Urgent Care :: Hard Water Spots or Fungus?

[PeaceOut]

Hey everyone,

I'm a little confused at what to do with my turtle
Following procedures here's the relevant info.
Photos follow.


How big is your turtle?
3-4in
How long have you had it?
3 years
What is the water temperature?
78-80
Did you use a thermometer?
Yes, inside tank mercury thermometer
Are you using a water heater?
Yes
How much water is in there?
Around 10-15 gal
Are you using a water conditioner?
Just started using some Top Fin Tap Water Dechlorinator (for my hard water issue)
Are you using any filtration?
Yes
What is the basking temperature?
90-95
Is there a basking light?
Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
Yes
Is there a UVB light?
Haven't had a UVB light. I just recently got one because of this problem.
What have you been trying to feed it?
Pellets and lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate?
Yesterday
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?
Yes...living room
Have you read the Basic Care section?
Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?
Yes
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
Nope






Wheww...that's a lot of questions.
Okay so here are the photos
















So the shell feels very rough and he hasn't shed in a while...a long while.
Towards the tail, the shell has algae on it and also there it's a little squishy like there is water under the first layers.

The water in my tank is very hard, I have terrible problem with hard water spots on the top portion of the tank. Which is why I'm confused if it could be just hard water on top layer of the shell since he hasn't shed in a long while.

The water is clean and does not smell. I do a water change about every month to 1.5 months.

I've noticed that he isn't basking a must as he used to. I have not changed anything in the tank. Maybe the weather is making the water warmer so he doesn't feel the need or something.

Other than that, he is acting normal. Constantly begging for food. I feed him pellets in a smaller tank and feed him red and green lettuce inside the tank.

So what do you think fungus or nothing much to worry about, just need him to shed?

[scripta_elegans]

He looks like he just needs a good shed to me. You can see the areas of the scute where little air pockets have formed as the scutes have started to lift away. With a fungal infection, you would probably see more opaque patches instead of the transparent ones. Basking will help him shed those retained scutes, so you might want to adjust the water and basking platform temps to be sure that he gets enough time up there. The water could be around 76, which might encourage more basking. I am also thinking that the UVB light will help quite a bit, but it will take awhile to see the benefits. He is a very cute turtle too!

[Azfar]

Wow.. his Red Ear so vibrant! and have red spot at his nose also? Pretty healthy turtle.

You may try sun light basking if you don't have UVB lights

[steve]

Shedding would be great! It does look like hard water stains, but it's always difficult to tell with pictures.

[SpotsMama]

He does need a good shed. There may or may not be fungus there but if there is, since it isn't deep it may come completely off when he/she sheds.

To get him to shed:
1. He has to bask a lot so that the shell dries off completely, top and bottom. If he's not basking enough, try raising the temp on the basking platform a little. Turtles are heat seekers.
2. He must have good UVB. If you don't have a good, fresh bulb, I suggest you get one. Otherwise take him outside - constantly supervised - for some natural UVB rays.
3. He needs calcium in his diet. Do you keep a cuttlebone in his tank?
4. He needs some vitamin e. Give him a serving or two a week of vitamin e containing foods: steamed sweet potato, blueberries, turnip greens, tomato and apple peel are good.

[PeaceOut]

Thank you for all the replies.

As suggested, I did purchase a uvb light but from what it looks like to me, he seems to be avoiding the uvb light. It's strange. Maybe it's a little too bright for him.

I have started feeding him tomatoes but he doesn't seem to like them.

Regarding the calcium, the water is hard already, creating hard water spots on the tank. Should I be putting more calcium in the water with the cuttlebone?

Thanks again for the great information.

[mike hill]

P-out -- What strength is you uvb light? If it is a 10 it is too strong. You need a 5.0 which is easier on the eyes. -- Nice looking turtle! I would suggest that you try using some table salt with a toothbrush and brush it off and see how that does. Pick one side and see if you can tell the difference. Do this twice and leave the last application on until it dries. Your turtle will not like this, but it is worth a try.