Urgent Care :: A slime?!

[xfallwithmexo]

Went to get my three turtles out of their tank to feed them and noticed a problem with one. On ones neck, like the neck part by their head, one side is normal and the other side has like a film on it... its gray thick film. i figured since the tank was dirtier than I usually let it get (college midterms!) that he had stick his face in something and it just got stuck to him, so with one of my fingers i gently went to rub it off and to my shock, its attached to him. its like a slime and has a booger texture. I didn't rip it off i just got so freaked out that i put him in the feeding tank.

I tried to take pictures but they dont really show up. Help please!

How big is your turtle? -- 1 1/2 inches
How long have you had it? --- 3 monhts

What is the water temperature? 79 degrees
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? about 7 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes an eheim canister

What is the basking temperature? 80s ( i know its low)
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? stone
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets jello shots and shrimp
When was the last time your turtle ate? yesterday night

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 gals
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? not really

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

[Jaysea]

sounds like fungus? any way you could try to post some pictures, i know you said it doesn't show up but anything to look at could be helpful.

[xfallwithmexo]

photos as promised the best i could get





the first picture you can see it the best i believe. I'm working to upload another but it isnt working

[steve]

Hard to say.. could be fungus or skin shedding. I would just do a rinse with clean water, dry dock overnight and check in the morning.

[xfallwithmexo]

How do I dry dock? My room is about 70 degrees right now, any suggestions? and when i rinse should i try to get it off? or just leave it

[steve]

Well, if its a thin layer, see how much will come off without getting your RES agitated but don't force anything. Use a cotton swab if you want to be gentle. 70 would be fine for an adult, would it be possible to get it a little warmer?

[xfallwithmexo]

I can't regulate the heat, but I can keep my space heater on all night. I have a heating pad that i could put under the plastic container that I plan to dry dock him in unless you think thats dangerous

is this contagious if it is a fungus? any steps i should take to make sure the other two RES don't get it as well?

[steve]

Fungus would be contagious. How hot does the pad get?

[xfallwithmexo]

package doesnt say but there are three settings, i'd use the lowest one. uh oh. I hope the other two don't get it then. I rinsed him under room temperature water and used a q tip to clean some of it, he wasn't agitated and some did come off onto the q tip

[steve]

Maybe if the pad was put on the side so only one end it warmer? I wouldn't worry too much about this, it's probably nothing or very minor.

[xfallwithmexo]

ok, will do. Trying not to, but I'm sure because it's my first problem with them I can't help but to! Will update in the morning

[richieboy]

Is it like a flap that moves in the water? Mine had that going on because Baytril apparently causes shedding. It was right at the top of the head and stuck there for a while before finally coming off, and she ate it! It was only noticeable in the water though.

[Miss Tee]

Miss Tee was shedding skin and I was trying to stay calm, but it looked awful. YUCK!

What finally helped was getting her to bask more (by lowering the water temp a few degrees--it makes the basking area more enticing)

The UVA rays seemed to clear this up. Since you mention that your basking temp is not too high, I wonder if it's related to this?

[xfallwithmexo]

Well, it is gone now. He looks normal. I put him back in the tank around 10AM and took him back out for inspection about 8pm, al was clear!

Gonna say it was just shedding, I'm going to try to raise the basking temperature, it has never been the greatest but they do bask

Thanks guys!

[marisa]

Slime on the scutes is often a film of bacteria. You can use a soft cloth to gently remove it if if appears on the shell.