Urgent Care :: turtle turning pale

[hornstar09]

How big is your turtle? 5inches
How long have you had it? 7 months

What is the water temperature? 78
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 40 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 89
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? turtle dock
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? goldfish, turtle pellets, celery, lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate? today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 45 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? sometimes

Have you read the Basic Care section? no
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? no

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? his skin is turning pale but not his shell



Thankyou for any help

[Vtolds]

I would stop feeding Celery ASAP it is considered not healthy and potentially harmful, same goes for the Lettuce if you are feeding iceberg only feed green/red leaf or romaine lettuce. I would also stop feeding goldfish they are not very good for RES also I would switch to Rosie Red Minnows. Everything else seems fine what you are doing.

[hornstar09]

both my turtles (in two different tanks) wont eat the rosie reds.... i used to feed them to them and they dont like them anymore so is there anything else i should try? and thanks for the advice on the celery and lettuce i will stop feeding the celery to them.. the lettuce is always like romaine

[Vtolds]

I would limit the use the goldfish as feeder fish I believe they have a very high fat content or sugar which ever one it is its not good for them to consume as frequently as you can feed Rosie reds.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Can you post a picture of your turtle so we can see how he looks?

[TheComputerGremlin]

Is your turtle giving any indication of shedding? It's possible that it's paling because it's actually a layer of dead skin. I think turtles start to lose their vibrant green color as they age, also.

[hornstar09]

sorry for the poor quality but here are some pictures of him.... He just started turning pale these last 2 to 3 days

[grey goose]

He looks OK to me. Maybe his pale skin color is due to diet and lighting conditions. Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value, feed Romaine instead. Try giving him baby carrots sliced thin once a week. I don't know about celery but it's probably not the best veggie you could offer him. Also try red leaf lettuce. AND cuttle bone......

How old is your UVB bulb? Zoo-Med says their 5.0 bulbs are good for a year, I switch mine out about every 8 months. I position the fixture about 12-14" above the basking area.

[hornstar09]

i just changed the bulb last week...could this color be because of a newer brighter whiter bulb?

[grey goose]

UVB bulbs get weaker as they age. Just be sure you keep it at the proper distance. Too close and it could cause photoconjunctivitis (swelling of the eyes). UVA (heat) bulbs need to be adjusted to keep the basking area at about 90F.

[megcornell]

He looks okay to me as well.
Celery isn't a nutritional food either, it has little benefit much like iceberg lettuce.
Try amping up his diet with better veggies and see how things go. It may be the new lighting as well.

[mikee]

Horn-09 -- I think if you get your basking temp up a couple of degrees, make sure your uvb is up to par and change the diet your turtle will be just fine. On your diet, I would put him on Reptomine pellets, a calcium block and a few feeder fish. -- Good Luck!!

[industrial_girl_2000]

Honestly, he looks good in the pictures. I can tell you that I have an adult RES (9" long) and the skin that is near the shell (like in her armpits, for example) is almost totally white. That is normal.

I agree with what others already said about the UVB bulb/lighting & feeding different veggies.