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Hi i just joined because im scared my RES might have RI. His left half of his body usually stays down while the right side floats, he can swim fine but is usually found swimming on the floor of the tank. i have him in there with two other RES. i need to know if i should take him to the vet. or if he hurt himself, or what i should do. please help . thank you
-Daniel

TurtleFan24 wrote:His left half of his body usually stays down while the right side floats, he can swim fine but is usually found swimming on the floor of the tank.

That is not normal. Separation would be a good idea. What are the water temps? Can you answer some of the questions in the link in my signature?

How big is your turtle?5 length 4 width
How long have you had it?about 8 years

What is the water temperature?no heater so its a little cold
Did you use a thermometer?no
Are you using a water heater?no
How much water is in there? half of a 55 gallon tank.
Are you using a water conditioner?no
Are you using any filtration?no

What is the basking temperature?no idea sorry.
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?Rocks
Is there a UVB light?yes

What have you been trying to feed it?i feed them pellets and rarley some carrots.
When was the last time your turtle ate?yesterday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?55 gal.
Is the tank near a window?yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?sometimes. it could vary

Have you read the Basic Care section?yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?yes
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?yes

How long has he been doing this (right-sided floating)? Is he swimming in circles or in the same direction? Is he no longer swimming and just floating? If he has RI, a vet visit would be in his best interest. If his only symptom is that he is lop sided, then that might not be RI, but could be an injury.

I just changed the water about 3 days ago, and i noticed he started doing it. so i read information, and it looked like RI so i seperated him and went to the pet store, gave him a little fish tank water heater and have been dropping in penicilin tablets. hopefully he will make a recovery to whatever he has. i will update and tell you how hes doing. -Daniel