Why is my Turtle NOT Eating Food?? How to get your turtle to eat again
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Today's episode is focused on the question why is my turtle not eating?
I review some of the main reasons why your turtle is not eating.
Some of the main reasons your turtle is not eating is:
1) They are stressed out and still getting used to their new environment
2) Their food is too big or too hard to chew on
3) They might not like the taste of the turtle food you are giving them
4) Your water or basking temperature is not in a healthy range. As a reminder, you water temperature should be between 75-85 degrees fahrenheit, and the basking platform should be 10 degrees warmer
5) Your turtle tank is too dirty, which is stressing out your turtle and causing them not to eat
6) There is a chance your turtle is suffering from an illness
How to get your turtle to start eating again:
1) Try a variety of different pellets to see which one they like
2) Feed them live food such as crickets, worms, or even feeder fish
3) Feed them in a separate, small container
4) Do a thorough clean of your turtle tank and your water
It can be very concerning if your turtle stops eating. However, most of the time when your turtle is not eating, you can usually fix the problem without taking them to the vet.
Also, it is important to know that turtles can go a long period of time without eating. Some turtles can even survive weeks to months without food. Therefore, you should only start to worry if your turtle isn't eating for more than a week or two. If you try everything listed above and your turtle is still not eating, you should probably take them to the vet.
While this video shows a red-eared slider not eating, all of the tips and advice I provide are relevant to other aquatic turtle species including painted turtles, yellow bellied turtles, musk turtles and more.
Baby turtle not eating food
It can be stressful if your baby turtle is not eating. Since baby turtles are usually stressed out when you first bring them home, it usually takes a couple days or even a week for them to get comfortable enough to start eating. If you do have a baby turtle, I suggest you buy them baby turtle pellets since they are much smaller and easier for baby turtles to eat. You should only get concerned if your baby turtle doesn't eat for longer than 1-2 weeks.
#turtlefood #turtlefeeding
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This was very helpful I had just bought turtles and they weren't eating and then I did what you did and they started eating!!!
Glad I could help!
I was nervous bc ive had my turtle for 3 days and it won’t eat yet so now i feel better thank you
Yeah it’s super common for new turtles to be hesitant to eat at first. Are they eating now?
This was soo helpful and stopped me from panicking lol. Thank you 😊
Glad it could help!
I know I’ve been freaking out it’s been a while this was so helpful 5:38
Thanks mate for your valuable explanation!😊
No problem! Glad I could help.
I searched for "help,my turtle is trying eat my fish and its trying eat me now"
Not this
Thanks for sharing so many red eared slider information 😀 , would love to see how to properly setup the lights for them? Is it exo terra solar glo mercury vapor bulb 💡 uvb + uva one single💡 setup enough for them basking daily? Or i need to separate bulb 💡??
Can red eared slider juvenile no eat for 3 or 4 days , or 1 week just feed them twice?
Thank you! So I use a combo UVA UVB (so just one light) and it seems to be working well so far and my turtle has a healthy shell. I prefer the combo because it's a lot easier to have just one light. I think it's best to feed a juvenile turtle everyday or every other day, but they can easily go a couple days or 1 week without food, I just wouldn't make a habit of it.
I will try that. Thank you so much 😊
I have a peacock slider hatchling, it arrived today and he didn't eat anything but he did try attempt to eat a hatchling pellet but missed. I gave a shrimp and he took half of a bite and that was it. The internet says it is mainly carnivorous as a baby should I continue to feed him shrimps and break them in half if they're too big?
Hey, I don’t have much experience with peacock sliders, but yes that sounds like a good game plan. The shrimp might need to be soaked in the water for a while for it to be soft enough for you turtle to eat it. Also there’s a chance your hatchling is nervous to eat in front of you.
@@turtleholic Yes I figured he might be nervous, He is eating the shrimps one at a time because he shows no interest if they are soaked for ages as it turns white
@@turtleholic How much do hatchlings eat in general, just a few shrimps?
@@sunjico oh interesting. We’ll I’m glad he’s eating!
@@turtleholic It has pooped a fairly good amount today and yesterday so hopefully it regains appetite
Thank u sooooo much it really helped!
Glad it was able to help!!
