Feeding and Nutrition :: Turtle still not eating.

[rawrbaby]

Well I've had him for 7 days now. and he still hasn't eaten. Does the water need to be a certain temperature? Because I don't have a water heater right now.. but I am getting one either tomorrow or the next day. So will he not eat because he is kinda cold .. or just because he isn't used to it yet.. maybe he doesn't know its his food? I do take him out of his tank to feed him, and I take water from the tank and put it in a bowl. Any help is much apprecated.

[SpotsMama]

If it's too cold he won't eat. If he is new and scared he won't eat either but I would think by now he'd be feeling more comfortable. Get that heater and a thermometer ASAP.

If it were me I'd try feeding him in his tank in case he's just too upset about being moved from his home to his food bowl. But the temperature must be acceptable in any case.

[rawrbaby]

Alright THanks I'm getting my heater in the next 2 days. So is that okay? :O

[SpotsMama]

The sooner the better! Good luck! Keep us posted.

[rawrbaby]

Thank you. Yeah. and I have a question, can I mix the tank water and then some warm tap water to put him in just to see if he will eat? Will that bother him?

[CountryGirl68]

If your turtle isn't eating in his tank, don't take him out to feed him. He's just starting to get used to his new environment and the taking out to feed might put added stress on him. Try getting him to eat in his regular tank first and get the water temp to about 78degrees. And make sure you get a thermometer so you'll know the exact temperature of the water.

[rawrbaby]

Alright. Sounds good thanks. I know that the food contaminates the water, so how long to I wait before I take it out.. like if he doesn't eat it? Because I don't want it to dirty up my tank.

[marisa]

You can mix some warmer water in with the tank water to get it warmer, but check the temp with a thermometer to make sure it's not too warm for your turtle (what feels good to you might be too warm for him).

If you're going to feed him in the tank, leave the food in for a little while (I'd try about 30 min.) and then net out what's left after he's not interested in it anymore.

[rawrbaby]

Okay. Sounds good. Thanks for all your help. I will be going up to feed him momentarally. He is basking at the moment. haha Full on Superman pose

[rawrbaby]

I added warm water. and gave him some food. He looked at it and then kinda pushed it away. Then I dipped a pellet in tuna juice, and I don't know if he can smell it or not. I decided to come down here to see if there is anything else I can do. I saw that he did poop. That means his stomache is emptying right? So he will need to eat sooner or later. Also, after I came to see if he was eating, he looked at me, went underwater and started swimming. Is that a sign he knows who I am? lol

[industrial_girl_2000]

I added warm water. and gave him some food. He looked at it and then kinda pushed it away. Then I dipped a pellet in tuna juice, and I don't know if he can smell it or not. I decided to come down here to see if there is anything else I can do. I saw that he did poop. That means his stomache is emptying right? So he will need to eat sooner or later. Also, after I came to see if he was eating, he looked at me, went underwater and started swimming. Is that a sign he knows who I am? lol

Turtles have a very keen sense of smell so I know he could smell the tuna. Pooping is a good sign. He may be eating a little bit of the food when you aren't looking. One way to find out: count the number of pellets you put in his tank and walk away (let him eat privately). Come back in 20 minutes and count the pellets that are leftover. Scoop out any uneaten food.

Another thing that you can try besides tuna: canned cat food. Sometimes I buy a can of fancy feast (some kind of seafood variety) and feed Sheba with a spoon. It's one of her favorite treats & not very expensive. Refridgerate any uneaten cat food for up to a week. Again, this is only a treat and shouldn't be given to them all the time.

Turtles can differentiate between different people, but this takes time & a lot of hand feeding. Just have fun!

[Mike S]

My RES is 4 years old. I never had a heater and he hasn't eaten in a few days. He always likes to eat. Could it be the water temp?

[Pizza]

Well first off, you should really get a heater for your turtle, they live much better and healthier in warm temperatures for turtles. Having too cold of water can give them illnesses much like us, so yes, your turtle may not be eating because of the water temperature, for a variety of reasons.

Warm water temperatures do make for a happier and healthier turtle, it would help induce eating.

Otherwise, your turtle may be sick, either from catching an illness due to low water temperatures or something else, more information is needed.

Low water temperatures can also incude hibernation in your turtle, so it is less active and won't eat, while hibernation is normal for wild RES, it is strongly not recommended for captive RES, you should never attempt to put your pet turtle into a hibernative state.

[Mike S]

Thanks for the quick response. I will get a heater tomorrow AM and will keep it @ 75.

[Pizza]

No problem, was just on at the time,