Urgent Care :: Faded shell =[

[Boris]

I was out of town for a few days and when I got back, I noticed that my turtle's shell has faded significantly. I hope it's not shell rot. Before I consult a vet, I wanted to know your opinions. I've included pictures I took of the shell about 2 weeks ago and ones I just took so you can see the difference.

Before:



Now:




I filled out that questionnaire in the sticky to the best of my knowlege if that helps at all.

How big is your turtle? shell is 1.5 inches long
How long have you had it? about a month
What is the water temperature? 77 degrees
Are you using a water heater? no
How much water is in there? 4.5 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? yes, reptisafe
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? not sure but I'm using a 120V light
Is there a basking light? yeah
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? don't know but it's made for basking.
Is there a UVB light? I don't know but the turtle has been using this light for over a year

What have you been trying to feed it? it only eats bloodworms. I try to feed it turtle pellets and veggies, but it won't touch them.
When was the last time your turtle ate? five minutes ago

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? no

Please share your widom with me!

[Hoooneylynn]

looks like he is beginning to shed to me... do the white spots smell at all?

and one thing, you really need a heater, it is vital to your turts health. The water temp can fluctuate, which is bad and can cause RI, or other illnesses...

I suggest buying a cheap one at walmart for $10-$15!

[DavidY]

Looks like he's getting ready to shed to me too.

In addition to what Jessica said, plan on getting a much bigger tank or tub soon. RES like a lot of space and he will grow. Also, a UVB light is vital for proper shell and skeletal growth. You can get them at the pet store or online. They come in flourescent tubes, spiral compact flourescent bulbs, and mercury vapor bulbs. So some research in the lighting section of this website...http://redearslider.com/index_lighting_basking.html. Actually, all of the information in that area of the site is vital for your turtle's health and welfare. I hope you get a chance to check it out.

[Boris]

Wel that's a relief. Is there anything I need to know about shedding? Any special care required durign that time?
The spots do not smell.
What exactly is RI? I'll definetely invest in a uvb light and heater soon.
I already have a bigger tank for this guy, but I have nowhere to put it at the moment, so I'll deal with that when the turtle actually needs a bigger space.
Thanks for your help guys.

[DavidY]

Cool. Not much you need to do for shedding AFAIK. Don't pick at the scutes as they shed. They'll fall off on their own and you can cause injury if you pull them off.

RI = Respiratory Infection, a very contagious and life threatening illness for baby RES. Read here. ---> http://redearslider.com/index_health_2.html

[grey goose]

He seems awfully young to be shedding like that. It could be mineral deposits. How hard or soft is the water in your area?

[Rocky YBS]

if your turt is shedding,
dont be suprised if the shell pattern doesnt look the same as before.
my turt used to be green and yellow and black.
and a year later he was black with what looks like red flames(3)on each side of the shell.
he looks so beautifull!
im not 100% sure that it was due to shedding.
nuffin too worrie about.

[marisa]

How long have you had him? Has he grown noticeably since you've gotten him?

It doesn't really look like mineral deposits to me, but you could check by putting a little white vinegar on a q-tip and rubbing some of the white area---does it come off? If it doesn't it's not mineral deposits.

You said you're not sure if you have a UVB light and whatever light you have you've been using for over a year. Even if the bulb is a UVB light, at over a year it's past it's useable life (even though it's still lighting up, there's virtually no UVB rays being emitted)---regular UVB lights should be replaced at around 6 months.

Does your turtle bask that you know of? I'd get a UVB light and put it over the basking area next to the heat light (you need both---use a regular lightbulb for the heat). Get a thermometer and make sure the basking area is 88-90F. Get a water heater as well, while you're at it. I think a good part of the problem is the lighting he has or hasn't been basking under.

[Boris]

He basks every day, but Im pretty sure it's just a heat lamp. I'm getting a UVB light tomorrow.
I have a question though. Why do I have to make sure that the water and basking area are a certain temperature +/- a couple degrees? In the turtle's natural habitat the temperature fluctuates much more than that every day.

