# *- RED EAR SLIDER IS NOT MOVING!! -*



## bc_buddah

my red ear slider is acting real strange, it's scaring me . . he/she has been like this for maybe 2-3 days now?

all he/she does all day is stay on the basking log, even when he/she sleeps, this has never happend before

and it's not NEARLY as skittish as it usualy is . . it usualy jumps in the water when i'm barely in the room. . and now i can touch it's shell and it still wont dive in . . .

and i've noticed that it usualy keeps one eye closed . . . thankfully it's not the same eye that is closed all the time . .

and scariest thing is . . i took the red ear out to eat (as i usualy do) and IT DIDNT EAT!! snapped at a pellet but didnt eat it . .

i'm scared . . could it be sick? is it dying? i mean it's still really young

it's usualy extremely active . . now it does absoulutley nothing , looks like it wants to die or sumthing !!!

diet is the same, pellets, pellets, pellets . . . only thing thats new is some neon tetras i've added , and they're doing great, they had no dieseases . . and none of them were eaten so . . . i dunno!!!

and my yellow belly cooter that shares the same tank is acting normal, eating lots and being really active . ..

so i'm confused . . . PLZ!! HELP!!!

i'm going to do a 80 % water change see if that helps . . . oya and the drift wood is SEMI new . . i picked it up from the **** by the river . . and the color or whatever is kinda effecting the water color . . like all new natural drift wood from outside . .it just bleeds color for the first month or two

but i dont think thats relivent right?

thx in advance for ur help . . . i'm very worried

by the way, i dont handle them much, just once every 2-4 days for feeding


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## dark FrOsT

there still really little, only if they stayed that small
- i wouldnt feed it by taking it out of the water, i would let pellets float in the water, it softens them up, plus taking them out most likely stresses them out. and if you take them out to feed them they might always think that when they are taken out they will be feed. cause when they get about 3 more inchs each they wont hesitate to bite you 
- wats the water temp? 
- i also feed my turtles what i feed my red bellies, so they get some other food in them besides just pellets (smelt, shrimp, fish fillets) they love it. 
- is there a basking light? 
- when my turtles were little i put those little turtle bones in there tanks to help them with there shell, i think it was calcium but i cant remember off the top of my head.

also a little story for you not sure if it relates but when i first got my turtle it was going great then after about a month is got all sluggish, like you discribed, so i figured it was lonely so i got it a mate, acted sluggish for a little longer, now there both thriving well, i hope they mate







anywho i think i know what you mean, by the way its acting. those turtles are so hardy i have found. if you can post pics of your setup. i found that basic works the best for them i also do complete water changes.

good luck i hope this helps, not sure if it will. and im sorry if this post kinda draged on

oya know what you can do when you pick it up when holding it turn it upside down if it goes into its shell its a good sign ... thats what i was been told years ago when i first started and i thought mine was sick, you turtle looks to be in good health from the pics


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## bc_buddah

dark FrOsT said:


> there still really little, only if they stayed that small
> - i wouldnt feed it by taking it out of the water, i would let pellets float in the water, it softens them up, plus taking them out most likely stresses them out. and if you take them out to feed them they might always think that when they are taken out they will be feed. cause when they get about 3 more inchs each they wont hesitate to bite you
> - wats the water temp?
> - i also feed my turtles what i feed my red bellies, so they get some other food in them besides just pellets (smelt, shrimp, fish fillets) they love it.
> - is there a basking light?
> - when my turtles were little i put those little turtle bones in there tanks to help them with there shell, i think it was calcium but i cant remember off the top of my head.
> 
> also a little story for you not sure if it relates but when i first got my turtle it was going great then after about a month is got all sluggish, like you discribed, so i figured it was lonely so i got it a mate, acted sluggish for a little longer, now there both thriving well, i hope they mate
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> anywho i think i know what you mean, by the way its acting. those turtles are so hardy i have found. if you can post pics of your setup. i found that basic works the best for them i also do complete water changes.
> 
> good luck i hope this helps, not sure if it will. and im sorry if this post kinda draged on
> 
> oya know what you can do when you pick it up when holding it turn it upside down if it goes into its shell its a good sign ... thats what i was been told years ago when i first started and i thought mine was sick, you turtle looks to be in good health from the pics


thx for ur reply . . . water temp is at . . . 78 and basking is at 81, give or take a degree or 3? my thermometer sucks . . .

i dont have a heater for water cuz it broke, and people convinced me it would be ok because they thive in the wild at extrememly cold temperatures . .. .

i used to put those calcium blocks shaped like a turtle in there too but since i got the floro tube that emits uva + uvb i havnt used the stones n e more .. .

the thing is the red ear was always really active . . . now he's acting as i described above which is why i think i'm losing him fast


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## dark FrOsT

are those recent pics, cause they look active to me. temp seems fine. tank looks good. try to mix there diet up. but they look good. i would just ride it out and try to handle them as least as possible, mind you if it gets worse then you may have a problem but everything seems good. i think the best advice would be to just give it some space thats all. sorry i couldnt be more of a help to you


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## bc_buddah

dark FrOsT said:


> are those recent pics, cause they look active to me. temp seems fine. tank looks good. try to mix there diet up. but they look good. i would just ride it out and try to handle them as least as possible, mind you if it gets worse then you may have a problem but everything seems good. i think the best advice would be to just give it some space thats all. sorry i couldnt be more of a help to you


" ride it out " is my plan . . . because a vet is going to cost me $50 + just for a check up . . and i can get a new red ear for 50


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## dark FrOsT

i think yours will be fine, but you never know.


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## DiscusMel

Your basking temp should be a good bit higher, into the low 90's.

Is it breathing funny?

Is there a chance the other could be bullying it? i had a turtle
that would hardly go in the water and it wasn't till i really watched
the tank i realised one of the turtles was giving it a hard time.


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## bc_buddah

DiscusMel said:


> Your basking temp should be a good bit higher, into the low 90's.
> 
> Is it breathing funny?
> 
> Is there a chance the other could be bullying it? i had a turtle
> that would hardly go in the water and it wasn't till i really watched
> the tank i realised one of the turtles was giving it a hard time.


i've seperated them, because i dont want my other turtle to catch wutever my red ear slider has . . . and if i increse the backig temp n e more, the wood will catch on fire and i'll have way more problems than a sick turtle . . . .
[/quote]

i dont know if it's breathing funny, doesnt look like it , ,i mean how do u tell?

breathing seems ok . . but it just sits on land most the time, gets really dry them MAYBE goes into the water for like 5 minutes


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## Omnius

As long as the bulb is not touching the wood you will be fine, I leave my heat lamp on all day pointed at a log at nothings has happened, no scortch marks or anything.


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## bc_buddah

Omnius said:


> As long as the bulb is not touching the wood you will be fine, I leave my heat lamp on all day pointed at a log at nothings has happened, no scortch marks or anything.


well i have scorch marks . . . and the temp is only at 82 ish . . . which is odd . . . i'm not risking it . . .

and i still dont know what to do with my red ear . . it's just dying in my hosue, slowly . . .

i want to give it away for rehabilitation but . . . i dunno where


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## DiscusMel

Have to admit i'm not that good with turtle ailments as i've
been very lucky with my turtles and had no problems.

I'd advise posting here  and asking some real experts on the subject.

Good luck and lets us know how you get on.


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## SAFETYpin

Ive also had good luck dealing with this forum for turtles. I hope someone can help you there.

http://www.turtletimes.com/


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