Question:
Somethings wrong with my baby map turtle?
Taylor
2011-05-02 14:48:23 UTC
I got this baby map turtle while I was vacationing in florida a month ago. I got it from a pet store and its a freshwater turtle. He was doing fine for awhile in a tank I got him and I'm even feeding him the exact food that the pet store was giving him. But lately he's just sitting in the same spot all day and won't move around at all. His shell started getting try and chipping too so I got this reptile lotion but it's not helping either. I've tried giving him different types of food like fruit to help him but nothing seems to be working. Does anyone have any ideas?
Three answers:
Amanda
2011-05-03 07:58:40 UTC
Could be a few things.



--How big is your tank? Rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch of shell. So, if your turtle is 4 inches, you should have a 40 gallon tank. Bigger is always better with turtles though, so if you can go bigger, you should. Maps can grow anywhere from 5-9 inches (male) and 8-11 inches (female), so eventually you could need 100+ gallons, depending on the sex.



--Do you have the correct lighting? Turtles need both UVB and UVA light to grow and Develop properly. The fact that your turtle's shell is flaking tells me he might not be getting enough UVB. Some basking spot lights have UVB, but most don't. A lot of times you need to invest in 2 bulbs; one for heat (UVA rays, most basking bulbs are UVA) and one for UVB (try and stay away from coil lights if you can; a tube bulb is your best best. UVB rays help with the metabolism of calcium, promoting strong shell growth).



--Is your set up correct? You need two areas out of the water that the turtle can access and dry off completely. One of these spots needs to be directly under the heat lamp (6-11 inches away from the lamp itself), and one needs to be out of the light completely so the turtle can get out of the water and not be forced to bask. Gravel is not recommended, as the turtle might thing that it's food and try to eat it. Big stones are ok, as long as the turtle can't get stuck under them. Easier to clean, as well. A filter isn't NEEDED, but certainly is recommended. Turtles can be very dirty little things. If you go with a filter, go with one that is used for at least twice as much water as you have (canister filters are normally the best bet).



--As far as the food goes, fruit is not part of a turtle's diet. Not even for a treat. The sugars in fruits are hard for a turtle to metabolize, so stay away from them. Turtle pellets are good as a staple, but you need to add some variety as well. Baby turtles need extra calcium to help with shell growth. Small bits of liver dusted with a calcium supplement is a great way to add calcium into the diet. Another thing you can do is purchase a cuttlebone, which is essentially all calcium, for your turtle to chew on in between feedings. Veggies are more important when they get older (think 5 inches or bigger). Dark greens, like spinach, kale, or dandelion greens are a few examples. If you chop it up, they eat it like their normal food.



So, in short:

Make sure the tank is the right size, get the right lighting and set up, and feed more calcium and your little guy should bounce right back.



Good luck! =)
?
2011-05-02 22:24:14 UTC
Basking temp should be at 90F to 100F depending on what kind of map turtle.

Map turtles scutes peel regularly. This was likely normal.

They often carry parasites, which eventually make them sick.

try looking at the care sheets here

http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheets.htm



Anything marketed to condition the shell of turtle is more likely to clog pores leading to shell rot.

Some just don't make it no matter what you do. Most don't have a hot enough basking temp for proper assimilation of nutrients. If you don't use a thermometer your temp is probably wrong.
anonymous
2011-05-02 21:55:06 UTC
Well it's generally a rule of thumb that any bought turtle won't eat for a few days after being moved, but that doesn't seem to be to case.

The only things I can think of are the following:



-He's contracted a virus or something



-(More likely) The tank you've put him in is too small for him to grow and internally; things aren't working.



-Or, his habitat is just... too open. Turtles like to hide.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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