Help turtles...pls?

Question

ive asked this question a million times and no one can give me a staight answer.....

#1.my new baby turtle i just bought its been 6 days and still hasnt eatin anything hes very health swiming basking....but no eating wen do i need to START WORRYING...

#2.what r some things i can try to give him?ive try dry freeze blood worms (i cant find live) the pellets the adoption place gave me, pellets i bought,live crickets,i have tryed fish food too..i got nothing yet....

#3. alot of ppl r telling me i dont need a uvb/uva light ???is this true????

#4.well my last thing is i need a new filter i have a 10 gal tank and hes a baby im not worryed abt the size now but any ways i would like a filter that gose inside not out of the tank something not to exspencive like under 50 or around.....

well sry for all for that but i have yet to get a staight answer pls wen u answer this be blunt dont go on and on :) lol u know the type of answers im talkin abt

Answer 1

#1. You're pushing the envelope here. Your turtle shoud be used to its new home by now. Time to start tempting it with something yummy, like a small, live earthworm.

#2 Live food is best. Besides earthworms, try fishes (not goldfish), and soft-bodied insects. When you can't get live food, try strips of liver dusted with bonemeal.

#3 UV lights provide vitamin D, necessary for the absorption of calcium, which is necessary for bone growth. Baby turtles need a lot. You can also give dietary vitamin D, as by feeding liver.

#4 Figure that the tank should be 10 gallons per inch of shell. Allow for growth. Get a filter rated for twice the size of the tank. That will cut down on the number of times you have to clean the tank.

Answer 2

I have had 2 sliders for 36 yrs now plus a 7 yr old and a 5 yr old. This is how I have taken care of them for 36 yrs. Great pets.

I have had them in a stand alone 150gal pond from sears..for about 6 yrs now..

Here is some important and a lot of info. If he or she is small get feeder guppies or small feeder goldfish, frozen brown worms ..or live brown worms from a fish store. petco and or petsmart do not carry live worms..

Red-eared sliders, Gender especially juveniles, can be difficult to s*x. Gender in adults is determined by external physical characteristics and behavior. In Comparison to females, males have longer fore claws (which are use in courtship), a longer tail length, a longer distance from the body to the vent opening, a tail that is thicker at the base and generally a smaller body size and shell length. Turtles are considered juveniles till after 5 yrs old.

Their Home

The minimum enclosure size for hatchling re-eared slider should be a 20-gallon aquarium. As a general rule, the water depth should be at least 2 times the turtle's length, with several extra inches of air space between the surface of the water to the top edge of the tank to prevent escapes. For 4 to 5 inch long sliders, the recommended minimum enclosure surface area is 50 gal plus tank with an extra square foot for each additional turtle.

What to Feed

In the wild, re-eared sliders eat both animal and plant sources of food. However, juveniles are mainly meat eaters but still love the greens.

In captivity, the diet for juveniles should consist primarily of a commercial aquatic turtle pellet. Hatchlings and juveniles should be fed on a daily basis; however, they should be offered no more than they will consume during a single session to minimize water contamination. The diet can be supplemented with live fish of an appropriate size (guppies, goldfish),  tubiflex worms and earthworms. Plant matter, in the form of chapped leafy greens or finely chapped mixed vegetables, can be offered once weekly but may not be readily accepted until they grow older. Fill tank with approx 20 feeder guppies and or 10 to 15 small goldfish. you’ll know when to replenish the live food supply. just count what’s left

For adults, 20% of the diet may consist of commercial turtle pellets. Plus 80% of their diet is fresh alive fish to catch in their water which also gives them exercise when trying to catch to eat. Adults should be fed greens kale, romaine, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, dandelion, watercress, parsley. Swiss chard, shredded carrots, shredded squash, thawed frozen mixed vegetables and miscellaneous fruits. Adults can be fed every two to three days. NO iceberg or cabbage!!

Vital Statistics

Total Body length: 5-8" average, up to 12 inches max.

Life span: 15-25+ years

Males have the longer foreclaws..

