Urgent Care :: our turtle's plastron

[diego]

Hello! This is my first post, and I'm writing because I'm afraid I haven't been taking great care of my adult slider. I inherited him, and gradually made important purchases, so he now has a large tank, a basking lamp and spot, a varied diet, and a good filter. The one thing he's been missing (I'm ordering one now) is a thermostat. I think his water has been too cold, and I'm worried it has caused him an infection.

I'm including a photo of his plastron. All the other photos I've seen show a clear pattern of spots; our turtle has a smear of coloration that isn't patterned or distinct. Is this normal?

[cutepanda86]

Can you show us some more pictures of the entire turtle?

[diego]

Here's another

[diego]

Also, forgot to post our info. Here it is!

How big is your turtle? 7 inches
How long have you had it? 6 mo.

What is the water temperature? 70 F
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? No (in the mail!)
How much water is in there? 20 gal
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 80 F (approx)
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? a license plate
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? repto-min
When was the last time your turtle ate? today (no issues)

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40 gal
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? he's somewhat lethargic lately

[steve]

For RES, it's normal for them to lose their plastron patterns for dark brown/black splotches. Males could get even darker or greyer skin. Is the shell smooth and firm?

At 7" are you sure you have a male? Looks more female though the pics are not that clear. I'd bump up the temps a little (5 degrees) when you can. You'll eventually need to make some changes to his tank or upgrade. The carapace looks a little white, so you might need to look out for fungus.

[diego]

Thanks so much for the info! Yes, we have suspected it's a lady, although we called him a male since we got him and we're sticking with it! The shell is pretty smooth, and very firm. We'll be on the lookout for fungus, and I'll make sure to up his temperature. Thanks again for all the advice!