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Magellan hasn't been eating! :/

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Buckbeak

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Magellan is a 11 year old Red eared slider. I adopted her this past December from a farmer I worked for out in Ohio. She hasn't been taken care of the greatest since her original mama (the farmer's granddaughter) moved out and completely forgot about her. The farmer took care of "Jasmine" (couldn't stand that name... Magellan is better :p) the best he could for probably the last 7 years, but really didn't know anything about proper care.

She was eating great from a few days after the move (Dec 10th) until I guess last Sunday (Feb 17). I have a thermometer in the water and it doesn't look like there has been any significant difference lately, I record the temps weekly and they're pretty much the same. Her basking spot is still the same. The room temp isn't any colder than it has been since December.

I DID switch her food about a month ago, but she took to it right away so I don't think that's the problem. She also stopped eating lettuce.

Does anyone have any ideas? It's been about 5 days now that she hasn't eaten a normal amount. I am not sure how much she is eating at all. I changed her water completely today so I will be able to see if she is eating or letting it dissolve.

It'll be at least next Thursday before I can get her into a vet that actually knows turtles. I'm hoping she starts to eat before then! :(
2012-12-09 21.00.19.jpg (This isn't the best picture of her, but she is a big cutie!!:heart:)
 

Anne & Gang

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she sure is a cutie...I have no idea about turtles but sure hope the vet will be able to help!!!
 

Birdbabe

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Im not sure but dont they hibernate? Maybe she has slowed down due to winter? Try the fish, it couldnt hurt. Hope her vet visit goes ok.:hug8:
 

paperdragon

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Ok, my first suggestion is to go to redearslider.com and ask on the forums there. The folks there are typically very helpful and knowledgeable. I'd be careful with the feeder fish method since feeders tend to harbor disease, if more turtle-experienced folks recommend it, maybe pay a bit more for a "fancy" guppy since they're not kept in quite as bad of conditions. My idea though would be to try a chunk of unseasoned cooked chicken or salmon, or maybe a piece of cooked shrimp.
What kind of pellets are you using and what's the actual temperature of the tank? You said the temperature is steady, but if it's staying at below 68F it could be the problem. Sometimes things like that take a while to have a visible effect.
 

Buckbeak

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The water temperature is a solid 70F and I think the basking spot is about 77F today. The pellets she grew up on were ZooMed but they were a bunch of crap, I switched her to Omega Adult Turtle Sticks. I don't think they are the best but they are much better than ZooMed. She has never eaten live food or meat, I'm not sure if she would take to it.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, SHE ATE THIS MORNING! :dance4: I was so excited that I told everyone in the house (like they cared :o:) She ate like she never stopped eating, but I didn't notice any large poops in there so I'm not sure if she was just backed up or what.

Magellan has never brumated, and I think that might be too much of a stress on her to introduce her to it now after 11 years. I would love for her to, but I am definitely not experienced enough to handle it.
 

waterfaller1

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Do you test the water and how often are you changing it? How big is the tank and is there filtration? High nitrates or ammonia would cause her to feel bad. The water change may have helped.
 

paperdragon

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The water temperature is a solid 70F and I think the basking spot is about 77F today. The pellets she grew up on were ZooMed but they were a bunch of crap, I switched her to Omega Adult Turtle Sticks. I don't think they are the best but they are much better than ZooMed. She has never eaten live food or meat, I'm not sure if she would take to it.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, SHE ATE THIS MORNING! :dance4: I was so excited that I told everyone in the house (like they cared :o:) She ate like she never stopped eating, but I didn't notice any large poops in there so I'm not sure if she was just backed up or what.

Magellan has never brumated, and I think that might be too much of a stress on her to introduce her to it now after 11 years. I would love for her to, but I am definitely not experienced enough to handle it.
That's great that she started eating again!

About the not being sure if she'll take to new foods... From what I've seen, turtles aren't like birds. They'll take to pretty much anything, including filter hoses, plastic toys, any rock or pebble they can fit in their mouths, anything in general they can fit in their mouths. And even if it tastes nasty, they'll still eat the whole thing. My girl's previous owner told me she had bought one of those turtle-shaped tank cleaner blocks, and it was gone within an hour.
 

