Urgent Care

Hello, My turtles have not been sluggish or sick but has some kind of white discoloration on their top shell. I was hoping someone on here may be able to help them and me. I provided info and pictures below. If you need any more info please let me know. Any insight would be much appreciated Thanks,

How big is your turtle? - 4 inches
How long have you had it? - 7 months
What is the water temperature? - 79-81 deg
Did you use a thermometer? - yes
Are you using a water heater? - yes
How much water is in there? - 20 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? - No
Are you using any filtration? - Tetra double water fall filter
What is the basking temperature? - 90 deg
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 Turtle Dock medium size
Is there a UVB light? - yes

What have you been trying to feed it? - Wardley Reptile Sticks,carrots,apples,strawberries,Nutrafin freeze dried gammarus for turtles once a week,green leaf lettuce twice a week and rosy fish
When was the last time your turtle ate? - 3:00 pm
How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? - 40 gallon
Is the tank near a window? - No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? - Not really

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

Here are some pictures
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 1_0027.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 1_0029.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 1_0025.jpg
This one is of them together
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 1_0026.jpg
Thanks again for your insight on this.

Do all 3 have it? In the clearest pic, it looks like fungus and some algae but there could be other issues going on with the other shells. Is it spreading or getting larger?

No only the two smaller ones have it, no it's not spreading or getting larger. what can I do to get rid of it?

Well, I would try to confirm what it is first. Search the forum for pics of fungus and see if it's what your turtles have.

For starters, it would be good to give them a bigger enclosure. You have 3 RES and give the size as 4 inches---is that the size of each of them? Even if it's not, a 40-gallon tank with 3 RES that's only half full is going to get dirty really fast, even with a filter. And keeping the water on the warmer side (79 - 81F is really too warm) is going to encourage the growth of bacteria. Eventually, there will be shell issues, as you're now seeing.

The shells look dirty---I'd give each a gentle cleaning, at least with a soft cloth for a start. Get some Hibiclens (OTC at pharmacies). Mix some 50/50 with water and clean the shells.

Do they bask? The second pic in particular looks like baby/old scutes never shed and a bacterial infection has started.

Thank you Marisa,
Yes I have 3 RES but they do not share the same tank. the bigest one has a tank of his own,the smaller ones share a tank. I'm in the mist of getting a 120 gallon real soon, I have heard and read to dry dock them with some polysporin rubbed on the shell and to do this for ten days with giving them 15 minutes in the water to hydrited themself 3 times a day. Do you think this would work.

It's up to you, but I wouldn't do that. Polysporin is fine for cuts and scrapes on the skin, even perhaps on an area of the shell that had been breached. However, it's oil based and I'd want the shell to be able to breathe. Hibiclens is a good antimicrobial agent. I'd want to first clean the shells and then encourage basking under proper lighting.

SSD (silver sulfadiazine cream)can also be good for treating the shell in more serious cases, however, I think you need to have a vets prescription for it (unless there's a website somewhere that sells it). I would first clean those shells.

Urgent Care :: Whites patches on shell how do I get rid of them

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