Water quality and Filtration

Sliders are voracious feeders and tend to foul the water quickly with their messy eating habits and frequent defecation. Therefore, a system needs to be in place for good water quality. Partial to full water changes can be performed. Many different filter systems are available ..

Common Health Problems

If you take proper care of your red-eared slider by providing excellent housing, nutrition, lighting, and heating, it is unlikely to ever become ill or injured. However, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with ailments common to sliders so that you can quickly identify them in your own slider, should it become ill. The following are some of the most common medical problems among red-eared sliders.

Fungal Infections

“Fungal infections are fairly common among red-eared sliders, especially younger ones. If you notice what looks like a light layer of cotton on your slider’s shell or eyes or in its mouth, this is most likely some form of fungal infection. Although their appearance can be alarming, most infections in their early stages are fully treatable at home. If a fungal infection remains untreated, however, it can spread across the entire body and cause serious harm to your turtle.

To treat a mild fungal infection, immerse your red-eared slider in a warm saltwater bath for about half an hour each day, using a soft sponge to gently scrub the infected regions. You can also treat patches of fungus with topical applications of a mild antiseptic, such as povidone-iodine. As long as the problem isn’t severe, you should notice signs of recovery within a day or two, and a full recovery in about 10–14 days.

If your turtle has a persistent fungal infection that home treatment isn’t curing, take it to the vet for treatment. Several medications are available that can address a fungal infection if it hasn’t spread too far.”

Respiratory Infections

“Slider turtles and other aquatic species are susceptible to respiratory infections. Most respiratory infections that can affect sliders are mild and easily treatable in their early stages, but there are also some particularly virulent infections that can kill a turtle very quickly without veterinary attention. Sliders usually develop respiratory infections when their tank is too cold.

Symptoms of an infection include a runny nose, wheezing, lopsided swimming (an ailing lung changes the turtle’s buoyancy), lethargy, and a refusal to eat. If you identify the illness in its early stages, you may be able to treat it by removing the sick slider from its quarters into a new, clean tank (especially if you keep multiple sliders, since the majority of respiratory infections are contagious) and keeping it a few degrees warmer than normal. Warmth is the most crucial factor in treating respiratory infections in the home. If the condition persists for more than a few days or worsens, bring your slider to your veterinarian, who will treat the infection with antibiotics.”

Contact the “herpetologicalsocieties.com“.

Good luck

Answer 3

1.)ok my turtle had the same problem go and buy this type of food its called turtle treatsit is made up of whole kirll tat gives them potasiom and also calcium. ps feed him in a diffrent bowl so you dont clean often the tank.

2.)dont feed him frozen food you can feed him feder fish that cost 5 cents each peletes and kirll also various vegtibales avoid icebergu lettuace

3.)false you need is if you are not going to take him to get sun try to buy one asap cause with out that he will become sick and his bones will become weak

4.)their is one that cost 20 dollars you can buy it a t petco it works nice up to a 2ogallon tank here i will sent you the link

http://www.petco.com/product/13868/Tetra...

Answer 4

my turtles go nuts for...

reptomin  made by  tetra

Answer 5

try little fish or little dried shrip "both only snacks" just try different kinds of food if you can catch ants or flies throw them in the water free treats lol don't use fish food blood worms are a no too if it doesn't eat it's not hungry as for the light that is a absolute must!!!!!!! it WILL die if you don't have it i learned that the hard way :( rip if it doesn't get light it's shell will get soft then it will die filters that small are cheap idk where you live so idk any pet stores look up some in a phone book and tell them what you want and they should help you fyi turtles are durty so you'll have to change that filter frequently or at least rinse it off frequently do you know what kind of turtle you have?? that would be a good start then look up what they eat in nature....

Answer 6

Well if its a baby then give it about 5 gallons to swim in.Put rocks in and wash then every 2-5 days.Yes it is important to keep a light on it for the whole day.But give it 20-30 minutes 3 times a day with little light on it.By the way...turtles eat veggies.

Answer 7

Here is a web site that will give you all the infor. from setting up the tank to feeding, www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/