If you have a snapping turtle they eat no matter what
mine won’t eat pellets, at least not yet
Oh my god I was so worried bc I just got it and my mum scared me saying I’ll get a lot of sins if it dies😅. Luckily it hopefully will now eat, thank you very much
🤣🤣🤣glad it’s eating now
So we let our turtle run around the house and at night we let her soak for a few hours in the bathtub. We found her on a country highway cars swerving around her. Is this life better than the streets? Are we “turtling” correctly? Please help lol
I guess it depends on if you got a turtle or tortoise. But if it’s an aquatic turtle it’s gonna need a tank lol
@@turtleholic so we found out it’s a red ear slider. Research says it’s semi aquatic but I agree a tank would probably be best lol I guess we’re going to see how it goes til we commit or let her back to the wild.
Ive had my red eared slider for at least 22-23 years. He has always lived in the bathroom. He has a warm bed next to commode. He gets clean water in the tub everyday and a variety of foods. He seems in good shape. Always mindful to alert guest of Mr Turtle.
@@BlueBamboo62 that’s awesome! Thanks for the good news. My gf will be pretty happy. She loves to give the slider the freedom she had in the wild. Luckily no accidents on the floor yet either. Seems to only go in water.
I got my turtles for about 3 weeks, but havent eaten at all really, I feed them Exo-Terra turtle pellets but they completely ignore them, what pellets do you reccomend?
For pellets, I recommend this one from zoo med: amzn.to/3As8co8 . If they wont eat that, then you should try freeze dried shrimp: amzn.to/3As8co8
My small red eared slider turtle is not eating anything since 2 months.
Same 😢
I’m sorry to hear that. Are they still not eating?
@@turtleholicsame mine aren’t eating neither I had one for 2 weeks the other for a week nothing
Same with mine. It's been 2 months since we have brought the 2 months old red eared slider. And till the end of Nov, he was eating very well, be it pellets or fruits or vegetables.
But for the last 2 weeks, he hasn't eaten anything other than 2 small bites of boiled eggs. We are trying everything - from UV lights to variety in food and water temperature.
I'm very concerned. Please let me know what I should do to help him get better. 🥺🙏
I also have a baby red eared who hasn't eaten I almost a month. 😢 I'm very sad for him.
I have a Mississippi map turtle since 2 years and since two weeks he isn’t really interested in food, yesterday he ate one pellet and he always comes to the front when you walk up to the tank but he won’t eat. I am thinking of buying new food but he gets 7 different kinds of dry food and all kinds of lettuce so I don’t know what to do. He even is active as always.
That's strange. Sometimes their appetite preferences can change over night. Maybe try soaking the pellets in tuna water and see if that helps?
@ I did nothing and now he is eating again. Don’t know what his problem was
My turtle has not eaten two weeks for some reason ever since Christmas and I don’t know if she’s just scared to come up on his turtle dock to eat I don’t want to die so can you please give me some advice?
Have you confirmed that the temperature in the water and basking platform is adequate? Sometimes in the winter the weather outside can cause tank conditions to get colder. If the temperature is correct, you should try to give your turtle a carrot soak. You can watch this video I made to learn more: th-cam.com/video/EetGUZSK4QY/w-d-xo.html
@ thank you also he ate a little bit on Sunday, but I just cleaned his tank and replaced the water and he’s going back where he usually sits
ive had aa turtle for about a week now and hes a baby cooter he hasnt eaten much i give him pellets red shrimp and lettuce daily but he doesnt really eat somtimes he does but usually for like 2-3 days he basks eyes closed and wont eat and whenever hes not hes under water hiding which is normal for turtle babies but i dont know if you have any advice thatd help ive tried most things in this video
It's probably too early for vegetables, but I'm surprised he's not eating the shrimp. Maybe try cutting it up into small pieces so it easier for him to eat. Also, might be best to drop the food in and then leave so that he feels more comfortable going for the food.
@@turtleholic hes been eating this past week so yeah all that worked well hes eating lettuce shrimp and his pellets, thank you
I’ve tried all of these! I have a new baby African sideneck. I read they liked live food but she won’t even pay them any attention. At first I thought she was getting used to the new tank but nothing! I’m getting really worried! I have an automatic heater and another turtle in their tank (I know not the best but they get along and it’s not permanent) I’ve tried In that tank In a separate tank, different temperatures and everything I could think of :( it’s been almost 2 months she’s been like this ever since I got her but the store never said anything about her. In fact they knew nothing of her! What do I do!!! I’m scared for my little baby :( I’m already so attached to her
Oh no I’m so sorry! Baby turtles can be very picky, especially if they were only fed one type of food before you got them. One option is to try soaking the pellets in tuna water (just some water extracted from a tuna can). You also might be able to spark their appetite by feeding them freeze dried shrimp. You can buy them on Amazon for a couple dollars. Lastly, make sure that the pellets are small enough so they can easily fit in your turtle’s mouth. I hope this helps and good luck!
