redearslider.com

Hi, I recently came to possess our RES, Turt Turtleton.
My girlfriend rescued him from an acquaintance of hers, long story short, he was mistreated, kept in a 2 gallon fish bowl without filtration with water so dirty you couldn't see into it, and was only fed bread.
Immediately, I put him into a 15 gal because I had one lying around from fish I used to have and an internal filter (with new pads) for a few months.
Recently, I was able to purchase a 29 gal tank for him, from the awesome Petco $1/gal deal.
I made him a filter based on this design - https://youtu.be/OxFb3EeZ7l8
but mine is significantly smaller, only 2 quarts, and not using bio media or balls.
My filter's contents from top to bottom: filter padding, polyester fill, ceramic rings, and coarse sponges.
Also I am using a submersible pump from Harbor Freight - http://www.harborfreight.com/264-gph-submersible-fountain-pump-68395.html
The pump has a pre-filter but I chose to remove it, because it would get dirty very quickly and I didn't want it sitting in the water as a bacteria factory.

After doing a water change, I noticed some white spots on him while I was cleaning out his tank.
I put him in a dry habitat for a full day, to get a clear assessment of his shell.







These are the scutes that came off his belly when he was dry for a day.







His tank - a work in progress






I believe he is too heavy for his dock, so when he basks, his belly does not rise above the water level.
I am planning on making him a tank topper from a plastic bin and some egg crate, however it will take me a while to get the materials, money is pretty tight.

He is back in the tank now and I am treating him with Turtle Fix, http://www.petco.com/product/126718/API-Turtle-Fix

I wanted to know if anyone had success with this product? would a dry tank and bentadine application be a better treatment? is the slight pink color on his belly significant? Is it Shell Rot, and how significant is the damage?
Thank you for you time.

How big is your turtle? - ~6 inches
How long have you had it? - ~6 mo.

What is the water temperature? - 75 degrees
Did you use a thermometer? - Yes
Are you using a water heater? - Not yet, planning on getting one before winter.
How much water is in there? - 18.7 gallons, I put 12 inches of water in there, and in a 29 gal tank it comes out to 18.7 gal.
Are you using a water conditioner? - Yes, http://www.petco.com/product/112542/TetraFauna-AquaSafe-Reptile-And-Amphibian-Water-Conditioner
and http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/waste-removers/fluker-s-organic-cleaner-super-scrub-zid36-5147515/cat-36-catid-500025
Are you using any filtration? - Yes, diy mentioned above.

What is the basking temperature? - 80-85 degrees
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? - Foam
Is there a UVB light? - Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? - ReptoMin, Dried Mealworms and the occasional live cricket.
When was the last time your turtle ate? - Few hours ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? - 29 gal
Is the tank near a window? -No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? - Bedroom, moderate activity

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

It looks like a small amount of fungus. I have not tried API Turtle Fix, so I'm not sure or if it's effective. If you use activated carbon in the filter or if you pre-filter the water before adding it into the tank, you don't need conditioners.

I don't think the API stuff is that effective. I've used similar products (Pimafix and Melafix) for other aquatic tanks, and in my experience, frequent PWC's and dry-docking are just as helpful (and free). If you really want those infected scutes gone, you should order Hikari Wheat Germ pellets. They're high in Vitamin E, and facilitate shedding.

Your turtle looks like it's a pretty decent size. I'd like to encourage you to consider adding more vegetable matter into its diet. Dried mealworms are essentially void of nutrition, and crickets are just unnecessary protein. I believe Mazuri is a better cost-per-ounce than Reptomin, and it's a much healthier food.

It appears to be a pretty mild fungus. A couple of rounds of dry docking might cure it.
That floating dock is not buoyant enough for an adult turtle, you'll have to modify it by supporting it with something from underneath or constructing something to hold it up above the water level.