General Care Discussion :: Some tips for Fungus Treating?

[matt.steve]

I know the following is for the urgent care section, but I figured it might also prove helpful here;

How big is your turtle? Both are roughly 3.5"
How long have you had it? Ive owned both since December of 2010

What is the water temperature? 78*F
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? 150 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? 75*F - 90*F (basking platform is big, thats why temperature varies)
Is there a basking light? Yes
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? Yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of? Homemade; Wooden frame filled with sand
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? "Jello-shots" (green leaf lettuce, dandelion leaves, small tomato, carrot, tuna, and zoo-med aquatic turtle food)
When was the last time your turtle ate? An hour ago (feed every other day, size of their head)

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 2' wide, 2' deep, 6' long (+ basking area: 1' x 3')
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Not alot

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? No


My questions:

1. Both turtles appear to have some fungus, should I separate them when I dry dock them?
2. What should the air temperature be when I dry dock them?
3. Should I keep a UVB bulb on when dry docking them?
4. What medications can I use? (I might not be able to pick anything up till next week)
5. Anything else I should know?

Thank you in advance,
Matt.steve

[Love of Animals]

Can you post a pic of the fungus? Is it on their shell or body? Does it look like little wisps of skin that can only be seen in the water? Do you see the area of fungus when the turtle is dry?

[matt.steve]

Its mostly on the underside, but there is some on the top of the shell (not noticeable in pictures). In the water, I can see whisps of skin, but I know that's normal and they are just shedding. When dry, I can see the underside fungus still.

Pictures: (sorry my camera is terrible, I'll get my girlfriend over tomorrow with her camera)

Turtle Number 1:


Turtle Number 2:



And way off topic, but is this normal? (edge of shell)



Hopefully those pictures help, if not I'll get some better ones tomorrow,
Matt.steve

[Love of Animals]

The edges of the shell are normal. I'm more worried about the reddish blotches on the under shell. They look evenly spaced but there's something not sitting right with me. It might be septicemia which is an infection in the blood. That would require an immediate vet visit. Or it could just be bruising. Please post these pics in Urgent Care so somebody with more experience can look at it.

[matt.steve]

Okay thanks, I posted it. Hopefully its nothing serious.
Any other advice for the fungus?

matt.steve

[Love of Animals]

Thankfully I haven't had to deal with fungus. Let's make sure this isn't something more serious. If it's just a minor case of fungus I'll steer you in the right direction. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[steve]

Fungus... I really hate it. It spreads quickly once there's an infection, it's highly contagious to other RES and it can be resistant to treatment. I suspect that lack of basking really allows it to take hold and at least basking might encourage shedding.

I always tell people to make sure that their turtle does plenty of basking before starting treatment. And the only treatment that I've found that works is silver sulfadiazine cream. If the infection comes back, the cream (as in my case) is no longer effective. I don't know if there are multiple strains out there or if it becomes resistant, but the key is to control it and don't let it come back.

The shell is showing some signs of over feeding/fast growth. That's why it's bumpy and the marginal scutes look serrated. Those scutes are tough to come off anyway, so it's not of concern at the moment.

[matt.steve]

Everytime I go to walk by the tank, they will be basking, but they jump in the water when they see me. Im gonna start taking them outside for some natural light. Once the fungus is gone, what can I do to help prevent it from coming back? Just more water changes?

I'll see if I can pick any medication up, hopefully I can

Matt.steve

[steve]

Lots of basking and clean water. I just bough a UV sterilizer to try, but since my turtles still have their infection, there's no way for me to know if it'll work.