Urgent Care :: help - my turtle is going to die =[

[SpotsMama]

What a relief!

I really hope Pebbles and Bubbles are ok but sometimes the symptoms come and go when they are coming down with something. I agree with the others that they'd better see a vet ASAP.

I'm so glad Flippers is back. He's a rascle!

[xsavingsaturdayx]

Whew! I'm glad he's alright. I lost my turtle one time, though I'm lucky that I found him several minute's after I lost him. He was under a TV stand and was all dusty as well.

Tell us how the vet goes!

[faithin_felix]

That's great news! I'm glad you were able to find him.

That's also good that they are eating too. But if it's RI they will need antibiotics to keep it from coming right back again.

I can always get my turtles to follow my finger if I hold it up to the outside of the glass on their tank. That's one way of knowing if they're blind or not. Another way is if you very quietly enter the room while they are basking. They will look right at you and usually dive back in the water. Why do you think one of them might be blind?

because flipper's eyes were like really big!
oh...probably because he was in the dark for few hours and i brought him out.
but i LOVE flipper's eyes. they're so beautiful.
i don't think he's blind anymore though.

also, i see many people without filters in their tank
besides cleaning the tank and making sure the hot patches of water gets mixed evenly, what other reasons should people have filters for?

[RunninWideOpen]

well, filters are very important for keeping the water clean. they also act as biological filtration for most time. the beneficial bacteria that break down the ammonia and nitrates in the water breed in the filters.

without a filter, you stand a much better chance of getting your turtles sick.

[Monkay]

.

I guess you know the only way to cure RI is to go to the vet and get antibiotics. The sooner he gets treated the better his chances will be.

But when you take him to the doc ask for SHOTS!They work much better than pills or powter!!

Kayti

[DavidY]

Filters help remove the toxic waste (urea and feces) from the water. A good filter consists of 3 parts:

1) Mechanical filtration - foam or cotton pad that traps solid particles. This part needs to be rinsed out regularly, daily to weekly depending on how quickly it gets clogged with waste.
2) Chemical filtration - usually carbon that helps remove toxic compounds from the water like chlorine, heavy metals, certain things that accumulate from the feedings. This part should be replaced once a month or every other month.
3) Biological filtration - usually ceramic rings or plastic pieces (stars, rings, balls, etc). These provide a lot of surface area for the beneficial bacteria to colonize. The bacteria feed on the toxic ammonia that is a byproduct of the turtles going to the bathroom in their water (also decaying shed skin, uneaten food, plants, etc). The ammonia is converted to nitrite then to nitrates which is much less toxic and acts as fertilizer for live plants (if you have any). Over time the nitrates accumulate to high levels and can be removed by partial water changes. Biological media should never be replaced but only occasionally rinsed gently in old tank water during water changes, then put back in the filter. Never let them dry out. They also need constant water flow so never turn the pump off for very long.

Water filtration is essential to a healthy turtle environment and will greatly reduce the need for daily water changes.

[RunninWideOpen]

Any updates faithinfelix? How are they doin?