Hey guys, my red-eared slider is about 1 ¼ years old and is between 4 and 5 inches long. I keep his water temp about 75ºF, and his basking temp is around 85 or 90 with a proper bulb. I keep my apartment about 75 or so so I don’t use a water heater. I treat the water with those blue Reptisafe drops and keep about 10 gallons (in a 20 gallon tank, he’s getting a bigger one soon). I change the water about every week so it doesn’t get too murky, and I have a proper filter.
I think that about covers the basics. My question is, the lines between the scutes on Melvin’s carapace have a pinkish tint to them. It’s very slight, but I was concerned. I’ve read that at worst it could be septicemia, but I’ve also read a pink tint is normal.
It could be due to the food he eats; I feel him a balanced diet, and his pellets are krill-enriched pellets which have a pinkish orange tint to it. All his poops are this color too.
He’s very active; he loves to swim up and down the tank and loves attention. He has a ravenous appetite but I try to keep the food volume per day about equal to the size of his head and neck. His routine is usually breakfast, then basking for 4-5 hours, then some more swimming and crawling around, then sleep. His shell looks like it’s in good condition otherwise; he sheds but not terribly much, and he’s never had any signs of shell rot. I give him a sulfa dip every couple of months to help prevent any kind of fungal infections or anything.
Am I worrying too much or does pink tinted lines between carapace scutes on an otherwise healthy turtle mean trouble? I love the little man and I’d happily take him to a herp vet if needed.
Thanks for any help.
