Urgent Care :: A bump on my turtle's neck. What is it?

[RESAkin&Kiba]

There is a brown lump on his neck. He always leans against the glass in a corner that he wedges himself in. My mom put her fish in the same tank and they killed him recently, could that have anything to do with maybe bad water? Is it serious? I don't have a basking lamp because I'm getting it tommorow. Could that be the problem? And here:

How big is your turtle? About 4 and 1/2 inches
How long have you had it? Since the summer

What is the water temperature? 79 degrees
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? I'd say maybe a five gallons...
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? I'm working on it
Is there a basking light? ^
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? ^
What kind is it or what is it made out of? ^
Is there a UVB light? ^

What have you been trying to feed it? Turtle Gammarus Pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? I don't know... He doesn't eat that much from what my parents say. ><

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallons
Is the tank near a window? Five feet away.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Sometimes.

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? He's stretching his neck really long.

Maybe I'll be able to post pictures.

[flutterby]

Can you please post a picture so we can see what the bump looks like? Did the turtle kill the fish or did they just die being in the tank with him? Just an FYI, whatever you put in the tank has a potential of being lunch, thats why we recommend feeder fish instead of fish you would get attached to.

[turtledudee]

5 gallons of water isn't a sufficent amount for a 4 1/2 inch turtle you need at least 45 gallons.

[marisa]

A picture of the area with the lump would be helpful. It could be an abcess, in which case your turtle would need to see a herp vet to have it lanced and probably receive antibiotics. If it is an abcess, it won't go away without treatment and will grow progressively more painful for your turtle.

[Davis]

Same thing happened to me, and I'm taking it to the vet, except the lump is red

[RESAkin&Kiba]

They killed the fish, and it was my mom's idea. I thought it was a bad idea.

[Muirner]

Turtles will try to eat almost anything that goes into their tank. From fake plants to expensive fish. This is why the only fish in my turtle tank is a 8cent guppy lol, and 2, 5cent ghost shrimp.

Also RES- the neck streching thing, dont worry. Mine do it all the time and it's normal. Check out some of the photos in the gallery. (correct me if i'm wrong). They will also wedge themselves into a spot, and then strech their neck to reach the surface to breath... just keep an eye that they can get in and out of their hiding spots..