Urgent Care :: Severe White Spotting

[Kakama5]

First, the basics:

Problem: White patches on shell, not soft, not noticeable peeling, not mineral deposits (tested with vinegar). Use Sulfur Dip, and white appeared to fade, but didn't go away, and soon was back to the way it was. It could be a fungus, could be really big shedding. See pics below.

Standard Questions:

How big is your turtle? ~approx~ 5 inches
How long have you had it? Some time over a year- use to be a forum regular

What is the water temperature? Steady around 82-85
Are you using a water heater? Not during the Florida summer, as they are not necessary.
How much water is in there? About 32 gallons in a 55 gallon tank, large basking area on top.
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? A fifty-five gallon tank filter modded with a pond pump

What is the basking temperature? Not quite sure, see next question
Is there a basking light? Outdoor tank is placed for direct sunlight (on the basking area only), and stone basking platform absorbs heat naturally.
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes, a large stone tile over a third of the tank, with a stone ramp leading to it. The turtles can swim under this platform as well.
Is there a UVB light? Yes, though it has not been on for about a month due to... something. I feared this was the problem, but the situation was present before the light was off, and the light is always on now, so it may not be.

What have you been trying to feed it? Carrots, lettuce, the occasional small pieces of cooked meat, and once had small guppies in the tank (they loved that ).
When was the last time your turtle ate?Today- all the standard ravenous eaters that turtles are, no unusual diet problems

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 32 Gallons of water in a 55 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? Outdoors on porch
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? We visit them, and run past outdoors- some gardening is done there, too.

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


Note: it looks much whiter in real life, this is a webcam shot.

[missibsu]

There are some other posts on white shell spots here, but I haven't gone back and updated myself on what they say, so I don't know if they will help. I do know that for an RES of that size and age, the water temp should be around 75 degrees. Above 80 is way too warm and it leads to overeating and heavy shedding. The pic is small, so it's really hard to see what the shell looks like.

You mentioned that the basking area only is in direct sunlight...how do you manage this? Do your turtles bask regularly?

[marisa]

You said you had turtles---is this the only one with the white areas? The other/s have had nothing similar? The pics are small, but given the pattern, and since you said the shell isn't soft (no odor?) and it wasn't mineral deposits, it looks like the scutes may be getting ready to shed. Are they lifting up at all on any of the edges? If you press on them does that white area move at all (if so, it could be an air bubble under the scute, which will occur as the scute loosens and begins to lift off).

Aside from lowering the water temp, you need to check the basking area temp. The sun moves throughout the day, so I'm wondering how long the basking area gets direct sunlight...Your turtles are able to get unfiltered sunlight on the porch? How much are they basking?

BTW---do I remember you from the old forum? If so, welcome back.

[Kakama5]

The others have some, but this is the most severe. I hope it is just shedding, but how long is that supposed to last? It's been going on for some time; I can't remember exact dates, but it's been over a month or two. Also, the water is not always so warm, thats just on hot days. Today it's around 75 degrees. The sunlight moves across the basking area, but generally it covers a good portion, and the turtles bask happily with their legs turned up and their heads held high.

[missibsu]

Even on hot days your water temp should not fluxuate. I'm concerned that the sunlight isn't just reaching the basking area, but the whole tank is heating because of the sunlight. Fluxuation in water temp can lead to respritory illness.

[steve]

Has these patches spread to the other scutes? Does the bridge or plastron have any of these patches? Has any of the scutes shed - if so, what does the scute underneath look like?

[Kakama5]

There I can't really tell if a scute has gone or not. The plastron looks like it may have some patching as well. The temperature is fairly steady now, and is just what the normal outdoor water temperature would be.

[marisa]

Can you post a pic or two of the carapace and plastron when they're dry?