red eared slider water turtle found from lake as baby

Question
he eats dried shrimp and repto sticks from pet store and fresh basil, fresh leaves from different plants, lettuce
he has a 75 gallon tank on terrace with sun and warm water to 84degrees- he walks around the terrace- in oct my other turtle died that he grew up with-it was my fault i dropped him and feel terrible- in the house i have a 20 gallon tank with blankets that they  always slept in since he is a baby and then in the morning i warm up his water tank and put him outside about 8-9am- i am putting the repto sticks in the tank with the dried shrimp and basil and new plants i bought i give him the leaves but he is not touching it- in a smaller box with water i am trying to smuch some reptile sticks in his mouth - i am also putting some apple sauce on a qtip and sweet potato
how do i get him to open his mouth? he does not like my bothering him and i do not want to hurt him but i do not want him to die

Answer
I really hate to say this, but your cares are not what it wants. You are treating it like a puppy, not like a water-loving, heat-loving reptile.

Your turtle wants three things to be happy-

1. Good water. Aim for 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length, warmed to 75-80F with a good heater (nighttime can be cooler), and filtered crystal clean with a big filter (one about 2-3 times bigger than the tank would usually use.) They sleep in water, and do not need or like to go on 'walks'.

2. Good sun. A safe, accessible basking site that is warmed to about 90F, and lighting for 12-14 hours a day that illuminates the tank well while still allowing a few shady places. UVB lighting, if possible, is great (but not sunlight through windows or plastic, please)

3. Good food. For young sliders, this is about 1/2 good quality pellets and 1/2 live or frozen/thawed fish food like worms, small fish, shrimp, krill, insects, beef heart. No veggies or leaves (other than live aquarium plants) for about 2 years. No dried foods (like shrimp), fruits, apple sauce, basil, sweet potato, etc.

You can learn more about good cares at either http//www.redearslider.com or http//www.austinsturtlepage.com

In either case, understand that wild caught turtles have a few strikes against them. 1- they are badly stressed by the forced captivity. 2- they are loaded with parasites in the wild that are not a problem until they are stressed. 3- it probably has Salmonella, so wash your hands after touching it or its water. 4- in many places, it is illegal to catch and keep turtles or native wild animals.

As far as it not eating- unless it is too far gone, it shold perk up nicely once the cares are rock solid. For the first week or so, aim for slightly warmer water- 80-85F to help it get better. You may also try some of the fish medicine 'Stress Coat' during the next week or two as well.

Keeping turtles healthy and happy is easy... if you are willing to do what it takes!

Good luck!