General Care Discussion :: TURTLE WILL NOT EAT!!!

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:31 pm   TURTLE WILL NOT EAT!!!

ok, look, i'm starting to get sick of this BS. Its been about over a week now that i've had this guy and he won't freaking eat! i put him in his separate feeding tank, give him fish, apples, romaine lettuce, spinach, turtle pellets, ect... But HE WILL NOT EAT! I give up, whatever, i'll keep putting him in his feeding tank everyonther day until he either eats, or dies, i mean this is rediculous. Its his fault if he dies, i've given him a 60 gallon tank with fresh clean water thats been changed twice a week, his water is kept at 78-80F, he has a strong UVB lamp and a UVA basking lamp with a turtle dock ( the basking temp is about 90F ), he has an awsome water filter, i mean i take care of the damn thing oh so well that if he dies its all on him. And what do the idiots at the pet shop say, oh maybe he's just full, it takes about a week or two for him to get used to his new habitat, just like when they told me that useing small pebbles as substarte was good....ummmm no, he can eat that and cause trouble within his body, i got large smooth white rocks/pebbles...very large...the store is Laguna Beach, CA's Petco. WILL SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME AN EXPLAINATION AS OF TO WHY A PERFECTLY HEALTHY RES BEING KEPT UNDER THE MOST PROPER OF CONDITIONS WOULD NOT WANT TO EAT?!?!?!?!?!
squigles_the_AquaticTurtl
 
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:35 pm   

well first off if you've read any of the posts on this site about feeding turtles outside their tanks, you'll have noticed that NOT ALL of them do it!! YOU are ultimately responsible for the health and well-being of that turtle. It's not a thinking reasoning human being. So that being said, you can either be stubborn and try to force an animal who refuses to eat out of the tank just so you can prove your point, or you can be responsible and put food in its tank.
Carol
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cam722
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:37 pm   

You're pathetic, oh and what she said^.
TexasJagsFan
 
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:38 pm   

Let me also add this.. the pet store was correct (for a change) that it can take time for them to adjust to a new environment. Also, do NOT feed a RES spinach it is not good for them. How old is this turtle and how big?? That's something you neglected to say.
Carol
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cam722
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:43 pm   

I know you're stressing right now because you want the best for your new pet. To tell you the honest truth, he'll eat when and where he wants. I tried feeding mine in another tank and it never worked. After a week of worrying why he wouldn't eat, I finally gave up and started feeding him in his tank. I offered him most of the same thing I had been (with the exception of some freeze dried shrimp to entice him a little more) and slowly he started eating. It still took a few more days for him to eat what he should be. But he still won't eat out of his own tank. Some do and some don't. They are enticed to eat by smelly foods, so start with that. Freeze dried shrimp or tuna in water added to his pellets for a while might help him. And it really does take them a little while to adjust to their new environment. Just hang in there and do the very best you can because that's all you can do.
~~~Sonja~~~
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:44 pm   

Squigles, ranting does not help your turtle, it will not help you. Feeding in a separate tank is not something you should try immediately with a new turtle, especially a young one. Did you try smelly foods and treats to entice him to eat? You said in a previous post he was eating, why would you give up?

Maybe he was sick when you got him, maybe take him to a vet to get a checkup. I had to hand feed my sick hatchling for several months before he recovered. I did not let him give up.
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steve
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:44 pm   

1. Its probably adjusting to a new environment.

2. Are you watching it when you're feeding it? If so then stop, the can be very shy around people especially if is adjusting.

3. I don't feed my turtle in a seperate tank.

4. If it does starve to death it will be YOUR fault as you took on responsibility for its care and well being when you bought it.


Bottom line, stop trying to feed it in another tank, don't stand over it when so maybe it will eat. And above all BE PATIENT!!
Dylan ~17~, Brianna~14~ Ethan ~10~ Ava ~4~
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flutterby
 
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:47 pm   

Also, skip the veggies as others have mentioned. A really smelly treat my RES love is Zoo Med Repti-Cricket.
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steve
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:33 pm   Turtle Will Not Eat Part2

i don't stand over it while its trying to feed. And i don't want to keep hand feeding it because i don't want it to get used to that. I put it in a separate tank because thats that the guys at Zoo Med's had to say. he's a juvinile, not quite an adult yet, about 5 inches. the only things he will eat are guppies, and other protien rich sources of meat. I also hear that its not good for them to eat a diet soley of protien and thats why i'm trying to get him to eat veggies, i'm affraid that if i give him dreid shrimp and all that kinda stuff only that he'll get used to and that'll be all he'll eat. i put apatite enticing foods in his tank along with veggies....but no luck, i'm just stressing cuz i want the best for him. WELL THANK YOU TO SONYJ FOR BEING THE ONLY UNDERSTANDING ONE OUTA THE BUNCH!
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:36 pm   

Could have been worse Squiggles, I could have recommended you take him back to the store where you got him and said to get a hamster instead.

To me animals are people, sometimes better because they don't whine and complain. So I'm sorry if I "hurt your feelings", but my interest is in the care of your turtle.
Dylan ~17~, Brianna~14~ Ethan ~10~ Ava ~4~
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flutterby
 
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:41 pm   

thats pretty.....not funny
squigles_the_AquaticTurtl
 
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:42 pm   

I'm a bluntly honest person, would you rather us tell you what you want to hear?
Dylan ~17~, Brianna~14~ Ethan ~10~ Ava ~4~
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flutterby
 
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:43 pm   

i need help with this, not "jokes"
squigles_the_AquaticTurtl
 
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:47 pm   

well perhaps if you came on here and posted something that wasn't offensive to most reasonable people, you'd have gotten something other than what you did. Maybe you need to re-read what you posted and view it as others might.

Again, have you read all the info on here about enticing a turtle to eat?? The informations is there you just have to make an effort. Your turtle isn't a hatchling so it should be accepting veggies, just let them float in his tank, I'm not sure if anyone really feeds the greens etc, outside their tank. I may be mistaken though.
Carol
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cam722
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Post Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:48 pm   

flutterby wrote:Could have been worse Squiggles, I could have recommended you take him back to the store where you got him and said to get a hamster instead.


I would have to agree, whats wrong with hand feeding?
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