General Care Discussion :: Dark & Bumpy shell

[RunninWideOpen]

I asked this question in a previous thread, but after seeing some of your pictures I am more concerned about Crush. His shell doesn't look very good. His shell is very dark and bumpy on top and towards the back. More than bumpy its got little chunks out of it like someone took a pick to it. I took some pictures. They didn't come out very good, but you can kinda see what I'm talking about.




How big of a problem is this, and is there anything I can do to make it better?

Thanks!

[SpotsMama]

Is there any softness to the shell? Anything "slimy"? Anything smelly? Is this anything recent or has your turtle's shell always been that way? Is it changing in any way?

Here's a thread on a good shell treatment for mild problems:

http://www.redearslider.com/forum/viewt ... hibiclense

Be sure and read all the way to the bottom.

If there is disease present and it's worse than mild, then a vet needs to deal with it.

Good luck!

[RunninWideOpen]

No, there is no softness, sliminess, or smelliness that I can detect. Just these holes and chunks out and lots of bumpiness. I don't know how long it's been this way. I have only had him a month and he is 6" long (so, probably a couple years old?). I think I'll get some hibiclense and scrub his shell like suggested in the thread you shared just to be safe.

Thanks for your respone.

[steve]

Has Crush been shedding regularly?

[RunninWideOpen]

No, since I have had him he has only shed one small section off the edge of his shell. And that was off of the front near his head, the healthier looking part of his shell.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Does he eat veggies? What do you feed him?

When I had a minor shell problem with Sheba, my vet told me that dark green leafy veggies (like romaine lettuce & collards) can help make the shell look a lot better, but this takes a lot of time to grow out (sometimes years).

[RunninWideOpen]

So far all he has eaten is fish and pellets. I have also tried giving him canned Tuna, Turnip Greens, Romaine Lettuce, Red Leaf Lettuce, and Carrot, but he won't eat any of it. Any idea how I could get him to eat veggies? I read on another thread about soaking the veggies in Tuna juice. I haven't tried it, but since he didn't eat the tuna I didnt expect that to work.

[Turtle addict]

Where did you get this one? Six inches and alot of pitting, small holes like a toothpick holes sounda like a wild caught and those holes would be normal wear and tear. If you caught this one from a local lake or pond please put it back.

[RunninWideOpen]

I bought him at my local pet store. I did not take him out of the wild.

[industrial_girl_2000]

So far all he has eaten is fish and pellets. I have also tried giving him canned Tuna, Turnip Greens, Romaine Lettuce, Red Leaf Lettuce, and Carrot, but he won't eat any of it. Any idea how I could get him to eat veggies? I read on another thread about soaking the veggies in Tuna juice. I haven't tried it, but since he didn't eat the tuna I didnt expect that to work.

I had a lot of success with using a tiny bit of canned cat food, mixing a bit of this with some finely chopped lettuce/carrot, and feeding turt with a spoon (my turtle is an adult who bites HARD when she is hungry so I learned to use a spoon!).

Do you hand-feed your RES?

[Turtle addict]

Sometimes the stores will take them from a "owner" to sell them and pay the "owner" a small amount. People get them from the wild and sell to the store. I personally have gotten several from stores that have the pitting you speak of and know they came from the wild. A tank raised res has a smooth shell with hardly any dents or bumps, a wild one has many.

[RunninWideOpen]

Hi industrial girl,

Thanks for the tip, I'll give that a shot. I have tried hand feeding him but he's not too interested. He looks at it and then swims around it. He seems to like to eat whenever he feels like it. Pellets will sit in there for an hour before he gets interested and then he'll all of a sudden go and chow down all of them. Is there a good way to use the catfood without handfeeding? Thanks!

Hi Turtle Addict: Thanks for the info. That probably does explain the bumps and pits, because his shell feels strong and solid. All of the turtles at the pet store were about 6in long. If he was a wild turt though, does it seem a little odd that he only eats pellets? He ate a few fish one day, but that was it. There's still a few in there and he's not interested in them.

[marisa]

It looks like he's not had very good living conditions. How long have you had him? It may take time, but a good diet and habitat (with basking under proper lighting) should help his shell. What pellets are you feeding him? It would be good to rotate two or three reputable brands along with increasing the plant matter in his diet. (Don't forget some cuttlebone.)

[RunninWideOpen]

I have had him about a month. We feed him Reptomin pellets and he has had a few fish. I am going to buy some cuttlebone this weekend.

I got my digital camera back today, so I took some better pics of his shell. The other ones were taken with my phone.




I have another question (sorry, I'm full of them).

I have read a lot of posts on hear of people who clean their water every week or every other week. I am wondering why that is? It's been almost a month and the water still looks crystal clear.

[steve]

Some people have different amounts of water with their tanks, different filtration and different feeding methods. A partial water change is a good habit to have.