[DavidY]

This is my personal take on it (no scientific analysis here, purely conjecture).
In the wild turtle's have much stronger immune systems (totally natural healthy diet/environment), stronger healthier bodies (plenty of exercise/freedom), and less stressful lives (free to follow their natural instincts without constant interference from giants).

Their environment, although quite variable from day to day, is also much grander than in captivity and any changes occur very gradually. Especially in the pond, a couple of millions of gallons of water takes a long time just to change by 1 degree in temperature. All this gives the turtle a lot of freedom to thermoregulate their body temperatures (which is one of the primary functions of basking).

Now in captivity, as much as we love our turtles and do our best to provide them a healthy happy home, they are still subject to tremendous amounts of stress, especially the babies. Changes in temperature, lighting, water chemistry, all take place within minutes or seconds (lights on! lights off!). As soon as the turtle defecates, the ammonia level in his immediate surroundings shoots up. In the relatively tiny aquarium, the temperature is the same no matter where the turtle swims to. On the basking platform, there's usually not enough room for the turtle to choose the spot with just the right temperature.

Therefore, if the basking platform is too warm, the turtle's body will heat up fairly quickly, running the risk of overheating. If he needs to cool off, he jumps in the water, but what if he is overheated and needs to cool off faster? In a pond he can swim deeper and dig in the mud where it's probably 10 degrees cooler than at the surface.

If the basking platform is too cool, the turtle will not want to come out of the nice warm water to bask. But having the basking platform at an optimal temperature (being about 10 to 15 degrees warmer than the water) will entice the turtle to bask and to take his time warming up. Meanwhile, he can relax from all the stress of captivity and dry off his shell nicely.

Just some musing over your question.

[SpotsMama]

I agree with the above.

[marisa]

In addition to getting a UVB light, really try to get him to eat more than just bloodworms. His diet isn't balanced and an unbalanced diet will affect his health (including the condition of his shell) as well.

[Boris]

This is my personal take on it (no scientific analysis here, purely conjecture).
In the wild turtle's have much stronger immune systems (totally natural healthy diet/environment), stronger healthier bodies (plenty of exercise/freedom), and less stressful lives (free to follow their natural instincts without constant interference from giants).

Their environment, although quite variable from day to day, is also much grander than in captivity and any changes occur very gradually. Especially in the pond, a couple of millions of gallons of water takes a long time just to change by 1 degree in temperature. All this gives the turtle a lot of freedom to thermoregulate their body temperatures (which is one of the primary functions of basking).

Now in captivity, as much as we love our turtles and do our best to provide them a healthy happy home, they are still subject to tremendous amounts of stress, especially the babies. Changes in temperature, lighting, water chemistry, all take place within minutes or seconds (lights on! lights off!). As soon as the turtle defecates, the ammonia level in his immediate surroundings shoots up. In the relatively tiny aquarium, the temperature is the same no matter where the turtle swims to. On the basking platform, there's usually not enough room for the turtle to choose the spot with just the right temperature.

Therefore, if the basking platform is too warm, the turtle's body will heat up fairly quickly, running the risk of overheating. If he needs to cool off, he jumps in the water, but what if he is overheated and needs to cool off faster? In a pond he can swim deeper and dig in the mud where it's probably 10 degrees cooler than at the surface.

If the basking platform is too cool, the turtle will not want to come out of the nice warm water to bask. But having the basking platform at an optimal temperature (being about 10 to 15 degrees warmer than the water) will entice the turtle to bask and to take his time warming up. Meanwhile, he can relax from all the stress of captivity and dry off his shell nicely.

Just some musing over your question.

Thanks. That definetely makes a lot of sense. Your input motivates me to get the heater asap.

Oh and as an update, his shell is returning to the normal color, so it mighthave been mineral deposits. I attached a piece of cuttle-bone to the tank and it fell in last week so maybe the calcium in the water stuck to his shell.

[SpotsMama]

Glad he's doing better.

On the cuttlebone, it's actually a good idea to leave them in the tank. They float and the turtles nibble on them as they feel the need for calcium. You can also put a piece of cuttlebone in a veggie clip and position it just below the surface of the water. That holds the bone stable so the turtle can get a better grip on it.

Very good for your turtle!