General Care Discussion :: New Turtle Owner, need a little help

[ksflash]

Hi,
I have owned my turtle for about 3 months. He was given to us by a coworker. He is small, about 2 inches long. Flash is our first turtle so we are learning as we go. I noticed he has been shedding and I read that excessive shedding could be a sign of illness, problem is I dont know what is normal for a turtle his age. Any help would be appreciated.

[da sAUCE!]

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2142

plz answer this questionaire.

[steve]

If he is shedding a lot skin, the water could be too warm and he might not be basking enough. What's the setup like? Water temp, basking temp.. how long does he bask for and what are you using for a basking platform?

[ksflash]

He is in a 10 gallon tank, the water temp is about 79 degrees. I have not had a chance to get a basking light, there is not pet store where I live so I have been using a desk lamp, the bulb is a 40 watt. I have a basking platform that attaches to the tank with suctin cups. He will bask for about 1-2 hours at a time about 3 times a day. This is what I notice when I am home and not at work.

[ksflash]

How big is your turtle? about 2 inches long (shell)

How long have you had it? 3 months

What is the water temperature? 79 Degrees

Are you using a water heater? yes

How much water is in there? as deep as his shell is long (about 1 1/2 gallons)

Are you using a water conditioner? yes

Are you using any filtration? no

What is the basking temperature? unsure

Is there a basking light? desk lamp

Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes

What kind is it or what is it made out of? zoo-med basking platform

Is there a UVB light? no

What have you been trying to feed it? reptomin pellets, freeze dried shrimp and krill

When was the last time your turtle ate? yesterday, appetite is good

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallon

Is the tank near a window? no

Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes

Have you read the Basic Care section? yes

Have you searched the forums for similar situations? no

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? no

[Kallistos]

Drop the water temperature down to 78 degrees if you can. What is the basking temperature? Monitor that also, it should be 88-90 degrees.

The tank should be filled up as high as poissible, you said it has 1.5 gallons in it, which would be only a few inches of water. If his shell is constantly exposed that may cause excessive shedding, and I think overfeeding is another factor.

[ksflash]

I just dropped the temperature of the water. When he is swimming in the water his shell is completely covered so he isnt exposed. I am planning on feeding him some romaine lettuce tonight b/c I read that overfeeding might be it, but I am unsure how much to feed him.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Excessive shedding can be caused by too-warm water temp. Turn it down to about 77. A degree or two can make a huge difference! I know that is one suggestion that helped me a lot with my turt.

Reptomin is good, but the shrimp & krill should only be an occasional treat. The rule of thumb is to feed him the amount of food that would fit into his head as if it were hollow. Offer him the lettuce, but if he doesn't eat it right away don't worry. Some turts take time to get used to new foods.

Regarding a basking lamp, buy off the internet! You don't need a store to buy this. Turtles need both UVA & UVB light. Right now if he has a 40W bulb, he is only getting UVA ("heat"). UVB is important too because it helps a turtle's body digest & use calcium which keeps their eyes healthy & shell/bones hard. The bulb that people seem to like a lot is a Reptisun 5.0 which has both UVA/UVB. And you will need a fixture for a lamp like that (like a clamp lamp fixture which you can get at any hardware store inexpensively).

[ksflash]

I fed him some lettuce last night and he ate it after a while. How often should I give him the pellets , shrimp, and krill? Also, he likes to get on the submersible heater like it is a horse. Could this be contributing to his shedding?

[industrial_girl_2000]

Check out this sticky! Better yet, print it out & post on your fridge at home!

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5

[ksflash]

Thanks for the info. Come to find out, we were drastically overfeeding our poor Flash. He was shedding quite a bit last night. I can't tell how he is today b/c I can only tell how much he is shedding when he is in the water and he is basking right now. I think he is getting better. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks!!!

On a seperate note, Flash was given to us, and before that he was purchased at a flea market. Is there anyway to estimate his age from his size b/c we have no idea how old he is. His shell is about 2-3 inches long.

[Turtle addict]

No way to tell, I have res that are a year old and 3 inches, I also have one that is 6 months and 3 inches. They all grow at different rates.

[ksflash]

Hey Everybody,
I am happy to report that Flash is doing much better. Just in a couple of days his shedding has significantly decreases, he is barely shedding at all. Thanks for all the advice.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Hey Everybody,
I am happy to report that Flash is doing much better. Just in a couple of days his shedding has significantly decreases, he is barely shedding at all. Thanks for all the advice.

Glad to hear it!