Urgent Care :: soft butt

[jdttm]

How big is your turtle? a little bigger than a golf ball
How long have you had it? a year

What is the water temperature? 77
Are you using a water heater? one of those under the tank pads
How much water is in there? a inch and a half
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? no

What is the basking temperature? 80
Is there a basking light? no
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? reptomin freeze dried brine shrimp and pellits
When was the last time your turtle ate? today at 8pm

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 12inches by3 inches its a 1 gallon tank i think.
Is the tank near a window? not real close but sun light does hit it..
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? my room so i dont think so

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? wen hes out of the water and hes shell dries the color is not very vibrant it almost looks like hes ashy.. wen i clean his tank i make sure to gently wipe off any yuckys that from his shell.. thats wen i noticed the soft spot it doesnt have a distinct smell, and my turtle doesnt seem any different.

[missibsu]

A number of items of concern...let me just go down your list:

A good filter is recommended. Turtles are messy, and once you get an appropriate size tank, you aren't going to want to clean it every day.

A basking are doesn't do any good unless there is heat there to entice the turtle to bask. The basking temp needs to be about 10 degrees higher than the water temp, or there is no encouragement. Also, to benefit from the basking a UVB light is a must. Natural sun light from you window doesn't count because the glass blocks the rays. In fact, the sun from the window is the worst possible thing that you can do, because it can cause the water temp to spike and possibly kill your turtle.

A one gallon tank is not good enough. RES are aquatic turtles and need room to swim. At a minimum you are going to need a10 gallon tank. Although, I recommend going bigger if you can. If you can't afford glass aquariums, rubbermaid containers are an option.

Those are some of the basics. The shell problems that you are experiencing are probably directly related to the lack of basking and proper lighting.

[Pam]

If you have had your turtle a whole year and he has not grown that is not good. Your home for him is way too small and not near enough water. You need to get him a bigger tank and have adequate heat and light and basking area. He will love the improvements!

[KellyP]

How much water is in there? a inch and a half
An inch an a half of water is way too little. RES like to swim. You need to fill the water as full as possible, but not so full that the turtle can escape. About 3/4 of the way full should be sufficient.

Are you using a water conditioner? no
Have you had your water tested? Most tap water contains chlorine, which can harm your turtle. There are certain products that you should add to the water before putting it in with your turtle to remove the chlorine and make the water safe.

Are you using any filtration? no
How are you getting by without a filter? A good qaulity filter rated for 2-3 times the size of your aquarium is an absolute necesity. Turtles produce a huge amount of waste and the water will become filthy without a good filter and frequent water changes.

What is the basking temperature? 80
The water temperature should be around 78 degrees for a hatchling, and the basking area needs to be around 10 degrees warmer than the water. So that means the basking area should be around 88 degrees.

Is there a basking light? no
You can use a standard household bulb to produce the heat needed for your RES to bask. These are inexpensive, so there's really no reason to not have one.

Is there a UVB light? no
A bulb that produces 5 - 10% UVB is absolutely critical to your RES health. Without it they will develop all kinds of shell problems. Basking also helps with proper digestion. Until you get your UVB light you can take your turtles outside to soak up some natural sunlight.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 12inches by3 inches its a 1 gallon tank i think.
A one gallon tank is completely unacceptable for any size RES. The rule is you should have 10 gallons of tank per 1 inch of shell. So your turtle needs a minimum of 10 gallons, but you should buy the largest aquarium you can afford, because he's going to outgrow the 10 gallon fast. Rubbermade containers work well, and are much cheaper than glass aquariums if money is an issue.



The soft spot you are seeing is probably shell rot. It's becuase your turtle does not have an adeqate basking area. You need to have an area where your turtle can get completely out of the water to dry. He will not bask unless the air temperature is 10 degrees warmer than the water. The UVB bulb is esential because it helps keep the turtles shell healthy. Please get one ASAP.[/b]