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What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:18 pm
by fourinch
Hi,

For the last couple of weeks, my RES has developed some white/gray spots on his shell and I don't know if it is fungus or normal. It got much better 2 days ago and now it came back. Even though we have heat lamp, and UVB light but this RES loves to hide in the water. He is active and loves to eat, just not to bask. You might wonder if it is too hot up there, but my other turtle in the same tank loves to bask. Anyway, can someone with more experience tell me if I should worry about it? What's it? Could it be fungus? I have attached several pictures.
Thanks much for your help.
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Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:46 pm
by PridgNYC
To me, it looks like he is starting to shed some of those scutes, which is a good thing as he looks like he has been retaining scutes (which is a bad thing). What do you feed him, and how often?

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 1:23 am
by fourinch
PridgNYC wrote:To me, it looks like he is starting to shed some of those scutes, which is a good thing as he looks like he has been retaining scutes (which is a bad thing). What do you feed him, and how often?


I hope it is not fungus or disease. The spots on pictures don't look as bad as in real. How long will it take to finish shedding?
I feed all my turtles with Reptomin, reptomin select, bloodworm as snack, sepia bones, zoo med aquatic turtle food, carrot, mango, rosy red minnow, pear, plant etc. We feed almost daily mostly with pellets, the rest is based on availability and mood? lol! We feed them with minnow and plants when we are away for a few days. This one is not very picky on food, eats almost anything we feed him. He does the mating dance to the female turtles but has been ignored all the times, not sure if it has anything to do with the white spots. I see him fanning couple times too, feeling sorry for him.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 8:16 am
by Diamondbacks4Life
Well that is fungas your turtle has. That diet he is on really needs to be changed. That is way to much protien which has cause his shell to get retained scutes. It will take a long time for him to shell the last layers. The first lays seem to becoming off.

First lets deal with the fungas. You need to dry dock him for about 15days. Pick up some Zoo Med Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip and follow dirctions with that. Only get him wet when feeding him and using the sulfar dip. The fungas hasnt spread that much but you can look into lamisil cream to help treatment also.

Diet: Pellets should only be fed every other day about. Not every day. On the days not feeding him the pellets good things to feed are some type of veggies. http://redearslider.com/plants.html The link has a list of whats best to feed and what to avoid. The snacks, like the bloodworms and minnow are a once a month type snack.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 6:41 pm
by steve
I agree with Diamondbacks4Life.. it's fungus, you need to make diet changes and possibly habitat changes. If that Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip treatment doesn't work, I would get some silver sulfadinze cream from a vet and use that. Do not wait too long because fungus likes to spread and it becomes increasingly difficult to treat.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:10 am
by fourinch
steve wrote:I agree with Diamondbacks4Life.. it's fungus, you need to make diet changes and possibly habitat changes. If that Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip treatment doesn't work, I would get some silver sulfadinze cream from a vet and use that. Do not wait too long because fungus likes to spread and it becomes increasingly difficult to treat.
Diamondbacks4Life wrote:Well that is fungas your turtle has. That diet he is on really needs to be changed. That is way to much protien which has cause his shell to get retained scutes. It will take a long time for him to shell the last layers. The first lays seem to becoming off.

First lets deal with the fungas. You need to dry dock him for about 15days. Pick up some Zoo Med Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip and follow dirctions with that. Only get him wet when feeding him and using the sulfar dip. The fungas hasnt spread that much but you can look into lamisil cream to help treatment also.

Diet: Pellets should only be fed every other day about. Not every day. On the days not feeding him the pellets good things to feed are some type of veggies. http://redearslider.com/plants.html The link has a list of whats best to feed and what to avoid. The snacks, like the bloodworms and minnow are a once a month type snack.


I have a hard time finding the product Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip, I think there is a shortage right now. Is there any substitute on the market?

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:19 am
by fourinch
Diamondbacks4Life wrote:Well that is fungas your turtle has. That diet he is on really needs to be changed. That is way to much protien which has cause his shell to get retained scutes. It will take a long time for him to shell the last layers. The first lays seem to becoming off.

First lets deal with the fungas. You need to dry dock him for about 15days. Pick up some Zoo Med Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip and follow dirctions with that. Only get him wet when feeding him and using the sulfar dip. The fungas hasnt spread that much but you can look into lamisil cream to help treatment also.

Diet: Pellets should only be fed every other day about. Not every day. On the days not feeding him the pellets good things to feed are some type of veggies. http://redearslider.com/plants.html The link has a list of whats best to feed and what to avoid. The snacks, like the bloodworms and minnow are a once a month type snack.


Lamisil cream? The one that treats athletic foot? That are more than 20 types from amazon.com, any kind would work? Any particular ingredient that I should look for? Thanks.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:07 pm
by steve
fourinch wrote:I have a hard time finding the product Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip, I think there is a shortage right now. Is there any substitute on the market?

Silver sulfadinze cream.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 10:38 pm
by fourinch
steve wrote:
fourinch wrote:I have a hard time finding the product Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip, I think there is a shortage right now. Is there any substitute on the market?

Silver sulfadinze cream.


I mean one that doesn't require prescription.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:26 pm
by steve
There are some people using Maroxy, which is made for fish -- though I don't think anyone on this forum has first-hand experience with it.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:32 pm
by Kurtni
fourinch wrote:
steve wrote:
fourinch wrote:I have a hard time finding the product Repti Turtle Sulfa Dip, I think there is a shortage right now. Is there any substitute on the market?

Silver sulfadinze cream.


I mean one that doesn't require prescription.

You can buy conofite cream without a prescription, but I know the strength of what my vet prescribed my turtle isn't available without a prescription, so I don't know if the over the counter strengths would be effective.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:24 pm
by fourinch
Kurtni wrote:You can buy conofite cream without a prescription, but I know the strength of what my vet prescribed my turtle isn't available without a prescription, so I don't know if the over the counter strengths would be effective.


Would you please tell me where to find conofite cream? Does walmart carry it?

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:01 pm
by Love of Animals
Link for Silver sulfa-dine :!: mountainside-medical [direct link removed per request] Also as Steve has mentioned, Maroxy is for fish but many people are having great results using it. Let me know if you need the treatment schedule for it.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:59 pm
by steve
One thing about the Maroxy - I have not heard of it being used for shell fungus but I am hopeful.

Re: What's on his shell?

PostPosted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:56 pm
by Love of Animals
I have Steve. The problem is you need a good shed as well. So then we go was it the Maroxy or the shed? Supplement with a good food that contains wheat germ for the vitamin E. Some good food for that is Mazuri or Koi pellets with wheat germ. Hopefully the vitamin E will promote a shed. Also plenty of greens at this time.