Urgent Care :: PLEASE HELP!! I AM VERY NERVOUS!!

[dznyfan]

For the last week or so my turtle has had these spots that are metallic-ish when light shines upon them. There are quite a lot and I am not sure if they are just shedding scutes or what. Please help give some light on this situation (photos at bottom).

How big is your turtle? about 5 in.
How long have you had it? i got it from a friend a little over a year ago and it was a baby then.

What is the water temperature? 73 degrees F
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there?
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? mid 80's
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? a floating dock (see photo)
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? floating food sticks and krill pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? 10 minutes ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? I'm not sure, but I believe it is a 20 gal. tank.
Is the tank near a window? sort of, about four feet to the right of one
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? I didn't really find anything

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? none, I just want to know what is up with the shell.

NOTE:

Today I am purchasing the following items:

A larger 40 gal. tank
improved water heater
improved filter
UVB light with lamp

Hopefully it is just shedding... I may be totally blowing this out of proportion.

::::PHOTOS::::

::::OUT OF WATER::::

[/img]







::::BACK IN WATER::::

[img][img]http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll270/DznyPro/DSC01429.jpg[/img]/img]

[jozzep]

Your water temps seem a little too low.Boost it up to 76.
No UVB light can cause shell problems like this.Happy you finally decided to buy one.
Best case scenario, just mineral deposits.
Worst case,possible beginning of shell fungus.
Buy zoomed sulfa dip and use as indicated.
See if that helps.

[dznyfan]

Alright thanks for the help. I'm hoping it is just water underneath shedding scutes.

Does anybody else have any more info? It would be greatly appreciated.

[jenaero]

It looks to me like water under shedding scutes, as you said. Though if it continues and he/she doesn't shed anytime soon it can cause problems. Keep an eye on him for any changes.

[dznyfan]

Thank You for the help.

The areas are very shiny... VERY shiny... which is why I too think it is water under the scutes.

I am going to be purchasing the ZooMed Sulfa Dip at Petco today as well... just in case.

Would anybody else like to shed some light as to what the problem could be?

[marisa]

Looks like shedding, could be air under the scutes in the areas that are lifting more than others. If there is air and water under the scutes, at some point, when shedding is imminent, if you gently press on those areas, you'll see them move a bit. Water trapped under the scutes will also ooze out from the edges.

[dznyfan]

Alright, I feel MUCH better... thank you all so much!

Again, If anyone would like to share more please do not hesitate!

[Azfar]

You have b e a utiful turtle.. so sweet.. I think your turtle has a minor problem which is pyramiding.. its just from what i see.. dunno if others see it too.. anyway overall healthy turtle

[dznyfan]

Oh thank you very much!

So, What can I do about his pyramiding thing?

[Azfar]

What do you feed him? Try to cut out the protein such as shrimp, krill. Instead provide him with cuttlebone and lettuces. You may try read the Nutrition part in this site and also read about what is pyramiding all about Good LUCk~!

[dznyfan]

Yeah, I feed him the TetraFauna Reptomin Floating Food Sticks, and bought him the Krill Sticks as an extra. He REALLY loves the krill so I've been feeding him that more. I'll cut the krill out of his diet for a while to see if any change is present.

Thank You all so much!

[Caphits]

There will be no change for months. Maybe even years. You MUST limit the krill though. It is for the best.

I dont want to be "that guy", but that tank is way too small for your turtle. I know it isnt easy to upgrade though. Just keep it in mind, and keep an eye on craigslist for a tank.

You should really get a UVB. They are relatively inexpensive, and make a huge difference in the happiness of your turtle.

[dznyfan]

Alright, the Krill is done.

And I appreciate you pointing out that the tank is too small. Last night I was able to buy a new tank for him and he loves it.

[SpotsMama]

Beautiful turtle. In the one photo where the front toenails are visible, I do not see the long "freddy kruger" nails of a male. The tail looks rather dainty too. Have to say, if "he" were mine, I'd be calling him a "her".

To care for a female, you need to be educated on the subject of egg laying. Females lay eggs even when there's no male present. Here's a link on the subject:

http://www.redearslider.com/reproduction.html

The upgrade in the diet and tank are good ideas. On the tank size, the rocks in the tank in the photos above are taking up a lot of the swimming space. If you will limit the decorations and rocks, you'll find that not only is your turtle happier with the increased swimming space but it's also going to be easier to clean. Also, if the rocks are just stacked up as opposed to glued together, there's a real risk of a rock pile collapse, with disasterous results for the turtle. I mention this because it's happened before.

The UVB light is a necessity. Without exposure to UVB a turtle can't absorb the calcium he/she eats which over time leads to big problems. What kind of bulb did you get? Figuring out the right bulb can be kind of tricky.

[dznyfan]

Oh WOW! Female eh?

A few questions:

How do I know if she is carrying eggs? She is only a little over a year old, but I want to be prepared. It says that they are sexually mature after 3-5 years though, so I don't think I have to worry just yet.

Also, could someone please give me a link to information on how to create a nesting area for the turtle in an indoor habitat? I'm kind of confused... :/

Also, I held off until purchasing the UVB light until today because I was puzzled as to the type I should get. I saw a 20 watt and a 13 watt at Petco.