Is your baby turtle not eating? Are you struggling to find out why? In this guide, we go through several reasons why your baby turtle might not be eating and ways to rectify certain issues.
In most cases, a turtle would stop eating if it suffered or encountered any of the situations described below.
To find out more about these situations continue reading for useful tips and tricks that will help you to get your pet back to full health in no time!
Reasons Why A Baby Turtle Might Not Eat
Below we look at some main reasons why a baby turtle might stop eating and offer advice on how to help your pet to get back their appetite.
Stress
When baby turtles are adopted they are brought into a new environment which can initially cause them stress as they need to adapt and become familiar with their new surroundings.
It is important to do your research to ensure that you have set the tank up correctly for the specific types of turtle you are adopting to make the transition into their new space easier.
Try not to handle your turtle too much as this can also cause them stress. Turtles should be left alone to ensure that they thrive in their new home.
Sickness
Your turtle may be unwell if they are showing any of the below symptoms. If your turtle is presenting any of these signs you should speak with a veterinarian as soon as possible.
- Check for feces in the tank, if there is none your pet may be constipated.
- Check feces for worms, this can be an indication of a parasitic infection that would require immediate medical treatment.
- If the turtle’s shell has become discolored it may be deficient in vitamin A, you can get over-the-counter medication in a pet store for this.
- You can check for breathing issues by looking for discharge from the nasal cavity, sneezing, wheezing, or laziness. The turtle’s eyes may also become swollen.
- In the case of female turtles, they may be suffering from dystocia, which is an illness where it is uncomfortable and hard for them to pass eggs.
If you notice any other changes in your baby turtle’s physical appearance you should speak with a veterinarian for further information and assistance.
Diet
Baby turtles are often less likely to eat commercial pellet foods. Try changing their diet by adding brightly colored foods, such as fruit and vegetables or live animals such as earthworms, mealworms or snails.
Baby turtles are known to like small pieces of leafy vegetables, carrots, and tomatoes as well as fruits such as bananas, berries, and watermelon.
If you do not feel comfortable feeding your pet live animals you can feed them canned worms, insects, or egg whites.
Inappropriate Lighting
As turtles as mostly marine animals, they need adequate lighting for their bodies to operate properly. They need a solid 10 to 12 hours of darkness and 12 to 14 hours of light each day.
Some species also require special UVB lighting for optimal performance, such as for eating, respiring, moving, and swimming.
If your baby turtle is not getting the appropriate lighting it won’t be able to break down foods or have the energy to eat foods which is why it would stop eating.
Temperature
Baby turtles, and turtles in general, require very specific temperatures. If the tank is too hot or too cold this can cause the turtle stress, which means the baby turtle stops eating.
Temperatures do vary between different turtles but below we explain the optimal temperatures for the two most common pet turtle species.
- Red-Eared Sliders: Babies of this species require a tank between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Box Turtles: This species requires two different temperatures to replicate temperatures they would experience in the wild. For the daytime they need a tank between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and at nighttime, they require the tank to not fall below 60 degrees.
Time Of The Day
Something most baby turtle owners don’t know is that they are most active in the first half of the day. This means that it is normal for them to choose not to eat in the evening time.
Try feeding them in the morning time as your baby turtle will naturally be hungrier after using up its energy.
Best Food For Baby Turtles
1. Zoo Med Natural Aquatic Maintenance Formula Turtle Food
This food is high in protein and helps boost your baby turtle’s vitamin C, D3 and E levels which benefits their overall health.
It is a great food for turtles that are happy eating pellet-based food and encourages a maintained level of health.
You can purchase this product from Chewy by clicking here or from Amazon by clicking here.
- Contains 1- 45Oz
- No Artificial Colors Or Preservatives
- For Turtles Over 6" 5/16" Pellets
2. Tetrafauna ReptoMin PRO Baby Formula Turtle Food
This is a great choice if your baby turtle is refusing to eat pellet food. This food is high in protein and gives your baby turtle a Vitamin D3 boost with each meal.
As it is stick-shaped it floats on water, encouraging your turtle to swim and in turn creating an appetite.
You can purchase this product from Chewy by clicking here or from Amazon by clicking here.
- Digestible, odor blocking formula helps block odors associated with turtle waste
- Beta glucans support immune system
- Protein and calcium rich
- For turtles 1-2 inches
- Length of stick is 6-8mm and diameter of stick is 2-3mm
3. Fluker’s Buffet Blend Turtle Food
Benefits: This food is a great way of introducing color to your baby turtle’s meal times, which can get their attention and encourage their appetite.
This food benefits your turtle as it is high in both protein and vitamin A. This blend is made up of both pellets and stick food.
You can purchase this product from Chewy by clicking here or from Amazon by clicking here.
- Nutritionally Balanced Turtle Food: Provides your pet with the proper balance of essential protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Ideal turtle food red eared slider large and small turtles.
- Quality Ingredients: This aquatic turtle food is a perfect blend of freeze-dried shrimp, mealworms and vitamin-enriched pellets, making it a delicious and nutritious choice for your pet.
- Easy Feeding: Fluker's Buffet Blend includes floating, vitamin-enriched pellets for easy feeding. This turtle food pellets ensure your pet receives all the necessary nutrients.
- Health Support: Includes calcium to enhance healthy shell growth, making it an ideal choice for baby turtle food. Perfect red ear slider turtle food to ensure your pet's overall well-being.
- Versatile Turtle Food: Whether you're looking for baby turtle food or an all-around nutritious aquatic turtle food, Fluker's Buffet Blend is the way to go.
4. Sequoia Aquatic Turtle Medley Food
Benefits: If you want to introduce more variety to your baby turtle’s mealtimes this product is a great choice. It has freeze-dried shrimp and meal worms and it is packed with fiber and high in protein.
The light yellow and orange colors can attract the attention of baby turtles and stimulate their appetite to try something new.
You can purchase this product from Amazon by clicking here.
Top Tips To Make Your Baby Turtle Eat
Now that you know some reasons why your baby turtle might not be eating, let’s take a look at how you can encourage your pet to start to eat again.
- Change the feeding routine and the diet you are feeding your pet. Introducing new foods at different times may stimulate the baby turtle’s appetite.
- Don’t mix two turtles in the same tank; they may stop eating because they are afraid of one another.
- Use a thermometer to accurately maintain the temperature in the tank, you can then adjust the lamp lower or higher.
- Clean the tank clean to promote a clean and fresh environment for your pet, this will keep your baby turtle happy and healthy and stimulate their appetite.
Final Thoughts
If your pet is still not eating and you have tried all of the above solutions we recommend consulting with a veterinarian to ensure nothing sinister is developing in your baby turtle which could lead to serious health issues or death.
By trying to avoid causing stress to your turtle by following our guidelines set out in this piece you will be able to promote and create a soothing and safe environment for your pet to thrive in and they will resume eating normally again.
