Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:30 am
Turtles as small as yours typically have somewhat flexible shells. Their shells are more flexible at the back near their tails. As they grow over their first year, their shells harden until by a year of age they should be completely hard.
Probably the flex in your turtle's shell is normal. However, it's hard to judge since we aren't actually there to feel it. If her shell is too soft it could be because she's not getting enough calcium in her diet or the UVB he's exposed to isn't sufficient to enable him to metabolize the calcium she eats.
That brings us to the UVB bulb. If your bulb is exactly like that one it's a good brand but it isn't strong enough. The one you should have is the 5.0 26 watt Repti Glo. There's a 13 watt version of the 5.0 but it isn't strong enough either. Also, the 10.0 may be too strong. Make sure the bulb is positioned the distance from the turtle as recommended by the manufacturer's directions. If it's too far away, it won't be effective, and if it's too close it can irritate her eyes.
The white on the shell looks to me like it might be fungus. Usually fungus developes when the turtle doesn't bask enough or the water quality is poor. If she basks a lot, then that's a good thing but you should check the water quality. You can get kits at the pet store (fish section) for testing. A good kit is the Master Freshwater Test Kit by Aquarium Pharmeceuticals. It contains all the basic tests with good instructions on how to do the tests and interpret the results. There's plenty of solution for testing dozens and dozens of times, so it will last a long time.
If the white is fungus, then it can be cured with lots of basking under good quality UVB light, lots of clean water, good diet with plenty of cuttlebone, and treatment for a couple of weeks with silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene or SSD cream). A vet prescription is required for silver sulfadiazine.
SpotsMama