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You can't fool that deep knowing that they have that it is wintertime outside sometimes - turtles don't usually hibernate unless they get a lot colder than 70, but somehow, sometimes, indoor turtles just KNOW they should be hibernating right now. Nobody really knows what gives them this idea, I don't think - but long term turtle keepers can tell you it happens - usually not for long, though, turtles are pretty greedy. ;)

Since at hibernating temps they don't eat, and the food would rot in their bellies and cause all kinds of problems if they tried, sometimes in the winter they just go off their food for a week or two, like they expect it to suddenly be freezing tomorrow.

How often do you feed? Turtles that have passed the juvi stage (your turtle looks pretty much there!) should not be fed daily, unless it is a very, very small amount. You will wind up with a very obese turtle - yes, lol, turtles can get fat. ;) Two to three times per week is plenty!

Lighting is a very important issue for them - let me know if you have any questions, I have kept sliders most of my life, and currently have a red ear and a yellow belly, both rescues. :) I had to dry dock (six months!) and perform a bit of light surgery on Crush when he had a run-in with a wild bird. ;)

Oh my, just read that she is 11! If that is a 13inch wide tank, then she is horribly stunted, I feel very bad for her! :(
 
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jacksmom

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Mmm, yeah, at second glance, sure does...I am having a hard time deciding how big she is, lol!
 

Buckbeak

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She is 11, and she is a pretty big girl! I wouldn't say that she is too stunted, they usually only grow to about 10 inches I think? I would estimate she is about 9 inches, she gets freaked out by the ruler so no measuring here! That was her old bin when she first got home, I believe it was about as wide as her current one but not nearly as long. Her current tub is a plastic bin that is 53 inch long by 15 inch wide. She swims much more freely than she ever has before in her life and it is adorable to watch!
Edit: It is a rubbermaid! It is actually made to be a Christmas tree storage bin! I was looking for something long to give her the free swimming area and when I saw it I was so excited! :lol:

I think the water change might have done it. I didn't realize that it had been more than a week since her last change, and I am usually very punctual! :o: She does not have filtration because the filter her previous owner gave to me is broken and with the frequent water changes, I didn't really think it would be necessary to replace it.

She HAS been eating daily but more on some days than others. Perhaps I can just cut her back. I feel bad when I have tried to do that because she looks up at me like "Are you just gonna stand there or throw a snack in here?"

She has a 100w heat+UVB lamp right now over her basking area. Aside from the slate rocks she has for that, the tub is bare and she has a spider plant for fancy decoration. Come spring, she will have more plant additions. We were a little sparse on live plants that were non-toxic when she came home ;)
 
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waterfaller1

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I would definitely recommend a filter. Without it, there could be pockets that become anaerobic. You should be able to purchase one fairly inexpensively.
 

Buckbeak

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Carole, do you think I could just get an oxygen bubbler? I was an intern this past fall and for the aquatic turtle exhibit we had both a filter and a bubbler. Magellan doesn't really dirty her water that much which is why I didn't feel the need for a filter, but you're right that I didn't think about the lack of oxygen in the water.


Edit: I think I will go ahead and invest in a bubbler as they really aren't that expensive and I won't have to run it all the time so the sound won't bother me.
 
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waterfaller1

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Do you mean an air pump and airstone? It could help. A simple air powered sponge filter like what is used for baby fish, would provide gentle current and biological filtration.
 

Buckbeak

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Yes, that was what I had in mind and I think I will pop out later today and see what I can find. There are herp stores in NJ somewhere, but heck if I can find them! I wish there was somewhere that the people actually knew what advice to give rather than just tell me what their supervisor says (like at Petsmart... the kids try hard to help but they just don't know a thing!)
 

paperdragon

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You definitely need filtration to convert the ammonia to nitrates (which are not as toxic). Ammonia will build to toxic levels in just a couple hours after doing a 100% change in an unfiltered tank.


Do you mean an air pump and airstone? It could help. A simple air powered sponge filter like what is used for baby fish, would provide gentle current and biological filtration.
Lol, sponges would get eaten in a heartbeat. Maybe a couple of these?: Lee`s Pet Products Triple Flow Corner Filter Large Boxed and pack 'em with polyfill.
 

Buckbeak

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Thanks for that link, Kelly! Those are cheap enough to definitely give them a shot. For the fill, would I just pick up the filter packs from the pet store? I know they make the meshy-fluffy things (I'm pretty sure those are the filter fillers) in different kinds for regular filtration, as well as ones for chemicals.
 

waterfaller1

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Oh..I am sorry. Shows how much I know about keeping turtles..:o:
 
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