i just got two new red earer sliders today

Question
i just got two new red earer sliders today and up until a couple hours ago, they were both very active and swimming ferociously in the water. Since that point one of them started behaving differently. he touched his face with one of his hands and almost flipped over when swimming but he recovered. he eventually settled on doing nothing. he has become very lethargic while the other turtle kept moving although he has also slowed down now, but nothing compared to the other one. he has become completely inactive at the bottom of the tank which is 29 gallons. he hasn't moved on his own in about 2 hours and his eyes have remained about half opened. could he just be sleeping. i should note that i have taken him out a couple of times to observe him closer but i didnt get much reaction then either. i realize that may result in more stress for him but i wanted to get a clearer picture of him. i fear the worst, but have no idea what the cause for this would be. The other guy is just fine. what is going on?

Answer
I do not know what their habitat is like- temps, basking sites, etc.- but I suggest that reviewing the basic cares should be part of the care here.

It sounds like your turtle had something bad happen to it. 'Swimming ferociously' sounds a bit troubling- turtles in a new habitat usually hide and lay low for a while. It makes me wonder if the temps were a lot different than what it was used to.

I suspect the worse- it sounds like some sort of shock- stroke, heart problem, stress-induced, etc. It does not sound like it survived. Gently pull on one leg- if it fights or retracts it, it is a good sign.

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