps them digest their food. It's difficult to regulate the temperature of shallow water and the difference in temps will encourage him to get out of the water and bask and raise his metabolism. If possible please try to get a thermometer.

[sup3rm2n]

i am now trying to order a bigger tank and have it set up from a local supplier, and hope it will be up soon which a proper basking dock and a working filter.

the turtle is basking, its like that is all he do. all the does most of the time is bask, mostly with his eyes closed like he is sleeping on the floating log i have set up for him.

[x1243]

hi, I'm from Singapore too. How's ur RES?

[Samuelsimjk]

Hey guys today I went to mandai fishing ground and foun two baby RES basking on the rocks there.i caught one and the other one was too quick.(just wanted to share)