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I'm a new turtle owner and I have two baby RES and I've had them for about tow months now (since late november). One is a boy ( Sparky) and he has been lively and energetic. He eats and plays and swims VERY WELL but doesn't like to bask mainly because i need to get him a new lamp and because the basking area literally sucks. The second turtle HAS A PROBLEM. The girl (Sheila) is overwieght-you can feel the excess fat under her shell and behind her feet-has a weak shell with bended sides to it...., and has gotten slow and lethargic. She doesn't swim very well.... (sorry to say that) and lies around on the nearest piece of land (when i carry her myself because she can't swim) and lays her head and closes her eyes as if she's dead.

My first question is what should I do about the basking area( preferably how to make a whole new one)?

What should I do about the girl turtle?

PLZ HELP ME!!!!! I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH ANY NECCESSARY INFO THAT YOU WILL NEED TO HELP ME OUT....JUST HELP ME SAVE SHEILA!!

Has Sheila behaved this way since you've had her?
Please go to the top of the Urgent Care forum ("Announcement"), cut and paste the questions into your reply and fill it out as best you can....

No, Sheila was lively when I got her, although she looked as if she were shedding. In November 2006 when I got her, she was ok, a month later I think the water became a problem and since I was new the water was kept clean but not warm....a week later after i got her i started making the water warm again and keeping it clean as I had been doing. The winter came in and since i was new to everything I had never known I needed a heater and thats where Sheila must have been badly affected. I don't think so though because SParky survived as if it was nothing and his shell is ok and he is strong and everything.
The point is that Sheila was ok when I got her

Here are the questions:

How big is your turtle? about an inch
How long have you had it? about 2 months

What is the water temperature? 70- 82,sometimes goes lower..... about 65-50... Ive contributed most of my time to keeping it warm so its not cold much anymore. It stays fairly warm in there, enough to live happily

Are you using a water heater? nope, i should have one by february
How much water is in there? 8 or nine gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? no
Are you using any filtration? no, should have one by february

What is the basking temperature? regular
Is there a basking light? no, by february
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? no, i need to create a new one

What kind is it or what is it made out of? floating island made of lego
Is there a UVB light? no,have one by february

What have you been trying to feed it? celery, lettuce, pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? one always eats, the other eats once in a while

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallons, ill buy a bigger tank as they grow
Is the tank near a window? yes but window is always closed and there is an always active heater close by, usually fair temp in the room never too cold or hot
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? it depends, im usually in my room, video games, CPU, TV, food, hanging out..

Have you read the Basic Care section? OF COURSE
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? YES

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? they are all listed in my first post

You need to at the very least get a heater as soon as possible. The temp. swings you describe will definitely make them sick, if it hasn't already. Compared to a vet bill, the lights (heat and UVB), filter and heater are relatively cheap. Turts need stable temps, both water and ambient, a place to "haul out" and bask, and a UVB light for D3, and a filter rated 3x the amount of water in your tank. Young turts are very susceptible to RI (Respiratory Infection) under the conditions you describe.

Yeah, you pretty much don't have anything that RES need, except water. Um, I'm supposing February is gonna be a good month?

You do need to get a correct setup right away. Here's a list of necessary items: http://www.redearslider.com/startup.html

Ok, thanks everyone for the help. And yeah, February is going to be a good month. Sheila got better and Sparky is still very active. I hope Sheila keeps getting better and that Sparky stays healthy. Good luck with your turtles.

You said that the water temperature drops down to 50-65 degrees sometimes? I don't think a turtle can survive for very long in those temperatures. Heaters can be purchased for VERY cheap, meaning $10-$15. I'm sure you can muster up that much money (i.e. roman noodles for dinner/6 pc. chicken nuggets are now on the dollar menu) Right now it's winter and I fear that your turtles are going through a lot of stress. If the temperatures are fluxuating that much, by no means are your turtles living happily. Like everyone else said, buy a heater ASAP, meaning now...

50 - 65??? Man, I didn't even notice that part, I just read the first temps. When it's 50 in there your turts are REALLY miserable. plz buy a heater or your begging to give them pneumonia.

50-65? Even 70 is way too cold!!!

"Ive contributed most of my time to keeping it warm so its not cold much anymore. It stays fairly warm in there, enough to live happily" -okay... what are you doing without a heater? And whatever it is, it isnt good enough, they are gonna get sick.. and thats probably what she is so slow and lethargic... she probably wants to hibernate in that kind of temperature. Why would you think they are happy in that kind of temperature?