My father found him on a road. A few dogs were barking at him, and he was nowhere near a water body, so my father brought him home.
His Description:
It's been 7 days. He seems like some kind of Indian turtle, around 5–6 inches in size.
He's been living in this red tub, with enough sand to bury himself, some water, and a dry area. I change his water every day and keep him in indirect sunlight for roughly 5–6 hours daily.
Recently got him a 50W UVB lamp, which he seems to enjoy. I also tried letting him out of the tub, and he travels all around.
Problems
- He doesn't seem to eat anything.
I've tried spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, pomegranate, wheat balls, and even bought dried insects (photo attached), of which I think he ate ONE in 3 days.
Tried pellets too (photo attached). Didn't touch them.
- This tub is definitely not ideal.
I tried looking everywhere for a proper turtle tank, even on Amazon, but most are made for tiny turtles and are barely 12 inches deep.
Planning to buy this large plant pot (photo attached, 36 × 14 × 14 inches), but it doesn't seem deep enough either.
I know about the 10-gallon-per-inch rule, but my house simply isn't big enough for that.
I even looked at fish tanks, but most were for small fish (and I don't really like glass tanks because of the reflections these animals have to see).
Talked to a shop owner who said he'd have to commission a custom tank, which is HELL expensive.
I was thinking of going with 36 × 14 × 36 inches. That's the absolute maximum I can fit in my house. Cleaning the water would be super hard, but I could manage.
- What should I do with him?
I thought of releasing him into the wild, but I live in one of the worst drought-prone regions of India, and I'm worried he won't survive.
Thought of releasing him into a river, but the nearest one is 50 km away, and even that has a very rocky shoreline.
Tried contacting the local Forest Department, but their phones don't work.
P.S. I know it's illegal to keep native turtles in India (nobody really cares though). Also, finding anything for turtles here is surprisingly difficult, even on Amazon.
I just don't want him/her to die, and my family has named him too :(
Lastly, I have three questions:
Why is he not eating? What am I doing wrong?
Would the tank size I mentioned be good enough for him?
What should I do with him?
Any help would be appreciated. I genuinely just want him to survive.