diff --git a/moto/rds2/models.py b/moto/rds2/models.py
index 5abd2ed1b..6ae0c98a0 100644
--- a/moto/rds2/models.py
+++ b/moto/rds2/models.py
@@ -733,6 +733,37 @@ class RDS2Backend(BaseBackend):
         database = self.describe_databases(db_instance_identifier)[0]
         return database
 
+    def _check_can_stop_rds_instance_(self, database=None):
+        # todo: certain rds types not allowed to be stopped at this time.
+        if database:
+            if database.is_replica or database.multi_az:
+                # should be 400 error
+                return RDSClientError('InvalidDBClusterStateFault', 'Invalid DB type, when trying to perform StopDBInstance. See AWS RDS documentation on rds.stop_db_instance')
+        return True
+
+    def stop_database(self, db_instance_identifier, snapshot_name=None):
+        database = self.describe_databases(db_instance_identifier)[0]
+        self._check_can_stop_rds_instance_(database)
+        if database.status != 'available':
+            return RDSClientError('InvalidDBInstanceState', 'when calling the StopDBInstance operation: Instance testdb is not in available state')
+        self.create_rds_snapshot(db_instance_identifier, db_instance_identifier)
+        database.status = 'shutdown'
+        return database
+
+    def start_database(self, db_instance_identifier):
+        database = self.describe_databases(db_instance_identifier)[0]
+        if database.status != 'shutdown':
+            # should be 400 error
+            return RDSClientError('InvalidDBInstanceState', 'when calling the StartDBInstance operation: Instance {} is not stopped, it cannot be started.' % db_instance_identifier)
+        database.status = 'available'
+        return
+
+    def create_rds_snapshot(self, db_instance_identifier, db_snapshot_identifier):
+        # todo
+        # DBSnapshotAlreadyExists
+        # SnapshotQuotaExceeded
+        return None
+
     def find_db_from_id(self, db_id):
         if self.arn_regex.match(db_id):
             arn_breakdown = db_id.split(':')
diff --git a/moto/rds2/responses.py b/moto/rds2/responses.py
index ef02bfbf1..d8108c7f8 100644
--- a/moto/rds2/responses.py
+++ b/moto/rds2/responses.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class RDS2Response(BaseResponse):
             "db_instance_identifier": self._get_param('DBInstanceIdentifier'),
             "db_name": self._get_param("DBName"),
             "db_parameter_group_name": self._get_param("DBParameterGroupName"),
+            "db_snapshot_identifier": self._get_param('DBSnapshotIdentifier'),
             "db_subnet_group_name": self._get_param("DBSubnetGroupName"),
             "engine": self._get_param("Engine"),
             "engine_version": self._get_param("EngineVersion"),
@@ -193,6 +194,19 @@ class RDS2Response(BaseResponse):
         template = self.response_template(REMOVE_TAGS_FROM_RESOURCE_TEMPLATE)
         return template.render()
 
+    def stop_db_instance(self):
+        db_instance_identifier = self._get_param('DBInstanceIdentifier')
+        db_snapshot_identifier = self._get_param('DBInstanceIdentifier')
+        database = self.backend.stop_database(db_instance_identifier, db_snapshot_identifier)
+        template = self.response_template(STOP_DATABASE_TEMPLATE)
+        return template.render(database=database)
+
+    def start_db_instance(self):
+        db_instance_identifier = self._get_param('DBInstanceIdentifier')
+        database = self.backend.start_database(db_instance_identifier)
+        template = self.response_template(START_DATABASE_TEMPLATE)
+        return template.render(database=database)
+
     def create_db_security_group(self):
         group_name = self._get_param('DBSecurityGroupName')
         description = self._get_param('DBSecurityGroupDescription')
@@ -410,8 +424,25 @@ REBOOT_DATABASE_TEMPLATE = """<RebootDBInstanceResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazon
   </ResponseMetadata>
 </RebootDBInstanceResponse>"""
 
+START_DATABASE_TEMPLATE = """<StartDBInstanceResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazonaws.com/doc/2014-09-01/">
+  <StartDBInstanceResult>
+  {{ database.to_xml() }}
+  </StartDBInstanceResult>
+  <ResponseMetadata>
+    <RequestId>523e3218-afc7-11c3-90f5-f90431260ab9</RequestId>
+  </ResponseMetadata>
+</StartDBInstanceResponse>"""
 
-DELETE_DATABASE_TEMPLATE = """<DeleteDBInstanceResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazonaws.com/doc/2014-09-01/">
+STOP_DATABASE_TEMPLATE = """<StopDBInstanceResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazonaws.com/doc/2014-09-01/">
+  <StopDBInstanceResult>
+  {{ database.to_xml() }}
+  </StopDBInstanceResult>
+  <ResponseMetadata>
+    <RequestId>523e3218-afc7-11c3-90f5-f90431260ab8</RequestId>
+  </ResponseMetadata>
+</StopDBInstanceResponse>"""
+
+DELETE_DATABASE_TEMPLATE = """<DeleteDBInstanceResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazonaws.com/doc/2014-10-31/">
   <DeleteDBInstanceResult>
     {{ database.to_xml() }}
   </DeleteDBInstanceResult>
@@ -420,7 +451,7 @@ DELETE_DATABASE_TEMPLATE = """<DeleteDBInstanceResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazon
   </ResponseMetadata>
 </DeleteDBInstanceResponse>"""
 
-CREATE_SNAPSHOT_TEMPLATE = """<CreateDBSnapshotResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazonaws.com/doc/2014-09-01/">
+CREATE_SNAPSHOT_TEMPLATE = """<CreateDBSnapshotResponse xmlns="http://rds.amazonaws.com/doc/2014-10-31/">
   <CreateDBSnapshotResult>
   {{ snapshot.to_xml() }}
   </CreateDBSnapshotResult>