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Pink Belly Sideneck Feeding Quest.

PostPosted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:29 am
by JJJ9785
Hey everyone! I've recently acquired a Pink-Belly Sideneck hatchling... he/she is about 3 inches (I think a she), and for the most part she has been adapting well. I'm in China, and this turtle arrived by mail. I was none too pleased by the shoddy packaging in which she arrived, but after about a week she became significantly less skittish. She literally has her own bedroom... my girlfriend and I check on her periodically, and keep the door shut so she won't be bothered by too much movement. I have an island for her to bask, UVA/UVB bulbs overhead, and plenty of pothos for her to hide in (she loves that), filter, etc. I'm using a sizeable rubbermaid container at the moment, but am really hoping for a bigger one soon: maybe a glass terrarium in the future as well, but she has been doing well in this so far.

First it was getting her acclimated, which has been going well. Shes pretty active in her tank. She doesn't get AS startled when I peek in (I try to move slowly), and I was so elated the other day when she finally began eating in a separate container. I simply placed her in shell high water with shrimp, pellets, veggies, and fruit all placed in, and she finally began to eat... only shrimp.

Shrimp. That's all she will eat. Every time. I'm on day 2 of trying to deprive her of her favorite junk food, but she is stubborn, and will simply swim around until it is time to go back into her "big" tank. I tried placing her in this separate enclosure twice yesterday, to give her more opportunities to eat, but I think the more frequent handling is starting to stress her out (I try to keep hands off unless I need to transport her, but even that seems to bother her). Oh, I should mention that she hates me...lol. I'm 80 percent sure she tried to bite me tonight, but I can't be sure.

Are there any tips of tricks to get her to eat a more balanced diet? She is definitely still stressed from adjusting to a new home (I've had her almost three weeks). She's making stride except for this one problem. However, I'm worried that my daily handling is making her appetite worse too. Should I just feed her in her own enclosure, and leave her be, or is this skittish behavior normal for a while, as a turtle is adjusting?

She is still warming up to me, and her new home in general, but I do get worried that my handling is stressing her out, and also that she is not eating a balanced diet. Any help would be appreciated!

Re: Pink Belly Sideneck Feeding Quest.

PostPosted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 12:23 pm
by steve
I would start to mix it with other foods, maybe with a blender? If she is healthy, then really go beyond that 2nd day. Turtles work well with a schedule, so I would create one and stick to that. I don't think daily handling will hurt her appetite, but it will distract her when she should be basking.