General Care Discussion :: Brownish fuzz on shell

[tinytotyu]

There is some brown fuzzy algae-looking stuff on my turtle's shell. It's all over the shell but most of it is on the edges. It's a hatchling, about 2 inches long. Can anyone tell me what this stuff is? I am able to clean it off by wiping it gently with a washcloth but it comes back after a week.

[SpotsMama]

Underneath the brown fuzzy is healthy looking shell? Why don't you try washing his shell with Hibiclense (a hand wash for humans that you can get from places like Walgreens) or Betadine. You can scrub it very gently with a soft toothbrush. Take care not to get any around his face or eyes. After you've cleaned it and rinsed it, let him dry completely for around 45 minutes before putting him back in his tank.

Usually algae grows when there's too many nutrients (or nitrates) in the water. How large is your turtle's tank, how much water is in it and how often do you change the water? What kind of filter do you have?

What about his basking? Does he bask regularly in a place where he can completely dry off - top and bottom - and under a good light?

[steve]

Can you post a pic? Can it be wiped off?

[marisa]

Welcome to the forum. A picture would be helpful, but since you say it can be wiped off with a washcloth but comes back in about a week, I'm wondering about your set-up.

How big is the tank?
How much water is in it?
Do you have a filter?
How often do you change the water and clean the tank?
Does anything else get this brown fuzz on it? The basking area? Rocks?