Urgent Care :: Is this shell rot, something else, or normal?

[talia_na]

Hey guys! First, some background information.
This is Sean Connery.

I got Mr. Connery a little over three months ago from an Irish lad at a bar that was keeping him in a Tupperware container and feeding him bread. Not to brag, but I'd like to believe I make a (much) better turtle momma. His shell was about an inch long when I first go him, and he's grown to a little over 2.5 inches now.
About 2-3 weeks ago I noticed he was developing little white spots on his shell. I thought it was because he kept bumping into a rock I had in the tank, so I took the rock out. Then I thought that maybe it was because he likes sleeping vertically, and would wedge himself in the very narrow space between his filter and the tank, so I got him a fake plant, and sure enough he's started sleeping on the nice soft leaves. Then I noticed that some parts of the shell (scutes, I believe they're called?) started to raise, and I read that it could be a sign of too much protein, and sure enough I've been a bit over-generous with the shrimp treats. And the cricket treats. And the mealworm treats. And he was also eating Zoo Med's hatchling pellets.
A couple days ago I switched over to the Hikari pellets, and I'm being more careful with rationing the treats.
But his shell is getting worse.

Is this normal? Is he just shedding? Should I take him to the vet? I live in NYC if anyone has any vet suggestions around here.
Finally, all other relevant information:
Tank water at 80 degrees, basking site at 90 degrees. Has a UVB light, Zoo Med's 511 canister filter, a cuttlebone, I use a separate feeding tank and do daily partial water changes, and I use Reptisafe on all water. 20 gallon tank with 8 inches of water (I know, I'll be upgrading it soon).
The one thing I can think of that might need to get done is possibly cleaning the filter very well and getting new filter sponges/etc. There was a short period of time when I stopped feeding him in a separate tank because I thought the filter could handle it, and everything got very, very dirty. Actually, if anyone has any suggestions on how to clean the tubes I'd really appreciate it.
Thank you for helping me out here Hope you and all your turtles are doing well!!
xo

[Jeremiah]

Nice rescue!

To me, that looks like some normal shedding. At the worst, it may be some bacterial scoring (a harmless condition, different from bacterial infections). If you want to, you can lightly scrub the areas with a soft-bristled tooth brush. That has been known to help turtles shed scutes in the past (as well as Vitamin E-containing foods like Hikari Wheat Germ, blueberries, and sweet potato).

[steve]

I'd reduce protein (pellets) if you haven't already and maybe switch to a good brand. As for the white stuff, it's fungus. The most effective way to treat it is with silver sulfadiazine cream. In the US, you need a prescription for it. Sadly, fungus is faster than shedding, so it'll always come back if untreated.