Feeding and Nutrition :: Feeding For The First Time . . . and he's not eating!

[LudwigVonTurtleman]

Hello everyone!

I just got my RES yesterday as a christmas gift and I am super excited to care for him! I'm trying to feed him some frozen bloodworms (recommended to my girlfriend by the lady at the store) and he doesn't seem to be showing any interest. So I just went and found some dandelion leaves (as per the feeding guide on this site) and put them in there, but it doesn't seem to be catching his attention either. Is this normal?

[Kylesims]

When we first got our RES, he acted similar. Think about that he just went through a big stressful situation, moving and such. Give him a day or two to get used to his aquarium, and to relax and feel safe. Then, he'll start eat.

Also, go buy some earthworms - We use red wrigglers - and drop one of those in, infront of him, at feeding time. Keep an eye on it though, cause live worms will burrow into whatever substrate you have. Also, don't let the food sit in the tank to long, as it'll start to pollute the water. You always see tips about 'not feeding more than the turtle will eat'. So, if it sits for thirty minutes or an hour, take it out and try again later. Good luck! ^.^

[steve]

Welcome to the forum. How big is your turtle? What's his setup like?

[LudwigVonTurtleman]

hey steve,

my turtle is about 1 inch long and he has a 10 gallon tank. right now it's just water and some rocks for him bask on, but i'm going out tonight to get him a water filter, water heater, and basking area. i'm not sure that the lamp they sold my girlfriend is the right one, it doesn't put out any UVB light and it's not even that warm. he ate at the pet store early on wednesday, but he hasn't eaten since. i'm hoping once i make things more comfortable for him, he'll want to eat more.

[steve]

Pick up a thermometer too. As for his stuff, you can use a regular light bulb for him to bask and order a UVB one online. Same as his filter, though you're not looking at an expensive one anyway for a 10 gallon. Make sure the water is a consistent 78-80F.