My turtle stopped eating

Question
My turtle, Sebastian, has stopped eating for about a month. He is still active, and he seems pretty healthy. He lives in a 5 gallon tank, with a basking area, and a filter. I have had him for about 10 months and he has always eaten regularly until now. He still moves around and is active, but he wont eat. I offer him food almost every day, but he just ignores it. Do you have an idea of what is wrong with Sebastian?

Answer
Hi Brittany,

You didn't say what species Sebastian is, but I'm guessing he's probably a red-eared slider.  A 5 gallon tank is really too small, so I'd get him into a bigger tank.  He also needs the water heated to about 78 degrees, and a basking temp of 88-92 degrees with a good source of UVB.  If any of that is missing, it could affect his appetite especially with the fall changes in light and temperature.  So check your temperatures and make sure he has a source of UVB, and give him more room to see if that makes a difference.

Here's a link to a good website with information on keeping red-eared sliders:  www.redearslider.com.