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I was told to make a seperate thread for this, so here we are.

My turtle when dry looks like this:



The shell looks considerbly dry. It does not come off when wiped (doesn't smell either) and disappears when underwater (can see if from an angle, but not white; clear outline along edges).

Is his shell just dry and dull or am I looking at something more serious? I searched the forum for similar shell conditions, but it doesn't match any kind of fungal/bacterial growth or shell rot. Closest I've found is dry shell or he's about to start shedding.

Other than this, he's very active and healthy. He's back on the pellets now (though all I did was throw one in the water and he went after it, go figure). He's basking again as well. The 100 watt bulb change seemed to fix the problem.

If you need a better picture, I'll try to get a closer one.

He was recently moved from the lab I work at to my home.

27 gallon tank (I'm going to upgrade as soon as I find a larger one that is affordable).
Tank has a heater
40 gallon filter (I have to upgrade this too, I'm aware already)
Basking area --> 5.0 UVb bulb and 100 watt incandescent light for heat
He's about 4 inches
Water temp is 75 F

is this a painted?

I don't know if shell problems look the same, but that does not look like a fungi or shell rot to me

maybe really light mineral deposits? that doesn't look like it either though

when did you start noticing this? was it just one day your turtle had all that, or did it start of gradually and work its way to all over?

to me seems like could be a very mild form of dry shell rot. does it smell at all? it could perhaps be a mineral deposit build up

Here's a better question: What's it suppose to smell like? I just smelled him again after drying. Of course he smells like something, but is it what he is suppose to smell like (turtle musk) or the shell rot?

The water may be hard in my area. I just used one of those aquarium test trips and found that general hardness is 180.

I just noticed it 2 months ago. It was all over the top of his shell. Nothing is along his plastron.

Yes, he is a painted turtle.

Shell rot smells like something decaying.

Then no, it does not smell. It doesn't smell anything like that. He smells like turtle musk. Kind of like what the water smells like after he's been in it for awhile.

hmm thats a good sign then, is it slimy at all?. the only thing it looks like to be because of appearance only could be a generalised dry shell rot, i think if u cant get a positive ID on here take to a herp vet just to give a good look over the dryness AND general health of your turtle just to make sure, hope it helps , where boutz are you from? might be able to recommend some vets if u from the UK south east area...

I live in Ontario, Canada. I already checked out my area both on the Internet and around town. The closest is very far (about a 4 hour drive).

There is a petstore called Corbert's Pet Shop. The owners are very knowledgeable about turtles. One has has raised them for 60 years while the other 30 years. They have told me that if I ever have a problem, they'll take a look at since there are no herpvets around.

Its not slimy when he's dry either. It feels like part of his shell.

kool well either take it to them or post on a few forums n see wat it throws up

I would lean towards mineral deposits from the picture.

I cleaned out his tank today and let him dry off throughly. There is no doubt in my mind that it's mineral deposits. Doesn't smell at all and feels like part of his shell and doesn't wipe away.

He looked like he was covered in dust. His arms and top of his head has a white dusty look to it. Man, I never know the water here was so hard. You can even see the white film on the tank glass when the water level drops.

Time to get a water softener for my filter. Is there a way to remove the deposits from his shell safely? I read vinegar but I think that's for cleaning a tank.

Thanks everybody. I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with him.

There are 2 instances of turtles with what appears to be bacterial infections... the shell is lightly whitish and pitted all over. However, those were pre-existing conditions and were resolved after they shed.

For hard water stains... I'd just leave it alone. I don't usually see any unless my turtles have been basking for hours.

Pitted as in little holes along shell? He doesn't have that if that is the case. Probably not referring to that, but heck, doesn't hurt to learn. I gave him a really good look over.

He's fine. I mean, if I noticed this 2 months ago, and nothing bad has happened to him since, it's nothing serious. His shell is just ugly now, unfortunately. It'll go away once he sheds his scutes.

I didn't mean to suggest it was an infection, and I am also leaning towards hard water. I just like to be aware of different situations.

You might want to keep a visual journal, to note any changes after using a softener. You can also post your results, it'll be great for reference.