General Care Discussion :: help shell discolouration

[SpotsMama]

Does somebody want to comment on that picture of the shell? Doesn't look quite right to me. Should Turtle NZ be doing anything besides improving the habitat?

[flutterby]

To me I think that it looks dried out from the high water temps and the lack of basking with UVB. They could try using a toothbrush and see if that helps but I think time will help more than anything.

[the_orphaned]

If you live in the southern part of the world, dont use water heaters, let the water warm or cool naturally. There's nothing much we can do about the water temperature unless we constantly put ice on the water to cool the temperature. 30C sounds about average for water temperatures on a warm day in the southern part of the equator. Mine right now is at 82F or 28C and its raining here.

Let the water cool to room temperature unless it gets really cold. As for the shell, is the shell soft/mushy? Does he bask often? Do you give him any calcium supplements like cuttlebone? Basking will help him cure the discoloration. Most shell disorders get cured by calcium and basking treatments anyway from my experience.

[turtle_nz]

i've been advised by all the pet shops and vets in town to use heaters, when i say it gets cold here, every day at nite it will b about 5 degrees?? thats as cold as a refrigerator..and our highest today was 15.. its hard to keep a tank at 23-25 degrees with out a heater with ambiant temp that cold.. also its 300L so takes a long time to warm up again once its cold.

he hasn't been basking but with advice from other turtle talk members i thinnk i may have solved that problem.

[steve]

Maintaining water temps is very important and water heaters are relatively inexpensive. The shell looks like it has an infection (could be bacterial, fungal or viral) and should be checked out by a professional.

[turtle_nz]

Maintaining water temps is very important and water heaters are relatively inexpensive. The shell looks like it has an infection (could be bacterial, fungal or viral) and should be checked out by a professional.

vets have told me it is decalcification (took him in to see them on saturday) and they showed me that his shell is also quite soft.
And yes I have had two heaters in the tank (untill saturday when one blew up) to make sure that the temp stays around the same temp all the time.
have made a few changes to his diet and also to his enclosure, hopefully this will help make it better. Also took him outside for some sunshine during the day

[CountryGirl68]

If the vet said it was decalcification and he has a soft shell, once you get the right UVB light and he starts basking regularly, things should clear up.

[cprcheetah]

Glad to hear that you figured out what it was and that you can help him get over it. Did they recommend vitamins?

[turtle_nz]

no they didn't recommend anything other than putting him out int he sun, which is typical.. but i've since invested in some specialty turtle diet suppliments to help him out, cause i don't think the food i have is very good.

everyone on here has been very helpful thank you