Feeding and Nutrition :: Lil' Beltran won't eat

[FanOfTurts]

Hello....I need some help. My little hatchling Beltran won't eat. My little buddy didn't eat for the past 3 days. He spends a lot of time basking and he's in the water from time to time. He swims fine. His eyes are clear and not swollen. His shell is fine. I use a water heater all the time so I know the water temp is suitable. I have to buy some thermometers to properly monitor the temps of water and basking area. My other two turtles are fine, they eat like there's no tomorrow, esspecially Shea (young adult)

I tried feeding Beltran in a seperate tank with warm water.........still nothing. I haven't tried tuna, though.

Any advice......

[missibsu]

Try the tuna, or maybe even an earthworm. You may need to remove the other two and give Beltran a chance in the tank by himself. It takes new turts some time to adjust to a new set up and environment. So even removing him for feeding may take some time for adjustment. If everything else is as it should be, it could just be that he needs a little extra time.

[FanOfTurts]

I'll try the tuna when I come home. I'm at work right now. I've had Beltran for almost 3 months.

I forgot to mention, I do have gravel in the tank....but only on the basking area and NOT in the water.

[missibsu]

Has he not been eating this entire time, or is it a recent thing?

Also, while turtles have to be in the water to eat, it's not to say that they won't drag the rocks into the water to eat them. I'd still remove them if I were you. Better safe than sorry!

[FanOfTurts]

This is a recent thing with Beltran. Removing the gravel is a good idea. I use a hollow log for the basking area and gravel supports the log at an angle so that the log is accessable to my buddies and that the water level is ideal for hearty swimming.

Any other suggestions...... Use bigger rocks?? Use the turtle dock??? What do you use for your turts?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

the zoo med turtle docks are fine,a small size one is 9$ dollars and they have a cheaper brand that has worked well for people on this site but i dont know the name of the brand,hm if its a recent thing your going to want to be a little concerned,if hes basking alot and not eating it could be a sign of an early respiratory infection(turtle pneumonia) try bumping the tanks water temperature to 82 degrees farenheit and if in a day or so he's still basking alot and not eating,he should go to a vet.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

p.s.

what are the water temps? and is the tank near any open vents or window?

[FanOfTurts]

The water temp is 79° F. I can't adjust the teperature of my heater. The clerk that sold the heater said that this heater is designed for turtle tanks. I did a water change last night and put a little warmer water. The turtle tank is not near a window or an open vent.

My other turtles are fine.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

ahhh no,thats not a good thing.79 degrees isnt bad its actually a good temp for small turtles,you might wanna pick up a heater that you can adjust the temp,the visi therm stealth heaters are amazing and shatter proof and not that expensive,i got mine for 24$ dollars.try keeping the water a bit warm and try to watch for water fluctuation.keep offering food and try to soak the pellets in tuna juice to get your little guy to eat.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

if he still refuses after a couple of days,then a vet visit will have to do.
but for now just try offering food.try feeding him in a separate container if you will.

[FanOfTurts]

I'm going to try feeding him some tunafish. Out of curiousity, where can I buy "tuna juice"? I've heard it mentioned quite a bit in this forum. =)

Thanks for the advice.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

lol,uhm you just soak the pellets in the tuna can.soak it in tuna packed with water not oil.i hope everything goes great for you and your little guy,keep us updated ok?

[xsavingsaturdayx]

p.s.

a heater that you can adjut the temp is a must,in case it gets realy realy cold or realy realy hot your tanks temp is going to go up or down and if it gets too cold its dangerous,theyre are alot of heaters out theyre that are inexpensive,try getting aquarium heaters made for fish,most items made "specificaly for turtles" like "turtle tanks" are useless.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

by the way, becareful with tuna its a RARE treat only should be offered once a month i think,too much of it is bad and if they stuck on it its realy hard to get them to eat anything else

[FanOfTurts]

I will!!

I introduced my guys to some green leaf lettuce (NOT iceberg) last night. At first they were reluctant, but this morning they were eating it.....horray!!!!!!!! Beltran shied away from the lettuce, though.