General Care Discussion :: What age do RES start to shed their skin and shute?

[Mattie and Tattie]

I have a hatchling approx. 4 cm length. Seems to be doing well...eats, active and now just seems to be basking (it's been at least a week).

I'm not sure it she is starting to shed or fungus. It won't come off with a gentle brush. Although I am finding "flakes" of something floating in the aquarium that looks like skin.

I've started to feed our RES and Cooter in a separate water supply then the aquarium to keep it cleaner.

I'm just curious if this is shedding or fungus because she hasn't been basking alot!

Our Cooter is doing wonderful and loves to bask, although she tends to eat the veggies and her sister (RES) likes the pellets!

Thanks

[emma]

Do you have any pictures of the shell? That would be more helpful for us to decide what is the matter.

[Mattie and Tattie]

At the moment I don't have picture but I will take one and try to post. Stay tuned...

[Mattie and Tattie]

Ok I have a picture - I'm new and I don't know how to post a picture... any ideas?

[emma]

Go to www.photobucket.com and sign up there. Then download your pictures there and when they are done downloading, look on the right side of the picture after you click on it and there are 4 links you can copy and paste. Pick the link that is the last of the 4. Then paste it here and the picture will show up. There is also a sticky on this somewhere explaining how to post pictures.

[Mattie and Tattie]

Thank you

[Mattie and Tattie]

Ok let's hope there is photo here!

[SpotsMama]

If you rub on the white parts of the shell with a q tip dipped in vinegar, does any of the white come off? Did the shell have that whitish look when you got her or is it very recent?

On the skin in the water, it's normal for them to shed some but heavy shedding is usually a sign of water temperatures that are a bit too warm. What's the water temp in her tank? Be sure and measure it with a thermometer - you can't tell water temp by how it feels. On occasion, a heavy skin shed is a sign of skin infection but the most likely cause is warm water.

[Mattie and Tattie]

I will try the vinegar... does it need to be diluted? The white spots weren't there when we got her 3 weeks ago and this am it looks like it is spreading to the marginals but only on one side of her shell.

The water temperature is 27C-31C.

[TobyTurtleMama]

Our RES started shedding when he was a bout a month old. It was a lot too, there was the transparent wispy skin coming off and we saw some pieces in the water too. Eventually it stopped with in a few weeks, we put a water softner in and also went easier on the chemicals that are supposed to break down the poop and keep the tank cleaner.

I have heard that it is fairly normal when they are that young to go through a major skin shedding, maybe a growth spurt?

[Mattie and Tattie]

Thanks for replying. I definitly know that she is shedding but not sure if the markings on her shell are due to her shedding her shutes?

I've also realized that the basking area is too HOT, hence why I haven't seen her out much.

We have a R-Zilla desert series 50 combo dome light and heat lamp 9.5". It has dual switches, one for the heat lamp and the other for UVA/UVB. I need to obviously raise the lamp off the screen top but I have to work out how. I don't want to damage the lights and I can't just put it on anything because it could be a fire hazard.

All the shedding etc could be related to her not basking enough. Other then that she is active, eating well and adjusting to us well.

tanks size is 20 gal with 5" of water in it. Height from lamp to basking area is 6-7".

We have a 250 gal tank to transfer them to... I just thought they were too young to be in such a large tank. May have to move them into it over Christmas?!

[marisa]

How young is too young? If they were wild, they'd have so much space it would make the 250-gallon look like a puddle.