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my turtle is a spoiled brat2007-11-24 2:01:49

my neighbor abandoned him and i bought him fish because i didnt know what else to feed him. so i bought him turtle food. at frist he ate it and now he hasn't eaten in 7 days. please help i dont want him to strave himself and at the same time i do not want him killing little goldfish. is he straving himself?

Answers:

im assuming he is a red ear slider turtle (aquatic turtle)

make sure his water height is at least twice the length of his shell, and it is warm. he needs a basking spot where he can fully come out of the water, with a UV light as the heatsource he probably isn't eating because of the cold temperature. this is common for many turtles.

make sure to pay attention to how hes acting, does he bask? does he swim funny, or have trouble floating?

try enticing his appetite by slitting the goldfish open and putting it in his water so he can smell the blood. (make sure the goldfish you are giving him is not TOO big for him, or else he probably wont try to catch it)

If you don't want to offer goldfish, you can offer turtle pellets. i reccomend (reptomin, or mazuri pellets). for extra inticement, soak the pellets in tuna water (from canned tuna). then put it inside the tank. i guarantee at least one of these will work!

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It's getting colder, and many reptiles hibernate in winter. Chances are he's noticed the changing of the weather and is settling in for a long winter's nap. Figure out what kind of turtle you have, where he's from, etc. If he wants to hibernate then you'll have to make arrangements for him to do so, or the stress of not being able to hibernate could kill him.

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I have two turtles myself. Your turtle could still be adjusting to its new home. My one turtle doesn't always eat when the other one is. They sale "turtle treats" at pet stores. As soon as I put it in the tank the two turtles go crazy for it. I don't think it should be given daily. Only as a TREAT.

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Your turtle's not spoiled. More than anything, he's probably very sick. Are there any signs of unfailing health? Are his eyes clear? Shell normal? Wounds or cracks? Check him over to make sure he's healthy and breathing and swimming normally. Turtles that are sick do not eat. If he's getting ready to hibernate, then he should be healthy otherwise, so you can rule out one possibility or the other.

He's not adjusting to his surroundings anymore because he ate the food you gave him at first. Also, don't feed him goldfish. They are too fatty for turtles; if you want to give him fish to stir up his appetite, use guppies or rosy red minnows.

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Killing little fish is what turtles do.

You may want to stop by http://www.austinsturtlepage.com. and look through the care sheets and articles on caring for and feeding your species of turtle.

Depending on the species, you will probably find several other dietary options.