Urgent Care :: Spongy shells of turtles at work!

[SamsMama]

Please remember that these are not my personal turtles but the ones at my job, Petco.

How big is your turtle? There are 26, 5 in babies
How long have you had it? Unknown

What is the water temperature? 75
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? 40 gallons?
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? a bio-wheel

What is the basking temperature? not sure
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? it is a large, plaster, log looking then that's glued in the tank.
Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? Pellets, green leaf lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate? everyday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 75 gallons
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? it's in Petco



I've been trying to do my best by these little girls, but I'm still new at this job and I can only do so much. Their shells were beginning to look dry and pitted and breaking a couple weeks ago and I asked my manager what to do, she said they'd come in like that and they were fine. I didn't think it was okay at all but I couldn't do anything. Last monday I went to one of my favorite leads at work and told him the situation. I ended up pulling "Vitashell" off the shelf and rubbing it liberally into all 26 turtles' shells. As I'm sure you can imagine, it took me hours. On thursday I got fed up with my manager blowing off the state of the turtles and I did an almost complete water change. I've noticed one could possibly be going through the beginning stages of shell rot and all have spongy shells. I am so upset and I don't know what to do. Please, please help me.

Oh! I almost forgot something important! Every night, when the lights go out the whole tank shuts off. The filter turns off, half the water drains out, and the turtles sit in that all night. The pH in the tank was off the charts the other day and so was the ammonia. They had to sit in that. I'm going to start changing the water at least every thursday. Is aquarium salt good to put in an aquarium? The lead made me put it in there and I wasn't sure :-/

I feel so frazzled over it all. What can I do to help these babies?

[meltedspork]

Well, this doesn't seem like a situation which you can really help, even though I give you major kudos for trying. First off, that is wayyy too many turtles in one tank. With that many turtles in that sized tank, the water should probably be changed every day. And they need a uvb light. You could substitute the uvb light with vitamin D3, although that is not ideal, it would be better than nothing. I know there are reptile supplements that contain D3. Also - Is it possible for you to feed them cuttlebone to give them some calcium? You can use the kind for birds, you just have to remove the hard backing on them first.

Really all you can do is try to find good homes for these turtles and instruct the new owners with proper turtle care.

[SamsMama]

Really all you can do is try to find good homes for these turtles and instruct the new owners with proper turtle care.

See, that's the problem. People are interested in them all the time, but aren't willing to buy the proper equipment or want them for gifts and want a cheap, easy set up. As you know, that isn't happening. Plus, I am not selling a turtle as a "gift" to another adult that doesn't live in the same house. How do I know that it will be properly cared for? How do I know that a turtle is what they really want? I love the fact that I can tell someone no but I hate it that I have to.

[TheComputerGremlin]

You are in a very unideal situation. Honestly, you need to distance yourself from the turtles. I know that's hard to say, but you have to realize that it is rather unlikely that these turtles will end up in a good situation. If you are pushing the $$$ expensive setups that we have here on the board, you will never get any of the turtles sold. Ideally, you need to tell them that each turtle needs the biggest tank that they can afford, UVB and basking bulbs, and a basking area. A filter is useful, but not necessary. Otherwise, the turtles won't be sold and, well, you may lose your job. Working in a pet store isn't a good idea for an animal lover!

Needless to say, it sounds like you are trying the best for the turtles. As meltedspork said, see if you can get a basking area set up, tell your manager that the Superman pose works really well as a selling aid, which it does. Everyone loves that pose! Get them cuttlebone and vitamin D supplement if you can't get a UVB bulb. Vitashell should be used no more often than weekly, and even then, use it sparingly it. All it is is a wax, and it won't allow for the shell to naturally breathe, so it may cause further shell rot. If there is a filter in there, see if you can get some pH neutralizing and ammonia neutralizing media for it, that will keep the levels down. And remind your manager that a smelly turtle tank won't sell turtles. Aquarium salt is okay in small amounts, so don't worry about that. And don't worry about the power going off every night, they sleep at that point, so they should be fine.

I think I tried to address your questions. One other thing you can do is contact your manager's boss or the corporate PetCo and tell them that the shipment of turtles that were received was sub-par. They won't be able to help your current collection, but they may sever their ties with that breeder. You can even say that customers are telling you they look unhealthy and don't want them because of that. At least you can try!

[steve]

Is there a vet that works with your store? I would also try to contact someone at corporate HQ (this is exactly the kind of publicity that a company would avoid) but you will be risking your job. Maybe you could have a friend file a complaint for you?

[marisa]

The Petcos around here have a particular vet that they deal with for health issues. You might ask who theirs is.

You might point out (nicely) to the manager that nobody is going to want to buy turtles that don't look well and aren't healthy, and it will be more expensive to improve their health the longer he waits to do anything.

I'd skip the Vitashell and concentrate on keeping the water clean and improving their diet and habitat. Aquarium salt can help to keep water quality up, but isn't a cure-all by itself. Follow the directions on the package. It doesn't evaporate with the water, so use it when a full water change is being done.

Can you make an anonymous complaint? Can you get friends to complain as well? Sometimes receiving a rash of complaints draws quicker action.

[SamsMama]

Well, I won my battle. The turtles now have a uva, uvb, and a heat bulb. My store has cut the number of turtles down to 15 in the tank. The turtles are getting cuttlebone weekly and a complete water change every thursday. I am keeping the water tested and keeping the levels good. At work they call me the "turtle expert". I'm proud of myself and I'm happy things are better.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas and support.

[meltedspork]

Well, I won my battle. The turtles now have a uva, uvb, and a heat bulb. My store has cut the number of turtles down to 15 in the tank. The turtles are getting cuttlebone weekly and a complete water change every thursday. I am keeping the water tested and keeping the levels good. At work they call me the "turtle expert". I'm proud of myself and I'm happy things are better.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas and support.

Awesome! Good job!

[marisa]

Good for you (and the turtles)!

[TheComputerGremlin]

Yay, hopefully other employees will fight as hard as you did!!

[moldygrape]

kick butt thank you for not being a jerk !!!!!! the turtles love you!!!!!!!

[Lantic]

Good JOB!