Urgent Care :: Shell rot?

[MrMax]

How big is your turtle? 1.5 "
How long have you had it? 4 days

What is the water temperature? 78 F
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? about 15 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? yes, reptisafe
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 92 f
Is there a basking light? yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? zoo med dock
Is there a UVB light? yes, repti glo 5.0 26 watts

What have you been trying to feed it? it eats pellets, wont touch veggies and it loves bugs
When was the last time your turtle ate? last night, a piece of earth worm, loved it

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 26 gallon exo terra terrarium
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? medium, my room

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no
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Phong does not seem to be the healthiest turtle, which I assume is because of the pet shop i got him from last week. He was the last one they had, and even if he didn't seem perfect, I took it upon myself to give him a better life.



Heres a pic of his shell, the back scutes are very soft, like if they are loose from the rest. The white spots seem to have cleared up after a few days, but the "outer ring" of scutes still seem dark and soft. could this be shell rot? If so, any advice on a course of action?

Apart from his shell, he seems to have a wounded tail and slightly wounded right foot. the tail seems to have cleared up, and the foot seems to be doing better.



please help!!

[steve]

The shell of a hatchling would be a little pliable. Has the turtle been basking? Have you put your UVB light go through a burn period?

[MrMax]

It only started basking yesterday, and no I haven't let my light have a "burn period", but its been on for most of the day since thursday now.

I'm thinking of getting some sulfa dip, is this a good idea?

[steve]

You can certainly try it, but I'm not certain it will produce positive results.

[Caphits]

You should probably pick up some cuttlebone. It can be found in the bird section of the pet store. There are a ton of threads on cuttlebone, and a sticky in the nutrition section.

It contains lots of calcium, which your turtle might be low on, due to poor habitat at the pet store. The UVB will help with the absorption of calcium.

You dont have a screen on top of your tank, in between the UVB and the turtle do you? That will block all of the UVB rays.

[MrMax]

I've got some cuttlebone, but Phong won't touch it, I need to try some of those jello shots. I have an open top aquarium, here is a newer pics of him and my set-up:




it seems to have somewhat improved since I got him

[MrMax]

I really need advice, it seems to be getting worse!

http://de.tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2ll0ow1&s=5

the circled part is REALLY soft compared to anywhere else, and its alot darker and just generaly nasty looking.

I ordered some sulfa dip on the internet but i'm only getting it next week.

what should I do?

[steve]

Have you tried the jell-o shots yet? Add a bit of calcium if you can into it (such as Rep-Cal Calcium). Is he basking? For how long? Is there any odor?

[MrMax]

I am going to make some jello shots tonight, just got some knox powder. would cuttle bone work for calcium? and yes he basks regularly, for a few hours at a time, and theres no odor.

[Caphits]

Yep, cuttlebone would work fine. Just make sure there is no hard back when you put it in. Dont be afraid to add a little more cuttlebone, and a little more tuna.