Urgent Care :: I need help with my turtle please.

[zero_tails]

Hi, I'm new to these forums and i need assistance with one of my turtles asap. I regularly visit this site and i can say that his is a very nice and helpful community. I have two turtles, a male (Tails) and a female (Zero). Before anything else, I will fill out this questionaire:

How big is your turtle? Zero: 5.25-5.27 inches. Tails: 4.5 inches
How long have you had it? Zero: 1 year and 4 months. Tails: 1 year and two months

What is the water temperature? 82-86 degrees farenheit.
Are you using a water heater? Yes.
How much water is in there? The tank itself is 40-45 gallons, but it is a specialized tank made for turtles. So water vulume is about 20-30 gallons.
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes.
Are you using any filtration? Yes. A big one (penguin 170, handles 30 gallons), and two small ones (iwhisper, each one can handle 15 gallons)

What is the basking temperature?25-28 degrees celcius.
Is there a basking light? Yes.
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? The commercial turtle basking platform.
Is there a UVB light? Yes.

What have you been trying to feed it? Wardley turtle pellets (the nutrition is that of the recommended amount on your main nutrition section) and also vegetables(often).
When was the last time your turtle ate? 2 days ago.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40-45 gallons
Is the tank near a window? No.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Medium

Have you read the Basic Care section? Most of it, yes.
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? I tried, but not as specific as I would like the response to be.

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Frequent basking, less swimming. Less eating and a bit chubby.

Though i also put down some information on Tails, I would like assistance with Zero. She has been basking very frequently, even when the lighting is off. She rarely swims since 2 days ago and hasn't eaten since then. She usually begs for food. I sspected and eye infection, but it doesn't seem present( I still tried by applying a solution of salt and distilled water, just incase.) I also suspected a pregnancy, but i threw that theory away since she is only 1.4 years old. I have posted some pictures to aid the description:

Picture of her crapace:


Close-up:


Picture of her underside:


Front side of her face:


Behind:


Side face shot:


In my opinion, she is not sick. This sudden change in behaviour though has frightened me, so i seek for assistance. Thankyou in advance for any advice.

[megcornell]

Hi ZeroTails, your pics are pretty big so I had a bit of trouble trying to see clearly, but I'll lend my two cents as to what's going on. Zero's eyes don't look irritated to me- also, why would you apply a salt water solution? That seems like it would be an irritant. If you suspect an eye problem you should apply cod liver oil or zoo med drops (use only one- not both- check other posts for which is best for what ailments).
I haven't really seen a gravid female, but it looks like Zero's hind section is swollen. At five inches I suppose she could be laying eggs already- especially if the other turtle is a male and is prompting her repro. cycles. In that case, you're going to need a nesting site (you'll need one eventually anyways). If you want ideas you can search the forum to see what others have used. Basically, you need a large safe area where Zero can dig and lay her eggs- most people use a sand/dirt mix or some sort or mulch from what I remember.
Other than that, Zero looked pretty good to me

Good Luck.

[steve]

Do you mean the water temp is 25-28 C and the basking is 82-86 F? What are you using for a basking lamp? How long is it on for?

Sexual maturity is based on size, not age. It's possible for a 2yr old RES to become gravid. Have you recently added/changed your UVB light?

[zero_tails]

thanks for the insight, i suspected as much. and as for the salt solution...the very first time i got her i was a very neglectful owner. i had her in a crappy plastic terrarium, no filter or heater. no less than a week i found zero on the bottom of the tank, with her eyes closed...she did not respond. i just couldn't believe that she was dead. so i waited and eventually she regained conciousness. i went to a website.....and i had been told that a simple distilled water salt solution would work, and it worked very well. she was well in 1 1/2 days and she regained apetite.

[zero_tails]

o the water is 82-86 F and 25-28 c is basking temp. i havnt changed the basking light recently, im planning to get a new bulb though.

[SpotsMama]

Has she been acting nervous? Have you noticed her kicking with her back legs or making digging motions with her back legs? Has she been acting like she wants out of the tank?

[zero_tails]

o yes, she constantly desires to leave the water.

[SpotsMama]

That's one of the main symptoms when a turtle needs to lay eggs. Here's a link on the subject if you haven't seen it already:

http://www.redearslider.com/reproduction.html

Good luck. keep is posted.

[steve]

The water is also too warm... around 77F (25C) is good... basking should be around 90F (32C).

Is the male pursuing her and fluttering his claws?

[zero_tails]

thanks for the temperature advice (will do). he used to flutter a lot . he hasnt done it lately. and thanks for the link spotsmama, i've read it prior to the post. she does go out of the water frequently and she is very sensitive and nervous, as for digging, she does, sometimes. sometimes when shes in the water, she feels a lil heavy as if something is weighing her down. one thing i also noticed is that her hind legs are out all the time and she hides her front legs frequently since i noticed the changes.

[zero_tails]

here's an update:
she has become extremely sensitive, going near her makes her retreat into her shell. she only uses her legs to travel around water, as if she's really nervous and she hasnt eaten in 3 days.

here are some pics:



Do you think she could still be gravid, or could this be a sickness? i'm also wondering, if i make a nesting are..what type of dirt should i use. is regular potting soil usable, im just not sure. and how exactly does the male fertilize them? Respond asap and give me your insights on this.