A baby red eared slider found her way to our front porch a few weeks ago. She was looking pretty rough out in the hot sun so we took her in to help get her strength up. She has a large aquarium with floating dock and basking lamp. She has eaten a couple live minnows along with a variety of pellets and treats. When we found her, she had white areas on her shell and I want to make sure that we are treating them properly. I'm attaching images here. I believe the edge of shell might just be the scutes shedding, however directly in the center there is a very visible white area when she's dry. I've been applying coconut oil with a drop of tea tree oil to her shell every few days using a soft tooth brush and it seems to be helping a bit. Not sure if it's just something that's going away on its own or if this really is directly helping. Pics I'm posting are from Monday and I did see improvement when I took her out today (didn't manage pics today but I can get some next time she's out - she's sleeping at the moment haha)
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GENERAL QUESTIONS/ANSWERS:
How big is your turtle? Teeny tiny - just larger than a raspberry
How long have you had it? 3 weeks
What is the water temperature? I don't have a thermometer for the water. We keep the house around 73-76 degrees and she's indoors. Doesn't seem sluggish and eats well - I read lack of appetite and slowing down are signs water may be too cold.
Did you use a thermometer? No
Are you using a water heater? No
How much water is in there? She's in a 20 gallon aquarium - water is 3-inches high
Are you using a water conditioner? I have been giving her calcium powder on her treats that also is supposed to condition the water.
Are you using any filtration? No, I change the water every 1-2 days as soon as it gets a little cloudy. It stays nice and fresh for her.
What is the basking temperature? I'm not sure
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? It's the kind that sticks with suction cups to the side of tank and floats up/down with the water level on rods.
Is there a UVB light? Yes
What have you been trying to feed it? She has eaten 2 minnow (and befriended 1 haha). Tried giving her "Fluker's Turtle Diet" pellets but she wasn't into it. She is into "Tetra ReptoMin Baby Floating Food Sticks" & LOVES "Turtle Chasers Floating Treats" - I roll these in calcium powder for her.
When was the last time your turtle ate? Today, maybe an hour ago. She eats well and has been going to the bathroom fine.
How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? She's in a 20 gallon aquarium - water is 3-inches high.
Is the tank near a window? Not directly, but her area does get indirect light when the blinds are all open. I also bring her outside for a little every so often.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Yes
Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes, all the pics of turtles look so different. I want an answer specific to my little turtle to make sure there's nothing else I should be doing to help her.
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No, she's a bit scared and not used to us still. But I figure that's normal. She does let us hold her and likes to run from one hand to the next. Overall her behavior seems normal for a turtle, just worried about her shell.
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