Urgent Care :: Back of shell by the tail, soft.

[reptileman]

The other day I picked up my turtle and the very back of the shell, around the rim, is very soft, you can move it with your finger. What should I do? Any known problems?

[jenaero]

How old is he? It is normal for a hatchling to have a fairly soft shell. If he's an older turt, make sure he has uvb and calcium every day because he might have the onset of MBD (metabolic bone disease), often referred to as soft shell.

What is your setup like? Tank size? Filtration? Lighting/heat?

The more info you give us, the better equipped we'll be to help you.

Jen

[reptileman]

I'm not really sure how old he is. My cousin gave him to me. He is in an outside tank, 10 gallon. I have a little pump that pulls everything into the gravel. Other than that, I thought everything was ok. I believe he's a little over a year. Pretty small.

[jenaero]

a 10 gallon isn't really big enough. Read thru all the "sticky"s on the forum. They should answer any questions you have. Feel free to ask away after filling your head with all that valuable info