Not eating

Question
Hello, I have two red ear slider turtles. 10 gallon aquarium. They have a water area and a basking area. Dont have a water heater though. For the past two weeks they have not been wanting to eat as much as they normally do. I normaly feed them pellets or dried shrimp twice a day. I have also given romaine lettuce. Should i change thier food?

Answer
Hi Cindy,

You must have hatchlings if they'll both fit into a 10 gallon tank.  There's a few things you should change.  Get them into a bigger tank as soon as you can.  10 gallons is big enough for one RES hatchling for a few months, but not for two.  At some point they will need a very large tank or outdoor pond, but for now something like 30 gallons would work.  You need a good filter, too.  Water quality is very important.  They need a basking light and a good source of UVB, and you do need a water heater to get the water temperatures up around 78 degrees.  If the water and basking temperatures aren't high enough, they won't eat.  Hatchlings are more carnivorous than adults, but should be offered some greens as well as animal matter.  You can try boiled chicken or shrimp, fish, worms, small crickets, mealworms, etc. as well as turnip or mustard greens, dandelion, kale, endive, collards, and similar greens.  Here's a website that will give you more information:  www.redearslider.com.  Good luck with your turtles!