# Baby Long-Necked Turtle Problems



## melrick (Mar 26, 2007)

*Baby Long-Necked Turtle Problems* 
Hi, I have been having a few problems with my new baby *Long-Necked Turtle: *

*Problem 1)*
S/He is only the size of a 20centt piece and i had him/her in a temporary 30cm tank for a few days while i se up a larger one, S/He was happily climbing up out of water and basking on he rock, but since i have moved him/her into a 2ft tank with some sandstone rock at one end, (i read on an internet site that the rock can't be too stlippery or too rough, so put some sand on top of the sandstone rock so i wasn't to rough for him) but s/he just won't get out of the water at all... s/he has now been in the tank for about 2 days now... underwater. 

*Problem 2)*
I have had the turtle for approx 5 days, and s/he hasn't eaten at all. I am giving him/her 2 pellets of NUTRAFIN Max Turtle Gammarus Pellets, but s/he won't even look at them... i have also tried tadpoles and a piece of lettuce leaves.
_
I am hoping someone can help me with these 2 problems please. I am worried taht s/he is going to die if s/he stays underwater and doesn't eat.
_
Thanks,
Matt


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## wicked reptiles (Mar 28, 2007)

Mate, long necks dont eat lettuce, their carnivorous! LOL! They will take a while to settle in before they eat, I went through the things you r going through quite recently and i gave mine blood worms for their first feed, i got nuthin for the first question.


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## Kitah (Mar 30, 2007)

When i got my hatchling (murray shortneck) he was the size of a 20c coin. it was after about 3 days that he decided to eat, and i got him eating live guppies (held tail first) and i would move them side to side in teh water near the turtle and he eventually started gaining confidence and grabbing the fish. i then converted him to pellets, shrimp, etc. What you can do is get the pellets and soak them in tuna water (just plain tuna brine, no oil/flavoured stuff) and the pellets will get the strong, tuna smell and the turtle may be more willing to accept them. for the first month i couldnt get my guy to eat pellets, but he would eat the frozen turtle food ("turtle dinner's") live shrimp, guppies, and tuna. wasnt the best diet for a hatchling, but it was all i could get him to eat. after that i converted him to pellets by soaking them in the tuna brine.

with the basking issue; can the turtle easily get out of the water?does it have a slope where it can pull itself up and then on to the horizontal part of the basking area? often turtles wont bask if they dont have a ramp and thus cant get up on the basking area easily. also, what temp is the basking area? I recently changed the basking area in my tank (changed from one of those turtle docks to a home made plexi ramp and basking area with smooth rocks siliconed on top; the turtle, once a very eager basker, stopped basking. maybe your guy just dosnt like the new basking area. 

Finally, he might just be too unsure of his environment (because it just changed) so may not be 'confident' enough to bask just yet. hopefully, in some time, he/she will start basking, and that he's just not settled in/too nervous at the moment

goodluck with your turtle


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## DA_GRIZ (Mar 31, 2007)

i have my murray short neck in a 2ft tank and he don't come out of the water even tho we have a dock in his tank. try putting a dock in your turtles tank we just made ours


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## karalynne (Mar 31, 2007)

hey dont panic u dont watch it 24/7 so it would come out from underwater to breath some turtles like to come out of the water others dont just make sure u have somewhere where it can get out if it wants and with the food buy frozen turtle food fishblocks from ur closet pet store and feed it about half a day 

if ur still having troubles let me no
good luck they make a great pet and they are so cute

kara


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