I live in South Florida. I've had them for a week now and I purchased the entire set-up at the Reptile store to ensure I had all the right lighting and substrate, etc. So far, all they've done is burrow . I saw them come out only once. If I want to see them, I go in and find them and take them out for a minute. I want to talk to them and touch then daily so they get used to it.
I change the food every day, but so far, they haven't eaten a bite! I've used everything from Turtle Food from the store to Romaine Lettuce to Ground Turkey to Honey Dew to Apple to Boiled Egg Shells for Calcium. Nothing has enticed them to eat and even when I put them in a separate container with food, they are not interested.
My tank size is 30 Gallon Long and I was told this would be a good size for their entire lives, as they will grow to the size of a potato.
They are clear eyed and look good, but they are just not eating. Substrate is half moss (wet) and half bark (damp).
SHould I worry or just continue to wait?
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Thanks for any help anyone can give me! I want this to be successful and I want them to thrive.
Helene
Who ever told you a boxie, let alone 2, can live comfortably in a 30 gal tank, couldn't be more wrong. Here's an essential list for boxies to help you with proper husbandry:
1) Enclosure (minimum 4ft x 2ft for one specimen. You'll need 4ft X 6ft for two.) Boxies need a lot of floor space, even with their smaller size (boxies grow to be 7 inches long on average.) They can easily stress out and quickly go stir crazy in a small enclosure. It is better to build a "turtle table" for a box turtle, as finding an aquarium or other large enclosure is expensive and not practical. Here's some instructions on how to build one:
http://www.unc.edu/~ dtkirkpa/stuff/table ... Multiple females can be kept together with no problems, as long as husbandry requirements are met. Males should not be housed together as they will become aggressive when they are sexually mature. Males and females housed together will eventually mate when sexually mature and you will have to deal with the complications/issues that go along with that.
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2) UVB lighting; fixture and bulb. (Zoomed makes the best long tube style fluorescent bulb to date, and T-rex makes the best MVB, or mercury vapor bulb.) MVB's will emit heat and UVB light all form one bulb. Otherwise , UVB and heat will be two separate bulbs. Bulbs should be replaced every year after which time UVB will no longer be produced even if visible light still is. UVB should be available for 10 - 12 hours a day. UVB is used in a diurnal (active during the day) reptile's metabolism, food digestion, and the absorption of calcium in their bodies. GROW LIGHTS USED FOR PLANTS ARE NOT AEQUATE FOR USE WITH REPTILES.
3) Heat lamp; fixture and bulb. Basking temp should be 90 - 95 F. Basking temp should be available for 10 - 12 hours a day.
4) Substrate. 3 - 4 inches of organic potting soil, pet moss, or coconut coir bedding, like Jungle bed or Bed-a-Beast. Keep lightly moistened and well mixed to maintain humidity at 50 - 60%. Compacted, soaked bedding will breed bacteria and fungus. Substrate should be deep to accommodate the turtle's digging behavior. Change substrate monthly.
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5) Diet. Boxies are omnivorous; they need "meat" and veggie in their diet, and the diet should shift throughout their life stages. For example, a baby will need more "meat" or protein in the diet than veggie, a juvenile will need a 50/50 diet, and an adult will need more veggie in their diet than protein. Appropriate meat/protein are: feeder insects (crickets, meal worms (occasionally; they have an outer shell that is hard on the digestive system), wax worms (occasionally; they are mostly fat), phoenix worms, red wrigglers, night crawlers, silk worms, horn worms, dubia or red lobster roaches), cooked unseasoned meat, like chicken, turkey, shrimp, and beef heart , and tuna in water, not oil. Here's a good site to use for appropriate veggies:
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.co ... Variety is key for complete nutrition; just be sure to include one or more staple greens with every veggie feeding.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com 6) Calcium supplementation and multivitamin supplementation. Plain calcium is best, as you can feed as often as you want (you can get plain calcium by buying a cuttle bone and shaving it to a powder. You can even leave a cuttle bone in the enclosure for the boxie to chew on; it helps maintain the beak.) Calcium with vitamin D3 added should only be fed twice a week to prevent D3 overdose. A multivitamin will help to fill in any small gaps in the diet; feed weekly. Sprinkle on food stuffs to feed.
7) Hides. There should be at least two in the enclosure. You can use ones from a pet store, or you can use an old mixing bowl or fake plastic plant planter with a door cut in it and turned upside down.
