Baby turtle not eating

Question
I have a baby red-eared slider who is not eating and i was advised to give him jump-start.  Well, this little guy never opens his mouth and i don't want to hurt him.  How do i administer this supplement?  Thank you!

Answer
I am not a vet, so if a vet advised this, please disregard the rest of this note.

I have never heard of giving a baby turtle a force feeding- it can be dangerous and is probably unnecessary. The thing is, we want to figure out what it is not eating and fix that.

Here is a quick checklist of cares that often affect a turtle's appetite:

1. Tank size. Turtles like space- aim for at least a 10 gallon tank for a baby, then go about 10 gallons per inch of shell length.

2. Water temps. Aim for water at about 75-80F during the day, and about 10 degrees cooler at night (although night drops are not needed.) Obviously, with the bigger tank, you need a good heater.

3. Water quality. Most water problems are not a big deal, but turtles in captivity need clean water. Aim for a filter about 3 times the size a fish tank would need. Even with a great filter, plan on changing about 1/4th of the water a week or so.

4. Lighting. Turtle love and need good lighting- warmth for basking (about 90F), light to see with, and UVB light to help metabolise foods right. Sunlight passing through glass or plastic will not work.

5. Diet. Baby turtles eat 'aquatic meats'- in the wild this would be bugs, worms, snails, shrimp, krill, and some small fish. In captivity, we can offer small turtle pellets and some of these foods- krill and bloodworms are favorites.

Most of the time, fixing these factors will result in a turtle with a great appetite and good health that will be a good pet fo years to come.

If this does not do it, let me knwo and we can discuss some other options.


You can learn more about this species at http://www.austinsturtlepage.com if you are interested!