Blind res won’t eat HELP

noblequintin

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I just got her she’s 1 inch 1/8 and she won’t eat I put my hand in front of her face and shake it all crazy and she doesn’t even notice I’m pretty sure shes
Blind, constantly running into things and filter , but she won’t eat I’ve tried hand feeding and only got her to eat one shrimp any ADVICE ?
 

wellington

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They need to be in water to eat. When you feed, get a small container and put some of her enclosure water in it and feed her in there.
Not likely she will take from your hand being so new to you. That takes time. Also being so new, she needs time to get adjusted to her new home.
Feeding in a seperate container will also help keep her enclosure cleaner.
 

ZenHerper

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What is the water temperature? Turtles in cold (or hot) water will try to escape.

What kind of decoration do you have for her to hide in? Baby turtles are food for all sorts of other animals and they need to hide all day long. Live plants or plastic vines work great. Turtles also need a way to get out of the water to relax, breathe, and sit under a warming lamp.

Water turtles don't have salivary glands -- they need to eat while in water. Get brine shrimp or a wee fish from the pet store (it's not complete nutrition, but will be a good start) and offer it to the turtle in the tank or in a small container with 3/4 of an inch of water in it.

Unless it was raised to hand-feed, it will not take food from you (and will be terrified of your hand waving in front of it).

Read the information here to update your tank and environmental parameters:
 

noblequintin

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thank you but i have tired all this she is very comfortable being held because she cant see very well or at all .any advice for blind turtles. albinos are notorious for not knowing what food is at first I've read. she wont eat in the bowl. the waters tempeture is 80 degrees which is good for new hatchlings growth I read. and she spends allot of time basking is this because she is ill or because she is comfortable up there cuz she blind and has a hard time finding herself around in the water?
 

mark1

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turtle misjudging distance is pretty common , i don't believe it has anything to do with blindness , i believe turtles vision can be pretty farsighted depending on what their focused on , might be farsighted to some degree regardless ....... aquatic turtles need to see in the water and the air , my best understanding is they need to focus their vision on what their looking at (field of vision)...... i think you got some decent advice , put him in a small container of water covering his shell and put food in it ..... softened pellets , small worms or pieces of cut up night crawlers ...... i also can assure you he/she doesn't feel safer being held .....
 

DoubleD1996!

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I just got her she’s 1 inch 1/8 and she won’t eat I put my hand in front of her face and shake it all crazy and she doesn’t even notice I’m pretty sure shes
Blind, constantly running into things and filter , but she won’t eat I’ve tried hand feeding and only got her to eat one shrimp any ADVICE ?
If she is albino she may have a hard time seeing, but that doesn't mean she's completely blind. I have an albino leopard gecko with a ravenous appetite and I feed her off tongs. If I don't she'll bite me. I think she sees shadows because she reacts to me walking by and can't eat on her own. Try live food. A few live mealworms, or small earth worms. No matter how stubborn, turtles respond to movement even if it's out of curiosity. It could also just be adjusting to its new environment, depending on how long ago you got it.
 

noblequintin

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If she is albino she may have a hard time seeing, but that doesn't mean she's completely blind. I have an albino leopard gecko with a ravenous appetite and I feed her off tongs. If I don't she'll bite me. I think she sees shadows because she reacts to me walking by and can't eat on her own. Try live food. A few live mealworms, or small earth worms. No matter how stubborn, turtles respond to movement even if it's out of curiosity. It could also just be adjusting to its new environment, depending on how long ago you got it.
That’s what I think to . I feed her with tongs I’m gonna try live food like you suggest and maybe some salmon. She she’s very calm here has to be much better then where I got here
turtle misjudging distance is pretty common , i don't believe it has anything to do with blindness , i believe turtles vision can be pretty farsighted depending on what their focused on , might be farsighted to some degree regardless ....... aquatic turtles need to see in the water and the air , my best understanding is they need to focus their vision on what their looking at (field of vision)...... i think you got some decent advice , put him in a small container of water covering his shell and put food in it ..... softened pellets , small worms or pieces of cut up night crawlers ...... i also can assure you he/she doesn't feel safer being held .....
I try not to pick her up unless she gets stuck
 

Len B

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What l do with hatchling water turtles especially for albino RES is make the tank simple. No sand or gravel on the bottom. No place to get stuck. Feed pellets, floating fish pellets work for a beginner food source because you can find them in smaller sizes. Mazuri water turtle diet is larger than a new born hatchling can eat whole but will soften up enough for them to eat small bites at a time. The reason for no sand or gravel is so they can easily find what food sinks by smelling it out. The eyesight should improve in time. Good Luck with your new Baby.
 

noblequintin

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What l do with hatchling water turtles especially for albino RES is make the tank simple. No sand or gravel on the bottom. No place to get stuck. Feed pellets, floating fish pellets work for a beginner food source because you can find them in smaller sizes. Mazuri water turtle diet is larger than a new born hatchling can eat whole but will soften up enough for them to eat small bites at a time. The reason for no sand or gravel is so they can easily find what food sinks by smelling it out. The eyesight should improve in time. Good Luck with your new Baby.
I will do she’s been able to find the food that floats around her basking rock I will remove the substrates ?
 
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