Urgent Care :: coloring and shell issue

[kimster]

How big is your turtle? about 4 inches, maybe 4 1/2"
How long have you had it? about 10 months

What is the water temperature? 76-78 fahrenheit
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? about a foot deep
Are you using a water conditioner? yes
Are you using any filtration? yes

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? floating faux log
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? pellets, minnows, dried shrimp
When was the last time your turtle ate? just now

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 20 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? not directly
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? some

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? -->

The delineations of the shell are white (I don't know the correct terminology, but I'm talking about the creases between the different parts of the shell) and there is white-ish discoloration of the shell in spots that have grown. Also, her coloring appears to be very faded compared to pictures I have seen of other turtles. The red on her head is extremely faded.

I also think her shell is pyramiding and now know how to try to fix that, but I don't know if these other issues are also related to her diet or something else.

I would appreciate any advice!

[worldpeace]

Could you get some pictures when the shell is dry? Thanks.

[Moose]

Most definetly pictures would help

[kimster]

The first picture I think is better...the glare on the second makes the shell look a little worse than it actually is. Also, for some reason her coloring is brighter in the picture than it is in life. Sorry I'm not fantastic with photos or computers! Let me know if these links don't work!

Thanks!

[blackforces get you]

thats how it should look after a while. they begin to get old and the shell color turns more brown.

worry a bit about the shedding. you better hope he sheds soon

[Moose]

I am not one hundred about wats going on with the white lines inbetween those scutes, but your turtle does look like its in need of a good shed, try feeding it some frozen blueberries or some boiled sweet potato and make sure your basking temperatures are accurate to increase shedding.

[SINI5T3R]

I am not one hundred about wats going on with the white lines inbetween those scutes, but your turtle does look like its in need of a good shed, try feeding it some frozen blueberries or some boiled sweet potato and make sure your basking temperatures are accurate to increase shedding.

looks like its a little bit of pyramiding

[steve]

Those white areas are fungus. They are contagious to other RES if you keep more. A good shed will help, but it can be a nasty problem if your turtle does not shed and doesn't have access to a proper basking area.

[kimster]

Is there anything I should put on or clean the fungus with?

She has a basking log and regularly dries off, so I don't know what else I could do habitat-wise.

[steve]

It's very mild, so you might want to consider treating it with silver sulfadiazine cream.

[kimster]

I assume I should put the cream on when she's dry, but how long should I wait to put her back in the water? Also, should I wash her off before putting her in the water (I don't know if this is a stupid question or not)?

[steve]

This is what I wrote in a different post:
What I did was take the turtle out at night, clean the area with betadine. Let it dry for about 30 - 60 minutes, then apply the cream. It's greasy and it's not necessary to use too much. Dry dock over night (let the cream do its job) and in the morning wipe off any residue (or scrub off if there's a lot) and put her back into the tank.

Hope that helps!

[kimster]

That helps a lot!

Is this a one time treatment or should I continue doing this? Is it not bad for her to be out of water for the night? Should I keep a heat lamp on her?

[steve]

If the cream is effective to that type of fungus, it should work very, very quickly. Its fine to keep them out overnight and you don't need a heat lamp, just keep the room temp around 75F.

[TartarugaVerde]

awesome answerers ...

im looking for help on something here and am learning much about other things too, this site is awesome!