Urgent Care :: Shedding or Fungus?

[Rattie]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, sorry if it's not. I'm new to the site and pretty new to RES care. I got my baby a month ago (September 1 to be exact.) after doing research for a few months. A few days ago I noticed some whitish film coming off of him. I thought he might be shedding but it's still there. I don't know what a shedding turtle looks like but I know the "film/skin" stuff is thinner than my Leopard Gecko's skin when they shed. I haven't tried pulling any off because well...I don't want to hurt him. I know you shouldn't peel a reptiles skin and I doubt turtles are an exception.

Here is the forum...

How big is your turtle? Around 5in

How long have you had it? A month

What is the water temperature? Like 78 degrees F

Did you use a thermometer? Yes

Are you using a water heater? No

How much water is in there? Like 9in deep and it's a 55G long

Are you using a water conditioner? Yes

Are you using any filtration? Yes, a canister filter that pumps through 175G per hour.

What is the basking temperature? Not sure. My guess is around 85-90 degrees F. (What it feels like when I place my hand under it.)

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? I have a place where he can climb on to rocks where he is in around 2in of water but under a basking light and another place where he is totally out of the water on a "turtle dock" (Not sure what it's made of, I got it from Petco.) under a basking light.

Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? He gets Guppies (Bred and raised by me for generations with no diseases.) and HBH Turtle Bites. I've been trying to get him to accept fresh fruits/veggies but he refuses to touch them. :/ I offer him F/V even though he refuses them. He also has some aquatic plants in his tank but he wont touch them or at least I haven't noticed anything different about them. He also has a cuttlebone in his tank where he bask to eat for extra calcium.

When was the last time your turtle ate? Mmm...Around 3 or 4pm I think? I don't feed my animals at the same time each day so they don't get dependent on being fed at a certain time.

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 55G long but I plan to upgrade him when he gets bigger.

Is the tank near a window? No

Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? I'm the only person who goes in, on weekends my boyfriend comes in to help me go through all my animal care from Friday to Sunday but thats it.

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes

Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes but I couldn't find any post that seemed like my situation.

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Nope, he's active, eats well and doing his normal thing.

[emma]

My turtle is around 1.5 inches and she was just shedding all around her neck. It was about 1 week before everything came off. Could you take pictures?

[marisa]

From what you wrote, it sounds like it could be shedding. Is it wispy and can you see it when he's in the water but not really when he's basking? If so, and if it's only been there a few days and your RES appears healthy, I wouldn't worry. Have you noticed the film on his legs or tail at all?

I would, however, check the temp of the basking area with a thermometer, not just your hand. What feels OK to you make not be for your RES. Stick a thermometer where your RES basks (on an object the height of your RES would be even better) and leave it there for about 20 min. and check it (88-90F would be good). Temps that are too high, especially the basking area, can encourage shedding. Given the size (shell length, I'm assuming) of your turtle, you could probably drop the water temp a degree or two as well.