General Care Discussion :: Does my turtle shell look ok to you?

[missapril]

I hope this is a good picture. I want to make sure claude's shell is ok.

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[SpotsMama]

There's no pyramiding or metabolic bone disease showing. That's good.

It's kind of hard to see, but it looks like part of the surface of the shell is damaged. Is it rough to the touch, sort of like part of it has been etched away?

Any softness to the shell, or slimey or smelly parts?

When is the last time he/she shed scutes? He may be overdue for a shed.

What about the areas that look white in the photo. Do they look white in real life? Do they show as bright white when he/she's in the water or do they disappear?

[missapril]

There aren't any softness to the shell his shell that really slimy. I don't know when the last time he shed. Those white spots looks like that when he is either in or out of the water when I peel the white spot off the come off. I'm not sure if he has shell rot or mineral disposit.

[marisa]

It looks like there's some algae (green) on the shell. Can you gently clean it (with a very soft brush or at least a soft cloth) and repost when the shell is dry?

If you put some white vinegar on a q-tip and gently rub a little on those white spots, they would come off if it were mineral deposits. From what you wrote about the white spots, though, it's not mineral deposits. DON'T peel the white areas. Shell rot would have an odor, and the areas would be soft.

What kind of basking area does he have? What kind of lighting is being used (heat bulb and a UVB light?)?

[missapril]

I used the vinegar and put it on the shell but the white spots didn't disappear. The basking area just has some rocks he climbs on. I use the light the came with a built in light in the tank. I tried to take a good picture but I guess my camera isn't all that great.
[img][img=http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/883/001z.th.png][/img]

[SpotsMama]

The light bulb probably isn't right. To maintain a healthy shell a turtle must have (among other things) a good UVB light bulb to bask under. The UVB bulbs are only available at the pet store on on-line pet supply place. They come in tube and compact fluorescent forms. The package that the bulb comes in must say UVB on it and give a percentage (like 5% or 5.0). Lots of people are fooled when they see a bulb that says it's UV or UVA or basking bulb or full spectrum bulb - bulbs like that won't do your turtle any good.

If the bulb you are using came with the hood for the tank then it's probably a bulb for a fish tank and isn't doing your turtle any good.

The problem is that turtles have to have UVB light to metabolize the calcium they eat. Without UVB the calcium just goes to waste. Without the calcium turtles get soft shell disease and metabolic bone disease, very serious conditions that will eventually kill the turtle.

Here's where it gets tricky. You must also provide a light bulb for heat. Turtles are motivated to bask by heat. Without a good heat source over the basking area, they won't bask enough and if the turtle doesn't get a chance to dry out completely - top and bottom - frequently, it will develop skin and shell fungus and bacterial infections.

For the heat bulb, most people use a regular household incandescent bulb - 60 or 75 watts is pretty common.

That means there are two bulbs over the tank. Because it's hard to find a hood or canopy on a tank that holds the two types of bulbs the turtle has to have, most people skip the hoods or canopies and use two clamp light fixtures, both of which shine down over the basking platform, one for UVB and one for heat.

[SpotsMama]

How much does your turtle bask? When he basks, does he get to dry off completely, top and bottom?

What does his plastron look like?

The shell does look rather fungusy in the second photo. How long has it been white looking like that? Did it start of dark with just a few white spots that have been spreading and spreading?

[missapril]

My turtle basking once in awhile, not very often. The plastron is ok I guess. When I look at it it looks like it's peeling. The white spots been there for I think 4 or 5 months now and they are still there when the shell is dry. The white spots are only on top of his shell.

[marisa]

What's the temp of the basking area? (Between 88 and 90F is good.) If it's not warm enough or if there's not a big enough difference between the basking area temp and the water temp (needs to be about a 10 degree difference), then a turtle won't want to bask. Check both with a thermometer.

Is the basking area easy to get on? A bunch of rocks to climb on doesn't make the best basking area (and they can be abrasive, which could scrape and injure the shell).

A better basking area and lighting for your turtle to bask under would help his shell.

[jamesrenshaw]

Hi,

I was going to post something similar to the above, my turtles shell looks like that.

I've had my turtle for 2 years, and it's shell seemed to be fine for a while, but recently it's began turning whiter.

It doesn't seem to be mineral deposits, as when I clean the shell (it does get quite a lot of algae on it), it doesn't come off. It's almost as if the green part of the shell has been scraped off, although it's not all of the shell, just around the edges of each scute.

I take pretty good care, and nothing from the above about lighting jumps out at me. I do have a "full spectrum" type light, but it's a repti-glow one, for use with turtles, assures me that it does both UVA and UVB, and the light has never "run out of rays" before I've replaced it.

I've also taken my turtle to a reptile specialist about a month or 2 ago, and they said "it sometimes just happens", they checked him quite thoroughly, and pressed his shell, and they were happy with him.

Was wondering if this has happened to anyone else you might know of?

I can get photos if needed,

Thanks,

[steve]

jamesrenshaw, if it is a golden color, it could just be getting ready to shed. If it is white, spotty or spreading outward, it could be a fungal infection.

[missapril]

What's the temp of the basking area? (Between 88 and 90F is good.) If it's not warm enough or if there's not a big enough difference between the basking area temp and the water temp (needs to be about a 10 degree difference), then a turtle won't want to bask. Check both with a thermometer.

Is the basking area easy to get on? A bunch of rocks to climb on doesn't make the best basking area (and they can be abrasive, which could scrape and injure the shell).

A better basking area and lighting for your turtle to bask under would help his shell.

Oh ok. Yes, I have rocks so my turtle can bask on...I see what you mean

[jamesrenshaw]

Hi,

My turtle has been shedding quite a bit recently, but then it doesn't look very golden to me. It does sound a bit like a fungal infection, but I wouldn't have thought that would be a big problem given I clean the tank regularly and keep the water quality high.

To clarify, there's some images below, if it is a fungal infection, what's the best way to treat it?

Thanks,

[meowlacy]

Sorry to but in, at what age does a turtle start shedding?

[Kemul]

Sorry to but in, at what age does a turtle start shedding?

My turtles started to shed at around 6 months.