Urgent Care :: Is this bad?

[Lizxs]

I have had my red eared slider for about 3 weeks now and i have noticed changes in its shell just recently. During the first week I noticed a goldish color on it. Just today I noticed that there was even more gold up the turtles back. I decided to take a picture of it really see how it looks since my turtle does not stay still. Once I took a picture it looked way different with the flash on and I'm worried because I see black spots. Also towards the turtle's tail the scutes look sharp, for lack of a better term. My turtle seems to be eating normal. He does bask for quite some time. I don't have a screen cover, I don't know if that matters. Also I change his water once a week and I do condition the water. We do have a water filter as well. does this look bad to anyone? Should I be worried??

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[steve]

The goldish color is just a developing air pocket, indicating that it will shed. Those black spots are somewhat normal as some dark areas develop as growth occurs.

You might be slightly overfeeding and there is a bit of algae on the shell. How long does he bask for? Does he have a UVB light?

[Lizxs]

Thank you for responding so quickly. I do feed him 2-3 times a day because when I'm feeding my fish (separate tank) he thinks I'm giving him food, so I end up actually giving him some too. I did try to brush the algae off with a toothbrush but wasn't very successful. Is there anything else I can try? He usually basks for 8-10 hours, depending how long I'm at work. I did get him a uvb light recently so I use that. Is a screen cover necessary?

[steve]

It should come off with light brushing, but I wouldn't try anything aggressive at this point.

A tight screen might block some of the UVB and screen is only really necessary if you have other pets that might want to get in or you have a high water level that might aid in escape.