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Hatchling terrapin

Y

yeeyee

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Bought a new diamondback terrapin, it is acting very strange. It stays only at the top of the water, sometimes sinks a bit, and then swims back up. It does not show any fear and is not feeding. Swimming frantically all around against walls of tank, has been for hours.
 
I am keeping it in brackish, I would like to add, the turtle's armpits for lack of a better word appear to be swollen. He also is at the surface and swims as though he is drowning, he cannot easily get under objects and appears to little control over his buoyancy. I placed him on his basking platform and he is basking, but couldn't figure out how to do it himself
 
Your basking platform might be too high for him to reach comfortably. I'm no expert but if you post photos of the tank and the terrapin I'm sure someone on here could help.
 
It is not too high, he can easily access it, I will post a picture. He started to react more to stimuli, albeit slowly.
 
I took a bunch of photos but I cannot send them because the website is asking for links to photos and I have none
 






 
heres the photos
 

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hers a few more
 

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I'd like to add that there normally is netting on the tank. I have tried to give him a mealworm and hatchling turtle pellets, he did not want it. I will try to get crabs or shrimp, I heard they like it
 
Way too much water. There's a high drowning risk for him with that much
I would change the water height to around 6 inches and add a proper basking light/uvb.
 
Ok, I will lower the water level to 6 in. He is kept outside, I don't think he needs a UVB or basking bulb. He definitely receives UVB from the sun and gets to bask naturally under the sun. Anything I can do about his buoyancy problems?
 
Update: I noticed he was having trouble with the ramp, so I fixed the ramp. I dropped water level. He is now diving around and swimming almost normally. He ate a piece of shrimp. He is doing better with buoyancy and is diving frequently. I still do not know what to do about the swelling around his front legs. It seems buoyancy problem resolved itself. He4 is slightly tilted to one side while swimming and I do not know if that's a sign of respiratory problems. Should I buy antibiotics?
 
I wouldn't self dose antibiotics. Maybe a local exotics vet? Or a post on a terrapin specific forum?
Glad to hear he appears to be doing better.
 
What is the water temperature?

I have seen turtles float when the water temp is colder than what they need.
 
He is now swimming and acting and feeding completely fine. He has no more tilt he is swimming and feeding and not floating at all and being totally normal other than maybe still being at the surface frequently and trying to swim out of the tank. He is being kept outdoors water temperature is 82-86
 
The swelling on his legs is much reduced and he’s almost completely normal now. I probably overreacted when i first got him and he was still confused and acclimating
 
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