Urgent Care :: Turtle shedding? is it normal?

[rocky2007]

Turtle shedding? is it normal?

[rocky2007]

Please help........

[Hoooneylynn]

Turtles normally shed their skin and shells.. Excessive shedding could be due to overfeeding or too warm of water. It sorta looks like cobwebs hanging from the arms, legs, and neck. Dont worry, its normal. But, if it happens all the time, it could be a sign of overfeeding. Check the water temp.. it should be 75-78 degrees. The shell sheds less often than the skin, maybe one in a couple years. It takes a few months for it to shed and it happens gradually.

[rocky2007]

thank you, they belong to my grandaughter and now Im taken care of them, i dont know anything...................

[rocky2007]

what happens if water is to cold ( 70 ) I dont have a heater yet..........

[megcornell]

They run a risk of getting lung problems like respiratory infections. Turtles are cold blooded and cannot regulate their body temperature like mammals, so it's important to get a heater as soon as possible

[Hoooneylynn]

I would suggest you buy one REALLY soon. Some only cost $20... turts can get pneumonia... 70 degrees is quite cold, it should be 75-80 degress. Until then, put a blanket over half the tank I guess (make sure air gets in the tank)... Is it possible you could go to like walmart in the next couple days? Do you have the proper lighting turts needs? UVA/UVB lighting? And a basking area? What size tank do you have?

[rocky2007]

I got a 12 gal BIOwheel tank.........

[Hoooneylynn]

how big is your turt? do you have lighting and basking area?

[rocky2007]

not the UVA/UVB lighting? just what came with the tank fluorescent lighting, and yes they have the almostthe whole top of the tank to get out and lsy under the light about 2 inch away from it..........

[rocky2007]

one ver small, about 1 1/4 inch the other is about 3 inches wide..............

[rocky2007]

I just drained the tank and put in clean and warmer water.............im lost at this thing, i need to find them a good home, my grandaugther is to young for them, she is only 5, it was her dad that got them. now I have them got all this stuff so they would have room and now it is not enough
very sad

[Hoooneylynn]

ok, first thing.. you need a much bigger tank. You need 10 gallons per inch of shell per turtle..Turts can grow 9-12 inches, depending on the sex. That equallys about 250 gallons if they are females. I know its kind of a shock about how much care they need and how expensive they are! Ive only had my turt for four months, and I've already spent well over $500 but that was my choice and my responsibility... You will have to expect emergency vet bills that can be quite expensive... You need a basking flood lamp and a uvb lamp. that flourence bulb might get off uvb rays, but those bulbs are usually $30 and are sold seperate from the fixture. The package will tell you how much uvb rays it gives off. Turtles also need a basking platform to climb up under the basking and uvb bulbs. They need to completely dry their shell out frequently, otherwise they may develop bone disease. If you do decide to find them a different home, dont release them in the wild because they WILL die. Also, make sure the 5 year old isnt handeling them. They are known to carry salmonela which can be passed on to anyone, hand washing is very important. Also, a 5 year old may not know how to hold a turt, they are very strong and can jump out of an adults hand, let alone a child. So its very stressful to the turt as well. I wish you luck, if you decide to keep the turt, all of us on this forum are willing to help you, so dont feel alone. If you feel like you want to get rid of them, just find a good home, and dont release them into the wild.

[Muirner]

Rockey - hoooney is right, if you think about it now, it might be cheaper to get rid of it. I know it sucks because it's your granddaughters turtle, but these are not "beginner pets" by any means. Once the setup is stable and proper all should be well. But even then the best of habitats can still yield untimely results.

There are many many places this turtle could go, because unlike fish it wont stay the size of it's habitat. I dont mean to sound negative by any means, i'm just saying. I had 2 baby RES's. I put them in a 55 gal tank, XP3 filter, basking rock, UVA/UVB lighting, closely monitored temps. And i still lost one. My setup is about $600 currently and every trip to the pet store just adds up.... But if you do wish to continue ask away, we will help you provide the perfect home.

[flutterby]

If everyone who had their turtles before they knew the requirements and didn't get the needed tank space right away barely any of us would have them.

Rocky there are a lot of alternatives that you can look into other than giving them away if you wanted to keep them. Example craigslist.com, Rubbermaid containers and stock tanks.

Too bad you live too far south of me.