Help with painted turtle diet and basking please

[mrsengland55]

Hi everyone! I just joined this forum as I need advice regarding my painted turtle. It's been a good 4 months since he has eaten any of the pellets. He never had a problem with them, but he just refuses them now. I've tried 2 different kinds of pellets. The other is that he rarely gets on his platform to bask. Every once in awhile I find him there, but he does not stay very long. Other than that, his behavior has not changed, he eats shrimp and mealworms just fine and seems hungry when he gets them. He will "stand" in the tank near the lamps like he's getting the light on his head but does not truly do any basking. I have not noticed anything that would make me feel as though he is not well. Are these behaviors normal? Will he get back to eating and basking properly? Does it happen to have a connection to something seasonal? I'm open to any and all advice please. I live in central Indiana but I'm not really sure if he is an Eastern painted or not. I rescued him 2 years ago and I just want him to be happy and healthy. Thank you so very much.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I have a Midland Painted turtle in my dining room in a 150 gallon aquarium. He has 2 pet fish and they all eat night crawlers, live feeder fish, snails, slugs and pond fish food. None of them will eat Reptomin turtle sticks. It sounds to me like your water may be too warm. Why should he bask when he doesn't need to? Why don't you post a picture showing his carapace, face, plastron and cloaca and how he is kept?

 

[TammyJ]

Yes, please let us see some pictures of your turtle and his setup.

 

[mrsengland55]

I have a Midland Painted turtle in my dining room in a 150 gallon aquarium. He has 2 pet fish and they all eat night crawlers, live feeder fish, snails, slugs and pond fish food. None of them will eat Reptomin turtle sticks. It sounds to me like your water may be too warm. Why should he bask when he doesn't need to? Why don't you post a picture showing his carapace, face, plastron and cloaca and how he is kept?

He is currently in a 40-gallon tank preparing to move into a 75-gallon tank. He has 3 small cory cats in the tank with him. He has 2 hiding places and the water temperature maintains at 75-76 degrees. I am very good at keeping him at 12-hour intervals and clean the tank with a partial water change every week. Besides the shrimp and mealworms, he will also eat collard green leaves and he enjoys small pieces of watermelon. Pictures coming later.