General Care Discussion :: Is his shell ok?

[pavinder]

Hi,

I'm wondering if someone could offer advice.

My 2 year-old turtle (about 10cm long now) lives happily in a 50cm tank, in about 15cm of water with a big platform for him to climb out and bask. He only gets about 3 hours of sun a day in his tank so I take him outside and he gets about 12 hours of sunlight a week there on my balcony. His water is heated at 26 degrees, the tank has a filter and I clean the tank/refresh the water about every 2 weeks.

I feed him every 2-3 days. He eats a lot so I give him a couple of days rest in between feedings. He eats a mix of vegetables and protein, but is picky with vegetables. Likes pumpkin, red pepper, tomatoes but doesn't like anything green. He eats about 75% protein at the moment, mainly fresh salmon fillets and tofu (his favorite).

He has plenty of energy and usually loves basking outside in the sun, but recently when I take him outside he gets quite frantic and struggles in the small tank (30cm) that I put him in. Also, I'm a bit concerned about his shell. As he is my first turtle, I'm not sure if his shell is ok or not.

He doesn't seem to be shedding as much as when he was smaller, and I can see bubbles of air under his scutes where they haven't yet fallen off. His shell has been like this for quite a few weeks. As he swims I can only see a few bubbles, but when he is dry (see photos) it seems like almost all his shell has brown edges as if the shedding isn't happening properly.

Please could someone reassure me or advise what I should do if there is a problem?

Thanks in advance.

images:

[papoopeepoo]

Your turtle might be a female. You'll know for sure in the next 6 months or so, I presume.

His/her shell has a nice shape to it, and the discoloration doesn't look like an fungus I'm familiar with after researching treatment for my own turtle. Most likely, she just needs a good shed. You can safely cut back the protein in her diet to about 50%, while the other 50% should be veggies and some fruits. Vitamin E and calcium can help to promote shell shedding. Two great sources of calcium include quality pellets and cuttlebone. Vitamin E can be found in blueberries, which most turtles will love.

The feeding frequency is fine.

Do you have a UVB bulb for the tank, or are you relying on the sun to bring light and heat to her tank inside? If so, I need to inform you that the proper amounts and ranges of light are blocked by windows and the aquarium glass during the trip inside. The ultra-violent ranges of light need to reach our turtles' shell to stimulate appetite, create Vitamin D, and metabolize calcium. The majority of UV light is blocked by even the thinnest glass, and even metal screen. The few hours of pure sunlight she receives every week is invaluable, but the correct lighting, or something very close, should be available to her whenever she wants to bask.

[pavinder]

Thanks for the reply Chris.

A female? Wow, it will be hard to start calling him "her" after 2 years!

I don't use a UVB bulb as from my research it seemed that the time on the balcony would be enough for his/her UVB needs. I was reading that half an hour of direct sun a day is enough, so 12 hours a week is well more than this. He/she does have a warm, light spot and I use a heating lamp in winter for more warmth when it's cold.
But if you think this is insufficient and that more UVB is definitely necessary, I shall make sure I get something immediately.

[steve]

She definitely needs to shed. What's her diet like?

[turtlegirl13]

I recently bought a 50 cent piece size hatchling. It's shell is soft around the outside and I'm worried that it's not normal and I don't want my turtle to die. It has a 10 gallon tank with plenty of basking area and it spends a lot of time on the rock sleeping I've noticed. Help!

[steve]

It's normal for the shell of a hatchling to be pliable but you do need to make sure you have all the basics doe correctly. http://www.redearslider.com/startup.html

[Into_the_Mystic]

Do you give him/her greens daily? I have read that it's o.k for them to eat vegtables like lettuce everyday.

I have a yearling and he eats pellets every-other-day and lettuce, carrots (various times) daily. Sometimes I skip the lettuce on his pellet days though.

Cuttlebone is given chopped up a couple times a week.

[turtlegirl13]

My turtle died :'( after I bought all of the things on this site that are good for them. He died either yesterday or today... I'm sad

[steve]

I'm sorry to hear it