Urgent Care :: Advice on shell condition please.

[Gustle]

How big is your turtle? 3"
How long have you had it? almost 2 years

What is the water temperature? 82 F
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes, 150 W Marineland Stealth
How much water is in there? 38 Gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes, Top Fin tap water dechlorinator
Are you using any filtration? yes, Eheim 2217 Classic and a smaller side filter

What is the basking temperature? 95 F
Is there a basking light? yes, Sun Glo 75W
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? above tank (picture included)
Is there a UVB light? yes, Sun Glo 5.0

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40 Gallon Breeder
_____________________________________________________________

Ok, so now that we have that taken care of.... for almost as long as I can remember (a year plus) one of my turts has had a white spot on his shell that appears shiny under water and looks patchy(does not smell or appear like cotton) when viewed dry. I have reviewed the forums here and on other sites but could not find any pictures of similar conditions to compare with. I have noticed that the spot has grown and he did and I have decided its time to take action and clear up the condition once and for all. Both my turtles share the same tank but the other has never shown any signs of the condition.

I have ordered a 1% silver sulfadiazine that will arrive in the next week and I have acquired Betadine solution aswell. I am completely prepared to treat his condition as was advised in other threads in this forum but I wanted to seek the advice of other owners prior to subjecting my turt to unnecessary treatments.

The first picture is of my RES while dry: http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx15 ... G_4076.jpg
and the second is a picture of the basking area which they both use very often: http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx15 ... G_0236.jpg

Lastly, I know both of my RES need to shed some scutes, is there any way to promote the shedding or is it strictly a natural process?
Thank you for your time reading this and for any advice that one can offer.

[Kemul]

Well, if it's shiny underwater, it's a sign of a scute ready to shed. The shininess
is caused by air trapped under the scute reflecting lights. Shedding needs at least
three things from my readings: basking under UVB, proper drying daily, and
proper food.

You did not describe what you have been feeding your turtles. For a good shed,
turtles need calcium and Vitamin E. Both can be found in pellets, but probably
more is required. Calcium can be given with cuttlebone, remember to remove the
hard backing first. Vitamin E sources can be sweet potato, blueberries, etc. These
shouldn't be given daily, just rarely.

For more information, you can read:
http://www.redearslider.com/plants.html