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Shell problem

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:40 pm
by larry32073
Kid's turtle, not much experience with turtles...any help would be appreciated.
Just put the turtles in a bigger tank 2-3 weeks ago

How big is your turtle? 4-5"
How long have you had it? 1 year

What is the water temperature? 77
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? 20 g
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 90
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? plastic platform
Is there a UVB light? yes - added recently

What have you been trying to feed it? turtle food(various) romaine
When was the last time your turtle ate? today

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40g
Is the tank near a window? yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? somewhat

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? the center of the humps(not all of them) on the shell seem somewhat soft and slick

Anyone recognize this?

Re: Shell problem

PostPosted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:47 pm
by Love of Animals
Can you get a pic of the turtle dry? When you say soft do you mean you can push down on them and they feel softer than the other parts of the shell? Is there any unusual smell or anything leaking from the shell when you gently press the area? Dry pics from different angles would greatly help.

Re: Shell problem

PostPosted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:48 am
by steve
It looks like some pyramiding. It's not good but it's not as bad as we've seen before. It might smooth out a bit after a few years of regular, normal shedding but will still be a bit bumpy.

Re: Shell problem

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:56 pm
by larry32073
Thanks...so feeding them too much?!

No smell or leaking. It is also not really soft as I first thought, I originally did not want to press too hard.

Re: Shell problem

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:18 pm
by larry32073
can you feed them as much romaine let as they want? veggies in general?

Re: Shell problem

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:19 pm
by Love of Animals
That's great to hear glad it's not soft. Rather deal with pyramiding. You can feed them as much veggies as they can eat. Romaine, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, dandelion greens. Switch it up every week at the market. Pyramiding is caused by to much protein in the diet. Cut down on the pellets.