Urgent Care :: Discoloration! HELP!

[maymie]

Her shell appears to be brown with a lot of green dots. This picture was taken after I cleaned her shell. Is it infected? Normal?

She has a great filter, with a good water heater, she has a dock that she lays on daily, her tank is near the sliding glass door which we leave open during the day so she can have some sun, and we also use water conditioner.

We feed her the reptomin everyother day. She refused to eat lettuce or anything like that.

Help!









I just noticed that the sides of her shell look pink, which is due to the camera and the reflection of my fingers I believe, because her shell isnt pink =)

[Starchick]

My guess is that she's getting ready to shed, and there's algae trapped under the top layer of her shell. It's tough to tell from a picture but it looks like normal algae to me.

[maymie]

How long does it take for them to shed? As in, how long is the process? Its looked like she was about to shed for awhile now.

[Starchick]

It depends on the age of the turtle as well as their living conditions. If the only heat and uvb light she's getting is from the sun, you need to make some upgrades. The only way sunlight will benefit her is if it is unfiltered, ie, it can't be coming through glass or a screen, as this filters out all the beneficial uvb rays. It's also dangerous to have a tank in direct sunlight because while the dock may be getting warm enough, it's probably overheating her water too (which could contribute to algae overgrowth). You're better off to get a basking lamp (a 5 dollar clamp lamp at the hardware store and a 50 cent incandescent lightbulb will do it) and keep the tank out of the sun. Most keepers also use special fluorescent bulbs that give off uvb rays (Reptisun 5.0 is great). If you can't afford a uvb bulb, you can take your turtle outside for a few minutes every day if it's warm enough where you are, but a bulb is going to be a safer and more consistent source.

Correcting those things will probably make a big difference. That said, adult turtles shed anywhere from 1-3 times a year. I think there are some much older turtles on here that only shed every couple years. I've had mine for about a year and a half, and they've each shed once and are all in the process of shedding again.

Also, you really need to keep pushing the vegetables. Pellets alone aren't a complete diet. Reptomin is an excellent staple, but turtles need a variety of vegetables and plants to get a wide range of nutrients. Turtles can be picky eaters, but don't give up, eventually she'll get used to them.

[maymie]

Oops, i forgot to mention she has a lamp. Its a clip lamp with just a normal bulb from petco called a heating bulb? I think... her dock is not in direct sunlight... just the corner of her tank.

I got the impression that was better, but I guess I was wrong, haha. Ive heard that turtles love araknis, or whatever it is. I keep trying to get some, but the pet stores sell out very quickly, they told me to come back tomorrow.

Thank you for the info

[marisa]

She looks like she needs to shed and there is algae trapped under the edges of the scutes that are starting to lift (which is why they look whitish). If you can let her do some basking outside (if it's warm enough) that would do wonders for her shell.

[Bascomb]

Yep -- I would do away with the sun light. It would be great if the sun light got to your turtle but it doesn't. It will increase the algae and cause more problems. Check the water temp and keep it at about 75 to 78 degrees using a heater. The next time you clean the shell off use a soft tooth brush and some table salt in warm water. Make it quick as they don't like it. b.

[Bascomb]

PS. -- Your res looks like it has a little southern painted in it.

[maymie]

Thanks for the great tips!

We have a small balcany (we live upstairs) so I was told by my boss that what she does with her turtles is get a little kiddy pool, put some water in it, let it sit in the sun so it warms up, than puts them in it along with some stuff to hide under to get away from the sun.

Would it be a good idea to get a small tub and do the same on the balcony? I'm honestly not home enough iduring the daylight to get her downstairs in the grass... plus theres always dogs and cats out there.

[megcornell]

As long as you can supervise her that would be fine. Just keep an eye on the temps and make sure she doesn't get too warm and that she can't escape.

[marisa]

Make sure she can't get out of the tub and fall off the balcony. How big a tub are you planning to put her in?