I have another question I just got some one is active and swims around but the other stays in one spot and sleeps
that's normal for babies. I'd give it at least another week or two before getting worried.
Thanks😊
I wrote my turtle out of Philly I put rocks on one side the other side enough water to cover them I would never put a turtle in not much water because they can flip over and on their backs and their organs can go I literally like I said the guy that raises turtles and breeds them said the left side make sure you have rocks to the right enough water to cover him literally at the end of the day he doesn't flip over one time I forgot to make the rocks lower and he fell over and almost gave me a heart attack
I have a turtle for almost a 2 years but suddenly it has stopped eating and she is sleeping so much and it's winter idk what can be problem she is not opening her eyes oftenly
Dip it in carrot juice twice a day for half an hour
Yes, carrot juice is a good option. Also, make sure that your water heater and basking light are projecting enough heat, as the colder temperatures might be causing her to get sick.
My turtle seems to struggle in water so i put him out in open but he always sit under the bed in the corner .
What type of turtle is it? If it is an aquatic turtle, it will need to be in water.
I accidentally dropped my terrapin turtle in the bath there was water in there he landed on his back so I turned him over and he seemed fine , but now he hasn't eaten for about a week. He's not moving around much can you help please
i have the same situation but my turtle is a baby cooter and he fell into the water while basking
There is a chance he has a broken rib. Is he still not eating?
@@turtleholic no still not eating im worried about him
I have an old Red Eared slider. I believe she is going blind. I was hand feeding her but now she won't eat at all. It's been a month now😢. I have literally tried like 10 different foods. Somebody abandoned her 10 years ago and that's how I got her so I've had her at least 10 years so she has got to be pretty old
Oh no I’m sorry! Unfortunately it is common for turtles to lose their eyesight as they get older. Is there any white buildup near her eyes, or do they look normal? Also, is she still basking?
All she does is bask. Eyes look normal as far as I can tell. I even tried feeding her with syringe which she didn't like
@@NightHawk-00 oh that’s a bummer. The only other thing I can think of is if the water temperature isn’t between 75-85 degrees she might be avoiding it. But unfortunately it sounds like it might just be old age. Have you ever heard of carrot soaks? You basically blend up carrots and water and let your turtle soak in it. It can be a good way for your turtle to consume vitamins and potentially stimulate their diet.
My turtle won't eat anything rather than boiled egg and pieces of shrimp and dried mealworm, so basically, just protein. I tried feeding her all kinds of vegetables, and she wouldn't eat any of'em. She's also been nervous and a bit scared for the past week.( I had her for almost 9 months) plss give me some advice.
Hi. You should go without feeding for 2-3 days. And then when she’s hungry, give her the vegetables. Make sure the vegetables are cut up in really small pieces.
My little baby hasn't eaten I feel like an over a week her worm she's only eating the tiny little bit I wasted almost 40 something worms she doesn't really want to repellent she does not like dried shrimp or any other food so what do I do
I have the same turtle and it looks like you have
Dominic you said it should be concerning I'm ready to cry
You should try feeding her small pellets. Sometimes turtles can be turned off by worms/crickets.
What do I do if my turtle is not eating Piets , veggie, live food, and treats ( I tried all of your methods but my turtle still won’t eat.
They might have a vitamin deficiency. You should try to give them a carrot bath to stimulate their appetite. I did a video on it here -> Carrot Soak for Turtles: How to Make and the Benefits
th-cam.com/video/EetGUZSK4QY/w-d-xo.html
@@turtleholicwhat do you mean by carrot 🥕 bath?
Do I put my turtle 🐢 in purée of the carrot 🥕 and just let her swim in the purée?
Please reply to me if you’re able to.
My turtle 🐢 doesn’t eat for days 😢
Thank you 🙏
He used to eat I'm sorry she used to eat worms the minute I put in the tank like I said I wasted a few of them she doesn't like lettuce that's for sure I tried it once are you cooking the carrots first
😊 I've tried other brands again she does not like it
Thank you
I changed the water every 2 days literally have the same tank as you and I flip it maybe my tongue is a little longer
Have you tried pellets? And are the pellets small enough for him to eat?
