my baby turtle isnt eating anything...

Question
hi. i have a red eared slider that i just got two days ago. I've tried feeding him pellets, tuna, and lettuce, but he hasn't eaten anything. what should i do? he also wants to get out of his tank constantly?

Answer
Chante,

He will need some time before he feels comfortable enough to eat.  I wouldn't start worrying until the third week.

Here is a link that gives some good information on RES care:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1797&aid=2613

As for him wanting to get out of his tank, I would check several things:

The size - is he scared because he feels closed in?  Refer to the link I gave you for minimum swimming area (not including dry land).  This is the minimum, consider upgrading eventually.

Check that he is able to climb up onto his basking area easily.

Check that he has privacy (plants, etc.) so that he feels safe enough to crawl out of the water.  Pay attention to when you enter the room that he's in - if he slides off in a hurry you know he is just shy.

Don't feed him tuna.  For one thing, if there is any mercury it will be in the turtle for a long time - they have slower metabolisms, and even in people mercury hangs out for quite awhile.

Your best bet is to leave him alone for, oh, maybe 4 days and let him get used to his tank.  Then try feeding him live feeder fish.  This could be messy, so you may want to move him to a feeding tank unless you've invested in a good filter.  The fish will encourage him to eat because of the chase.  It also may help him relax because it'll take his mind off of the stress from his new environment.

Everything I've told you here is what to do if he is healthy.  If you just got him it may be a good idea to get a vet check-up to make sure there are no other problems.

Now, I have never owned water turtles so be sure to do a lot of reading on your own!  But I'm here to help you if you have any more questions.

-Amanda