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I have a new RES that I bought from someone. It was sick when I first got it and I thought it was going to die. I took it to the vet to get betral shots and now it seems to be doing fine. I recently noticed that there are some discolored spots on the shell that look to be a little discolored and on those same spots they are soft. What is this? I have heard of shell rot and am not sure if this is what shell rot looks like. I have also heard that if there is too much water this could also cause shell rot. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on the habitat my little Squirt is living in and also if they think he has shell rot.

Too much water won't cause shell rot, but lack of basking and as well as water that's not kept clean will contribute to the condition. For some pics of shell rot, you can look here: www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/medshell.htm

The white areas down the spine look like the turtle has somehow rubbed the shell on something to the point where it has left a mark. The white area/lines in between the scutes looks like growth. Did your turtle lose his appetite while on Baytril (often happens) and is now eating a lot? If so, what are you feeding him, how much and how often?

If there are other areas of concern, you need to point them out. Does your turtle bask and does your turtle have a UVB light?

It was very nice of you to rescue him and get him treated, good job!


I dont know what to tell you about the shell, but i can tell you a few things about you're setup. First i would get rid of all the rocks, a few large river rocks spread around the bottom is fine, but too much isnt. You see all those rocks tend to hold in lots of debri and can also dirty up the water faster, another plus by getting rid of them is that you will give you're turtle deeper water, and he will be much happy.

Also, i didnt see if you have a water heater. If you dont, get one. A water heater is the best health insurance a turtle can get, without a water heater you're turtle is most likely to get ill. You can find water heaters at any pet stores and even wal marts! They are cheap, and a must have.

I have a UVB light and he basks frequently during the day. There is no water heater because my room tends to be very hot and the water stays between 75-85. I thought the water was a little hot for him but I don't know how to cool it down. And I do clean his tank once a week. He eats the pellets, cucumbers and strawberries. Those are about the only things that I found he eats. He seems to be really active. I just wasn't sure about his shell, if that is how it looks when the turtle is growing or if there was a problem.

Throw in a piece of cuttlebone too for added calcium. Just peel off the hard white backing (the side you can't push your fingernail into) with a sharp knife first because the turtles can't eat that. He won't necesarily eat the thing all at once, but they tend to nip at it.

What kind of UVB light do you have?

the grayish areas in between the scutes look like he didn't have access to a basking light before. With the proper lighting, his shell should recover eventually & look like this:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g53/i ... iobhan.jpg