Feeding and Nutrition :: Turtle not eating anything?

[Silvermist464]

Hello, I have a two inch turtle and I am currently having feeding problems. You see, it all started when we ran out of turtle food... We were unable to get to the store for a few days, so I began to rely on earth worms to feed my turtle. He was eating the worms like there was no tomorrow. Soon, I got some real turtle food but it wasn't what I had had before. Before I had Reptomins Baby and now I have Turtle Bites.

The first day, I put a few of these in the water and watched. Skit, my turtle, swam up to the pelt, ate it, and spit it back out again. This went on for a few more days. I decided that he must not like the Turtle Bites food, and once again returned to worms. A few days later, I went back to the store and picked up some ReptoMin Baby again. Problem is, Skit still refuses to eat the pelts. I've tried everything. Can anyone help me?

[Kurtni]

I think Skit needs some tough love. If you quit with the worms, Skit will start eating the pellets again. He's just gotten spoiled. If you want to kick start the process, maybe soak the pellets in some tuna water.

[Silvermist464]

Sure, I'll give that a try. Thanks.

[Kurtni]

No problem. It may be a slow process. I have a turtle who had a nose injury and that made him not want to eat anything that didn't move for awhile, but I eventually just had to quit buying him feeder fish to get him to eat his pellets and vegetables again. He didn't eat anything for a few days, but he gave in eventually.

[Silvermist464]

Yeah, I just don't want to starve my turtle to death.. I'll try the tuna, but I'll have to wait until we need it for something. We can't really spare something like that on a turtle... But we should be having tuna helper soon, I hope, and I'll get the water then.

[steve]

He'll be fine for a few days without eating. Just leave some pellets everyday for him.

[Silvermist464]

Okay, so I tried the tuna thing and it didn't work... Is there anything else I can do? I tried to give him another small worm today and he just ignored it...

[vear]

You should stop giving him worms. It might take a few days for him to start eating the pellets but once he's hungry he'll eat them. BTW it takes a lot to starve a turtle to death. He can go for many many days without food. Quit the worms. Insist on the pellets. You could also try making the turtle jello shots. There's a sticky in the forum somewhere. It's usually used to get them to eat veggies, but you can add more tuna at the beginning so it smells good to him. It's worth trying.

[Silvermist464]

I'll look in on it. Thanks.

[Silvermist464]

I just noticed something strange with my turtle. He was sitting up on his basking rock, and I walked up to hum and took the screen cover off so I could put some new food in the tank when he.. flinched... I think that's what he did. He kinda jerked his head to the side and jerked it back again. Now that I think about it, he's been doing this off and on for the past few days. Is this strange for Skit to be doing, or what?

[Silvermist464]

He's also been sleeping alot.. If that's any help. He hardly ever gets in the water, and he's always on the basking rock...

[Love of Animals]

Sounds like he might be sick. What are his water and basking area temps? What size enclosure does he have and what type and size of filtration? Does he have a UVB and heat light? Sorry for all the questions but we need to know as much as we can to help.

[Silvermist464]

We have a size 10 aquarium , which I guess is 10 or 15 gallons, which has around four inches of water in it, a 2 to 10 gallon whisper filter, he has a heat lamp, not sure if it's got a UVB bulb in it.. the water is just below room temperature (Which is around 75 degrees Fahrenheit) and the basking temp. is above, maybe 79-83. We just got the aquarium yesterday, but this has been going on for a while.

Before, he was the same size tank, only filled up to the top. This tank had 6 goldfish in it and the same size filter. The water might have been about 65 degrees. I didn't have a heat lamp for that tank and the lights that came with it don't work..

Do you think he might need to see a vet? Or is it something less serious than that? All he does all day is sit on the rock and sleeps.. His eyes aren't puffy.. when I do get him in the water, he swims just fine..

[Silvermist464]

Found him in the water this morning.. I'm going to put some food in the tank and see if he'll eat them.. Nope, he didn't.. It's been almost a week, now from when he last ate..

[Silvermist464]

I just tried giving Skit a worm. I wanted to see if I could trick him into eating a pellet. I was dangling it in front of his nose, and all he did was twitch his head. Could it be that something's wrong with his mouth or neck?