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Please help with my baby turtle2007-11-24 2:01:53

I got a baby diamondback terrapin from a friend. The turtle has not yet completely lost it's yoke sac ( only a tiny shriveled line) and is not eating. It is probably five days old, but I'm not sure. I treated it like a typical baby turtle and set it up with a 2 gallon tank of water, gravel, fake plants, ect., and am feeding it ReptiMin turtle food, but it does not seem interested. When should it lose it's yoke sac, and when should it began eating? Please help! I have never had a turtle that small! It is a bit smaller than a quarter.

Answers:

OH MAN I HAVE HAD A BABY BEFORE, JUST LET HIM GO ON HIS OWN. HE WILL EAT WHEN HE IS READY,BUT HIS YOKE SACK, GIVE IT A WEEK AND A HALF SWEETIE I PROMISE HE WILL BE OK

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call a vet. i have turtles but never a baby. call, you won't lose anything by calling.

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it's natural instinct is to eat live food, mosquito larvae or very small baby fish etc.

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what do you mean?

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Did I ever tell you about the time I was cleaning the turtle bowl in the kitchen sink and the garbage disposal was on and I dropped the turtle down the drain? Turtles can scream.

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take it to the vet and see what it can do.i used to have box turtle babies so if you need more help go ahead and e-mail me or something and i can help

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Try putting tiny baby guppies in there. Has he ate any of the pellets?

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Diamondback terrapins need very specific water conditions to remain healthy. They need a brakish water set-up or they will develop bacterial or fungal infections, which can be fatal.You should really seek advice from a pet store that specializes in reptiles or ask your local zoo for advice. As for it's not wanting to eat , this is normal as it is still recieving nutrition from the yolk sac. In a week or so try offering some small earthworms, guppies,small snails and finely chopped greens(but NOT spinach)The turtle should also have afull- spectrum u.v. light and a good reptile vitamin as well as a calcium supplement two or three times a week.

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2 gallon tank is too small even for a baby, it needs no less then a 10 gallon tank. You didnt mention anything about heat, its probably not eating because it doesnt have a proper thermal gradient. Besides a basking light over its land area, it needs a uvb bulb that emits 5 percent or higher uvb rays, zoo med reptisun 5.0 and exo terras 5.0 are good bulbs but they need to be replaced every 6 months. The water should also have a submersible heater in it to keep the water warm too. Baby turtles often dont recognize processed pellets as food, you will probably need to offer live food like small crickets and earth worms.

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The problem is just that it is stressed and so it just wont eat i had the same problem wif me box turtle

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it won't be interested in eating until it loses it's yolk sac