Urgent Care :: Hello, I need help

[CookyMonstrr]

Hi, I was wondering if my little RES is alright. I have two, and I got them both on the same day. They've both been under my good researched care. They have a nice basking base, with two heat lamps, a good amount of swimming space, clean water, filtration, and things to keep them entertained. But, my problem is that one of them hasn't ever grown. There is a big clear difference in their size. I'm concerned for the little one that hasn't grown. He's a very picky eater, and rarely eats. I finally found that he only likes to eat the heads of shrimp, and maybe grapes. I also try feeding them separate, but he doesn't eat more than maybe 3 heads. I'm not entirely sure what's the deal with his eating habits. Does he just wanna stay small? But, his shell looks like it may have cracks. I'm not sure what they're supposed to look like, but, it looks kind of as if it's shedding, and peeling, or kind of chipping/whitening or drying up on some spots. It shows most when he's fully dry and chilling under the light. It's been concerning me, and hasn't really been improving. But he does swim and walk around energetically.

The other turtle that has been growing eats just about anything I give him and enjoys it. It's just the little one that concerns me. =/







I appreciate any help I get.

CookyMonstrr

[CookyMonstrr]

How big is your turtle? The smaller one is maybe an inch long. The bigger one, about 2 and a half
How long have you had it? Just about 5 months now.

What is the water temperature? It's a tad cold, but, their basking area is warm.
Did you use a thermometer? No.
Are you using a water heater? No.
How much water is in there? Maybe 6 1/2 to 7 gallons worth.
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes. Recently.
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? I'd say maybe... 80 degrees or a little higher?
Is there a basking light? There are two basking lights.
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? It''s not the easiest, but, they got the hang of it.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Aquatic Landing, Floating Island (Various)
Is there a UVB light? Yeah, those are what I use for their basking lights.

What have you been trying to feed it? Bananas, Apples, Shrimp, Grape, Pellets, & Krill
When was the last time your turtle ate? At nearly 11 PM (maybe almost 2 hours before this post)

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? It's a 10 gallon tank.
Is the tank near a window? Yes, but it's always closed and covered so it doesn't effect the tank.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? No.

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? I think the bigger turtle may bullie the smaller one. He once tried to

steal food from the smaller one's mouth, and I also once found him laying ontop of him while the smaller one was under it, asleep.

CookyMonstrr

[steve]

The larger one is clearly eating too much, and more than his share. His shell is also pyramiding, so you need to cut back ASAP. The size difference looks fairly significant, I would temporarily separate them until they are closer in size. Since they are hatchlings, it might only take a few months.

What kind of basking light do you have? Only a mercury vapor bulb would provide heat and UVB.

[CookyMonstrr]

o= Alright, will do. I put in food just twice a day. At 11 AM and then 11 PM. Should I just lessen the amount I give , or change the whole schedule in general?

And, okay, I'll separate them. I'll have to build something, but, that shouldn't be a problem.

I have two heat lamps and a mercury vapor bulb for each. One is yellow and the other is red. It's a bit cold in my room, since it's December, so I had both on.

And, does the smaller one's shell look okay?

Thanks a lot for all the help, by the way.


CookyMonstrr

[steve]

Why are you feeding them at 11pm? How much per feeding? It's usually better to underestimate feeding RES.

They don't need to heat lamps each... are you sure one is a MVB? Or is it a general MVB, not one for reptiles? Do they have a water heater? I can't really tell if there are issues with the smaller turtle's shell.

[marisa]

What does "a tad cold" mean for the water temp?

80F is too cool for the basking area...If the tank is only 10 gallons, you're using two lights for basking and the temp is that low, it sounds like they're flourescent (UVBs), which don't really produce enough heat for the basking area. What brand area the yellow and red lights? Mercury vapor lights are neither yellow or red...

The basking area should be easy to get on. If it's a floating island, it should be anchored under the heat and UVB lights.

The pic is a little blurry, but the smaller RES's shell doesn't look bad (but a clearer pic would show why the seam (line in between the scutes) looks whitish. The larger RES should have shed those old scutes long ago, now they're fused to the new scutes below.

How much do you give at a feeding? I'd feed them separately, but if you're actually giving the smaller one his own set-up, that's good.

There's no need to feed at 11:00 pm, it would be better if they were sleeping at that time.

[CookyMonstrr]

I just remembered reading some where that you should feed them twice a day, So I just chose a twelve hour difference. And, what do you mean by don't underestimate feeding RES exactly? I don't understand. I don't have a water heater. And, hm, alright.

Why are you feeding them at 11pm? How much per feeding? It's usually better to underestimate feeding RES.

They don't need to heat lamps each... are you sure one is a MVB? Or is it a general MVB, not one for reptiles? Do they have a water heater? I can't really tell if there are issues with the smaller turtle's shell.

What does "a tad cold" mean for the water temp?

80F is too cool for the basking area...If the tank is only 10 gallons, you're using two lights for basking and the temp is that low, it sounds like they're flourescent (UVBs), which don't really produce enough heat for the basking area. What brand area the yellow and red lights? Mercury vapor lights are neither yellow or red...

The basking area should be easy to get on. If it's a floating island, it should be anchored under the heat and UVB lights.

The pic is a little blurry, but the smaller RES's shell doesn't look bad (but a clearer pic would show why the seam (line in between the scutes) looks whitish. The larger RES should have shed those old scutes long ago, now they're fused to the new scutes below.

How much do you give at a feeding? I'd feed them separately, but if you're actually giving the smaller one his own set-up, that's good.

There's no need to feed at 11:00 pm, it would be better if they were sleeping at that time.

=/ hm, alright.. And, mm, well, I'm honestly not entirely sure of the name, nor the brand, but, they are indeed heat lamp.
I'll see what I can do about their basking area, too. It is a floating island, and it is directly under the lights, though.

I'll try to get a clearer picture, too.

The scutes thing doesn't sound too good, either.. Anyway I can help fix t hat? I'll try to improve their eating schedule, too. Anything you would recommend?

I feed them like, maybe a small pile mix of some grain pellets, shrimp and krill mixed. It's just recent that I started feeding them it, though. For about 5 days.



CookyMonstrr

[steve]

If the shell is bumpy, its usually from overfeeding but can also be due to irregular feeding, poor unbalanced diet or something like metabolic bone disease. Skip the shrimp and krill.

[CookyMonstrr]

Alright, I will do that. What about the schedule?

[marisa]

Under a year of age, once a day, unless the turtle is showing really rapid growth. Then every other day. This is for food like pellets. You can (and should) offer some plant matter every day, like leafy greens, etc.

[CookyMonstrr]

Oh, gosh o: I wish I had known that much earlier. I feel apologetic. Thanks for all the help. I also have good news! My good cousin is letting me have a 24 gallon tank that he has no use for, which also has a divider, which is perfect for them. I'll give them the new schedule right away, and will offer them some leafy greens. Could they eat spinach leaves, or just lettuce?

Once again,thank you for all the advice and tips, my little turtles and I appreciate it a lot.


CookyMonstrr

[steve]

Spinach is not the best thing to give them, so I would only offer a little for variety.

[CookyMonstrr]

Alright, gotcha.