Is he sick?
Answers:
You need a new habitat. A lagoon is not a suitable habitat and was just a waste of money, sorry it sucks but that's the truth. you need a different tank. Do you have a Red Ear Slider? They like deeper water so they should have deep water, also the general rule of thumb is 10gal per inch of shell. Double that for two, so if one turtle is 5 in then it needs a 50 gal for 2 5 in turtles you need a 100 gallon. If you can't afford a traditional tank, you can use a rubbermaid bin. You will need a good filter, turtles produce alot of waste from their varied diet. If you have a 20g aquarium, buy a filter meant for a 40 gal and so on.
If you use gravel, Please remove the gravel ASAP!! Your turtles can eat this, yes sometimes they pass them in their stools, but then they re-eat them and they can become impacted and will need a herp vet. For herp vets in your are check these links http://www.nytts.org/nytts/helpnet.htm.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vets_for_h. In extreme cases they will die. Also do they have a basking spot where they can come out and dry off completly? Do you have a heat lamp and a UVA/UVB light over the the basking area?For your UVA/UVB the higher the output the better but 5% is fine. The lights should be on 12 hours and off for 12 just like day/night. Your water temps should be mid to upper 70's and your basking spot should be 10 degrees higher. If you can't regulate the water temp, you can use a submersible water heater or a heat mat under the tank. You will probably need this once winter comes depending upon where you live. Now onto not eating.
ONLY FEED WATER TURTLES IN THE WATER**
* Is the turtle kept warm enough? If turtles get too cool, they will stop eating.
* Does the turtle like the food you offer? Try out different foods. Some turtles can be very finicky eaters, especially in the beginning. And they have definite likes and dislikes. Most turtles will eventually take small earthworms that are wiggling in front of their nose. Start feeding favorite foods, then slowly introduce other items.
* Is your turtle exposed to too much stress? This is often a cause in new animals. Stress can be caused by handling, traveling, tank mates. New turtles will often not eat properly for several weeks. Be patient and keep trying.
* Is your turtle healthy? Not eating can be a symptom of other problems. If your turtle has been eating well and suddenly stops, a health problem is a likely reason. Take a fecal sample to your veterinarian. (Fecal samples need to be no older than 4 hours, and you need to store them in water in the refrigerator.)
* Don't panic! A turtle can go without food for weeks, even months, and when it feels well again, it will eat again. See a veterinarian, if you think you are doing everything right, and the animal does not eat for more than 2 weeks. Now lets discuss food I assume you have a Red Ear Slider;
Hatchlings
Hatchlings should be fed everyday for the first year of their lives. They should be given as much as they can eat in 10 to 15 mins time or as much as you could fit into their head if hollow. You can feed them all of it at once or you can slit it up into 2 feedings.
Hatchlings tend to be more Carnivorous than adults, so make sure to check out the suggestions of live and protein-rich foods below for how to supplement accordingly. (Make sure you still give fruits and veggies at this stage!)
Juveniles/Adults
Once your turtle reaches the 4" mark, we recommend that you change their feeding schedule to every other day. Giving them greens or live plants in between.
Adults tend to become more Omnivorous, so make sure to check out the suggestions of fruits and vegetables below.
Vitamins and Calcium
You should supplement your turtle's diet with both vitamins and calcium, every third feeding or once a week. To give them vitamins many people will give them a Vitamin Bath once a week. You can also either soak the pellets in a liquid vitamin or dampen them and roll them in a powder vitamin before feeding.
It is recommended you have a light that supplies UVA and at the very least a 5.0 UVB output. The UVB is necessary for the absorption of calcium and vitamin D3. Turtles need both calcium and Vitamin D3 for strong bones and shells.
**Feeding Tip Feedings should be done in a separate container so that you do not have to frequently change the water nor the filter media.
Common Diet Errors
Feeding Cat or Dog Food
Despite what some pet store employees may tell you, turtles should not be fed dog or cat food (Sounds insane, but we've heard it!)
Pellet Only Diets
Pellets provide many benefits, but variety is key!
Supplement their diet with veggies, live foods and some fruits. Check out our safe list below.
Giving in to Beggars
Turtles will always beg whether you give in or not- they know you are the supplier of food!
Supplement between feedings with greens or live foods they have to chase to eat. ( Iceberg lettuce is a common filler that doesn't contain much nutritional value, but will keep them content.)
Safe Feeding List
Commercial Foods (This is just a few of them on the market)
* Tetra Reptomin
* ZooMed's Aquatic Turtle Food
* Exo Terra
* Wardley's Reptile Premium Sticks
* HBH Turtle Bites
Frozen/Canned (For treats)
* Spirulina-enriched Brine Shrimp
* Bloodworms
* Plankton
* Krill
* ZooMed's Can O'Crickets, Grasshoppers, or Meal Worms
Live Foods (Carnivorous)
* Guppies or Rosies Reds (no goldfish they are too fatty and have very little nutritional value)
* Crickets (Gut-Loaded)
* Pinhead Crickets (for smaller turtles)
* Earthworms, Night Crawlers
* Ghost Shrimp
* Aquatic Snails/Apple Snails
* Slugs
* Wax Worms, Super Worms
**Be careful about Wild-Caught foods, they can carry parasites that can be transferred to your turtle. Freezing Wild-Caught foods for a month will help to kill off some parasites.
Fruits (small amounts for treats only)
* Apples
* Bananas
* Grapes
* Melon
* Tomato
* Strawberries
**Should be cut up in small, bite-size or match-like sticks that will be easy for the turtle to bite into and not choke on.
Veggies
* Squash
* Zucchini
* Carrots
* Greens- Red Leaf, Romaine, Collards, Kale, Dandelion Greens
**Stay away from Spinach. Make sure to cut the veggies in bite-size or match-like sticks so your turtle can eat them easily. Iceberg lettuce is a good filler, but contains little/no nutritional value!
Aquatic Plants
* Anacharis
* Duckweed
* Water Hyacinth
* Water Lettuce
* Water Lily
Supplements It is a good idea to give your turtle extra calcium and vitamins. For calcium you can buy calcium blocks made just for turtles or you can use bits of cuttle bone, which is made for birds. Break of some pieces, peel the hard back off and put it in the tank, remove all uneaten pieces after 12 hours to keep them from fouling the tank. Vitamins can be given once a week or so. You can use a powder vitamin or a liquid one. For powder vitamins get a few pellets damp and roll them in the powder. Then let them dry. For a liquid vitamin, just roll the pellets in the vitamin and let it dry.
If you need additional help I will be happy to help. You can contact me through email. Also you can come check out a turtle and pet forum I belong too for even more help and fun! http://www.turtleexchange.com/forum/inde. Hope to see you there! Good luck!
take it to the pet store
do you drop the food in the water or do you have it out in the lagoon? my little turtle only eats the food if he is in the water and i drop it in the water at him..if i leave it out he doesnt seem to care about it
Take him to the vet and see if it is sick. I hope it gets better.
sometimes they won't eat when u r looking at them.
no he's just not used to his new home, give him time to settle down
try him on earthworms, they can't resist a good wiggly worm
Julia 's answer is right on!
if it is a little turtle you might need to crush up his food or if he is in a new place he might be scared
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