Urgent Care :: I think my new turtle has RI

[jn]

Hey i just got a new turtle, well my first turtle ever i got 3 of them. kind of unexpected. so when i got them the first day i put them in a tank just for that day so the next day i can get some supplies for them. so i did alot of research on them and i bought all the things they needed. when i got home from buying all there supplies i noticed of the turtles had died . so i quickly got the other 2 turtles out of the tank and made there new home in a 20 gallon tank ( will upgrade soon just need $$ ). So for the first day in they're new home they didnt eat or anything. the 2nd day i noticed one of my turtle ( Fred ) he was active and everything swiming around so later that night i feed him romain lettuce ( which he ate ) and 5 reptomin pellets that he ate also. I noticed that my other turtle kept on basking alot, and wouldnt stop its been 4 days now and he still hasnt gone in the water expect once to stick his head in. Then i noticed that he would reach his head all the way out and gasp his mouth open, then close it again then would gasp for air again it was like he was yawning alot and he hasnt eaten anything ever since.

List below is tempature and everything else.

Basking Temp - 78 degrees
Water Temp - 81 degrees

I have a UVA LIGHT, that heats the water to 80-83 degrees so i dont need a heater

I also have a UVB LIGHT 10.0 or so

The water is 1/2 way filled and i also have a filter. i think it was called Tetra whisper 40i, for a 40 gallon tank. I was also wondering if that turtle could be spread to my other turtle fred, he is very very active and eats.


OH YA and there both hatclings there like 1 or under 1 inch

[ellman605]

holy crap.....83? thats to warm for the water, should be about 78, and the basking temp should be 88-92, you NEED a heater for the temp

[marisa]

Basking area should be about 10 degrees higher than the water temp, and for a healthy hatchling a water temp of 78F is good. You keep the heat/UVA light on 24/7 to maintain that water temp 80-83F? Lights should be out at night, and there's no way the water temp will remain constant when they're out. Your turtle needs a submersible water heater.

Excessive basking along with inactivity and frequent yawning are all signs of a respiratory infection. Are your turtle's eyes swollen at all? Is there any wheezing or mucus/bubbles coming from the nose or mouth?

RIs are contagious (Fred is drinking the same water that the sick turtle is in). I'd give the one turtle his own set-up with temps a little higher--water temp 81-82F, basking area 10 degrees higher. Keep the turtle out of drafts and breezes. Keep offering food---try something smelly like bits of sardines, or tuna. Soak the pellets in the water from the can of sardines or tuna and see if he'll try them.

[TNTurtles]

yes, it does sound like your turtle has a RI. You need to take it to the vet soon or else it could get worse. If it does have RI, it can spread to the other. The one I had took a few days to start showing signs after being seperated from its sick tankmate. The vet will probably give it injections and it will get better soon. =)

[fishandcandy]

Hmm... what I'm wondering is how your light is heating your water to 83 if your basking area is 78... Are you sure those temps are accurate?
They were probably sick when you got them... hopefully you can get them to a vet and they'll get well soon...
Good luck.

[jn]

ya, thats what the tempature gauges says. and NO i dont leave my lights on 24/7 i turn them off around 9 ish or when i get home late, and i turn them on around 7 so ya. I did seperate the 2, and i cleaned the water. i put the infected one in a 2.25 gallon tank with everything. so im trying to get my mom to drive me to the herp vet but she is way to busy so ya =[

[jn]

oh and ya i think they were sick when i got them =/, when i got the poor little guy he had white marks on his shell, but they seem to get a little better

idk if the eye's are swollen cause its kind of hard for him to open it himself he would have to use his hands =/. and there arnt any bubble around his nose or mouth

[marisa]

He can't open his eyes?

Just because he doesn't have any bubbles around the nose or mouth doesn't mean he's not sick. The other symptoms say something is wrong. Getting him to a herp vet would be good if you're not seeing any significant improvement.