Mine will not eat and when offered any food she starts scratching her mouth like she was itchy and she just tries to smell it and repeats the same action
Weird, is your turtle still doing this?
@@turtleholic she’s doing better I realized this behavior could be due to the turtle not liking the food she was offered, because days before I had given her some turkey ham… and now she’s rejecting carrots because of that also… I guess it was the cold weather and it could also be that she had fallen and damaged her mouth, anyways this might be useful for other keepers thanks for the info and spreading the knowledge
That is literally the biggest one I've ever seen
I've tried all sort different foods new heater vitamin drop for water
is your turtle still moving around and swimming? If not they might be sick.
@@turtleholic he is moving but only a little bit every now and then if I put him in the bath he swims but he's not doing much in the tank .
I would try some freeze dried crickets or another type of insect. Or maybe shrimp.
@@turtleholic I took him to the vets he had a respiratory infection . Thanks for all the help
Glad the vet was able to properly diagnose it. Did they give your turtle antibiotics?
I would appreciate anybody who has expertise replied to me. I have a caramel red ear slider that ate the same day. I brought her home but couple days later I would see her eat that are in my aquarium because she lives in a 200 gallon natural aquarium with Oscars and other fish, however, I thought Herbie and a reptile. I thought she had gizzards like crocodilians so I didn’t think too much of her eating the gravel. I thought she ate the gravel because she needed calcium so I didn’t prevent her from doing so now she won’t eat I’ve seen her shoot her neck out like a sneeze, but only underwater never whenever she , it’s kinda like a sneeze yawn there’s been happening for a while now so I really really really need some advice. If I need to take her to the vet somebody just tell me that.
Caramel albino
Hi, is she still not eating?
Oh please get the guy a bigger basking place or create one with egg crates:(
Where can I find an in water filter like yours? I’d like to raise the water level to give more swimming space.
Hi, I use this filter and it works really well (amzn.to/3T5NbWS) it's also pretty cheap compared to other filters
Thank you
Please help me I am hopeless cause there are no turtle specialist vet here. 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Please help me and my turtle 😭😭❤️❤️My turtle has been having breathing problems for 2 weeks and the vet said his bottom part of the shall is not hard and so I got him calcium sirup (the same that we give to human babys/I gave it to him with his food) . And a few hours after giving him the sirup with his food, I took him under the sun, after 15 minutes he stared gasping for air and then his eyes got swollen and he didn't move! I was so scared I thought he is dead! After a few hours he opened his eyes but he isn't still eating or moving! I am soooo scared. I don't know his breathing problems was because of lack of calcium and soft shell OR infections. But after calcium sirup and sun, he had this reaction! About the reason of this reaction, I don't know if the temperature of sun was too hot for him OR I shouldn't have given him calcium sirup OR he has some kind of allergic reaction to the sirup. But I am sacred so much cause he doesn't move or eat. Help meeeee😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hey, while the sun is usually good for turtles, it can be overwhelming for a sick turtle. You should try a carrot bath to see if that helps. Here is a tutorial video I made:
th-cam.com/video/EetGUZSK4QY/w-d-xo.html
Let me know if that works.
@@turtleholic thank you sooooo much for your help 🥺❤️❤️❤️
@@turtleholic I am using carrot soak for him every day thanks to you 🥺❤️❤️
His bottom part of the shell is very soft too so he definitely needs calcium. How do you recommend I should provide it for him?
In his food's brochure has been written that it has calcium. But he obviously needs more.
@@koala_craft no problem! If you are able to order on amazon, you should get this amzn.to/3YRFbMv . You can put your turtle in a small container of water, and then put one of the calcium blocks inside and it will cause the calcium to dissolve in the water and your turtle will consume some of it.
@@turtleholic omg thank you sooooo much. You truly are the best 🥺❤️❤️
I give my turtle earth worms
my turtle loves worms.
video importee dans ma tete.
Hi Mate do you have patreon or discord server I have few question if not problem I will sub on your patreon if you have. Thank you
Ej, još nemam patreon, ali javit ću ti kad ga napravim. U međuvremenu možeš postaviti svoja pitanja ovdje u komentarima.
@@turtleholic Bro thank you for answering can I somewhere send pictures from my turtles I dont know how is old turtle when I was buy in pet shop and seller dont know.
@@dragannovakovic5975 yeah bro you can email turtleholic1@gmail.com