Upset about cleaning - stressed turtle

I have a 1.5 year old sideneck that I’ve had for 1 year. I found a nice couple who cleans tanks last week and within 2 hours they had everything super clean. Replaced about half the water. It was shining! During the cleaning the lady held my turtle almost the half of the time. I was shocked! I said, “she doesn’t like that!” I was genuinely concerned because she was holding her high in the air.. I brought a small plastic tank and offered her to put her in. She said she wanted her shell to dry out, blah blah. My turtle eventually aggressively peed on her. I regret not insisting but I’m a new turtle owner myself.

Despite all this, I thought they did a good job and I was happy until a few days ago.

My turtle is showing signs of stress for a week now (7 days now). She won’t eat her pellets, won’t swim and won’t bask. She was very active before, loved her feedings.. swam a ton.. basked everyday. I’m so upset and worried! She just hangs in her hammock at the top and will eat small bites and let her favorite treats float away. I feel horrible! I put her setup back to the way it was before and moved the filter output. I’m trying everything! When I go up to the tank she looks at me with her cute face just like before. She looks healthy and no signs of injury. Any advice?

Posted Apr 8, 2026, 2:52 AM UTC

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