litefoot wrote:Sorry to hear you got mis-information from the previous owner. Observing is good and recognizing problem's also good. Most all can be corrected in time. What I would do first is read all the sticky's above each topic and any comments that go along with them to have a better understanding of what's needed. Even take notes and any questions we will be here for the both of you.
Also another very good read : http://www.redearslider.com/
litefoot wrote:Hard for me to tell in that photo. Having him total dry with a better picture may help. Getting the tank and keeping it clean to prevent infections is a start.
Normally mineral deposits , bacterial , fungal infections come in patches. You say peeling off shell. Is it thin like sunburn or more like a wax paper , possible a little shedding going on. Shell has some algae on it to. Put your boy somewhere safe on a table and hold him in place with an old towel loosely to control him. Have a bowel of clean warm water and a old soft toothbrush. Gently brush the shell have a paper towel to wipe as you do this , if any shell is peeling off do not "pull" it off it will hurt him. You can very gently try to lift with your finger nail and if it pop's off ok , Never pull , may have some shedding going on . Clean him up some and lets see what's there. Here's a good read on peeling , only has a couple pictures but it a good read : http://www.turtleholic.com/turtle-shell-peeling/
Also these questions will be needed help , copy / paste them here and try to answer with more than a yes or no . Like type size wattage (%) :
viewtopic.php?t=2142
Phikicheli wrote:litefoot wrote:Hard for me to tell in that photo. Having him total dry with a better picture may help. Getting the tank and keeping it clean to prevent infections is a start.
Normally mineral deposits , bacterial , fungal infections come in patches. You say peeling off shell. Is it thin like sunburn or more like a wax paper , possible a little shedding going on. Shell has some algae on it to. Put your boy somewhere safe on a table and hold him in place with an old towel loosely to control him. Have a bowel of clean warm water and a old soft toothbrush. Gently brush the shell have a paper towel to wipe as you do this , if any shell is peeling off do not "pull" it off it will hurt him. You can very gently try to lift with your finger nail and if it pop's off ok , Never pull , may have some shedding going on . Clean him up some and lets see what's there. Here's a good read on peeling , only has a couple pictures but it a good read : http://www.turtleholic.com/turtle-shell-peeling/
Also these questions will be needed help , copy / paste them here and try to answer with more than a yes or no . Like type size wattage (%) :
viewtopic.php?t=2142
His shell is peeling almost like wax paper.
steve wrote:I do see a lot of growth, not sure about the pyramiding. Cut down the pellets to maybe 1/4 the size of their head once a day. Make sure he gets some veggies, red leaf lettuce is very good.
Most indoor RES require the same basics, just scaled differently for their age/size.
Since you have a male, he probably won't get much larger. He's already pretty big... but you can start thinking about putting together his "forever" home. You need to think about a large tank (75 or 90 gallons) or something equivalent that can safely hold water (like a stock tank). After that, you can get a filter/heater appropriate for the tank size.
All RES should have a basking platform, a basking lamp and a UVB source.
You will want to remove those small rocks... anything smaller than the size of his head.
litefoot wrote:A year or two ...? Could maybe make some of what you have useable for now.
First we going to fill tank ( 20) gallons and your new canister filter must have a rating for an 80 gallon tank. YES and one that's three staged ,mechanical , chemical , biological ! Myself I would go larger . Turtles are messy and with only 20 galons of water will be hard for you to control water parameters with a turtle that size! Turtles need 3-5x's filtration than a fish !!! Filters that come with media is for fish , you need to set it up for a turtle see here : viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145
Second Go to a dollar store get a laundry hamper that will fit on top of tank safely , lay it on one side you now have walls ceiling and floor for basking area ,secure it to tank. Take your basking platform and attach it to the hamper for a ramp. Make a fence or wall , a shield around top of tank since its full so turtle can't climb out. You now have a simple "ATBA" for about $3. If you are good with DIY projects make one as fancy as you want. Just google for images for ideas .
Third get rid of those rocks , will make it easier to clean tank and protect turtle from eating them causing a blockage ! That inside tank filter is not of use and takes to much room for swimming , put it in the closet. When you get new filter remove turtle to a container and break down tank all the way. Clean everything! properly fill tank run filter for about half a day ( make sure you have carbon in filter) then turtle goes in. Set light up to shine in that ATBA to get correct temps and distance !
Note : you have "a" light ...what type and kind ? You need both UVA and UVB for a healthy turtle !
You have a lot of algae in tank and on turtle is setup by a window ?
In a tank that small you must do maintenance once a week , that includes 20-30% water changes (yes every week ) along with filter cleaning (yes every week) . Never change all the water at one time unless an illness is present.
You can get a hamper type basket and build the wall / shield have it done now with the 100% break down of you tank today. When you get a good filter then just add it. That filter you have now will never work to have a good and healthy tank !
Did you clean up turtle with a toothbrush. Would be good to see whats really going on ! Have you read the links ?
Hopefully you keep in mind you need a larger tank ! Turtles need for every inch of shell 10 gallons water alone plus basking area to have a healthy turtle and be able to control water parameters !
litefoot wrote:When you go to habitat - indoors before you click on your post look a few lines up and will see "round icons" //those are the informational sticky's. They on each page under all topics.
You will need a double fixture or another single // A regular Florescent is NO good ! A regular "incandescent" bulb could work for UVA , about 60 watts (the heat) BUT a UVB is a special bulb https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-25156-Re ... s=uvb+bulb
UVB come in all type and styles and (%'s) but keep it simple for now with a 5% UVB that's good for turtles!
Cleaned up well , he look's much better , the pyramiding not that bad but may make the shedding hard for him. Just don't pull any scutes off let it happen over time.
Google "turtle ATBA" and see under images for ideas. It's up to you how simple or extravagant you want it. From the plastic laundry hamper to a milk crate material like you see in stores , something like that for under $3-8 plus material for shields around tank (say Plexiglas) or something for safety. Your dad may have a storage container in garage that would fit on top of the tank. Really anything could work and you could dress it up to look better.
Please remember the filter needs to be rated for 80 gallon for that 20 gallons of water for a turtle !
That old 10 gallon save it , may need it for a quarantine tank or could use it for a dry dock down the road.
You could also do this : make a Plexiglas shield around all the top rim about 10"-12" high ( so he can't climb over) and just raise the floating ramp top the very top if you can't find a laundry hamper to fit top rim. This may be the fastest and easiest. Measure twice and cut once then glue all done ! Have it sit in the top rim and that will hold it in place or you can secure it any way you want. You could make the sides and back wood and just the front Plexiglas.
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