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moving my turtle

22 16:48:06

Question
Hi, im having a little trouble with my turtle eating ever since i have moved him down stairs a week ago. Just last week we dicided to move our red eared slider turtle down stairs.....i made sure 2 feed him be for i brought him down so i gave him about 10 feeder goldfish wich were meant for my piranas and puffer fish....he is a fairly lagre turtle and eats like a pig, after that was settled i changed my water and brought him downstairs.From then on he has only eaten once and he strictally eats reptile sticks, so im wondering if he is looking for goldfish....and wont eat the pellets anymore.......PLZ help.THANKS!!!!

Answer
Well... if I stuffed you on turkey and mashed potatoes, then stuck you in a bumpy car ride for several hours, you'd probably be off turkey and mashies for a while too.

Seriously, this sounds like a fairly minor case of stress or maladaptation, OR a change in environment that you are not tracking- such as cooler temps or something.

On the other hand, turtles often go through finicky periods.

So, what I would do is...

1.) Verify good water and air temps in the new location, and double check all care standards. Make sure there is good access to ultra-violet light, etc.

2.) Ensure that there are no stress-inducing elements in the new location- odors, vibrations/noises, predators/threats, weird lights, etc.

3.) Continue feeding a variety of food, but remove uneaten foods after about 30 minutes. Do this twice a day.

4.) Once or twice a week, skip a feeding. Once or twice a week, offer an extra serving of a favorite (healthy) food. Once a week.

5.) Make sure I was providing a good, solid diet and adequate vitamins and nutrients.

A good starter care sheet can be found at www.tortoise.org.

Good luck!