General Care Discussion :: dark shell?

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:36 pm   dark shell?

still a newbie turtle owner with yet another question. After 4 weeks the turtles are doing fine and getting ready to move to their new 115 gallon home. My question is on their shells. The tops seem real dark to me without a lot of color. Is this normal? I have notice the larger of the two has shedd a little since we have had him. Thanks, this site is real helpful.
cudamank
 
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Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:45 pm   

What size are the turtles? They are bright green when they hatch and as they age they get darker until when they are grown they can be very dark - olive or brown or almost black.
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SpotsMama
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Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:11 pm   

Are the turtles 4 weeks old? I don't think after 4 weeks the shell become dark. Is the blackness in only one area, then it may be shell rot. I'd reccomend that you give them cuttlebone so there shell stays healthy. How many turtles do you have?
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Kallistos
 
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Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:43 pm   

I have two turtles. We just got them about 4weeks ago. The larger colombo is about 6" long shell length and the smaller, biggie, is about 4" long shell.
1 Black Lab Sampson 1 Beagle, Cougar , 1 Lab/Shepard Rexy
8 RES Colombo and Biggie, Tiny, Cecil, and the gang of 4 in their new 700 gallon home
1 Angelfish
2 Australian Rainbows
5 Tiger Barbs
2 plecos, 30 Neons, 2 swordtails
In 135 gallon tank
cudamank
 
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Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:49 pm   

Well, they're way more than 4 weeks old! They're old enough to have darkened considerably. Are their shells the same color as when you got them? Are they blotchy or pretty uniform?
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Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:12 pm   

Image

Here is a photo just minutes old. The old shell was a lot darker, there is more color where he has shed.
1 Black Lab Sampson 1 Beagle, Cougar , 1 Lab/Shepard Rexy
8 RES Colombo and Biggie, Tiny, Cecil, and the gang of 4 in their new 700 gallon home
1 Angelfish
2 Australian Rainbows
5 Tiger Barbs
2 plecos, 30 Neons, 2 swordtails
In 135 gallon tank
cudamank
 
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Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Location: Fresno, CA

Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:14 pm   

Looks beautiful!
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SpotsMama
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Post Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:27 pm   

Looks perfectly normal and with their size they are older turtles so their shell, as others have said, will be darker.
Carol
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cam722
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