General Care Discussion :: Shell covering?

[kamekichi]

Hey everyone, sorry to ask another shell question so soon, but this time, it's Taro's. I've noticed some grey towards the outside of the scutes and assumed shedding was about to occur, but Wednesday, I noticed it had become almost a glaze (the grayish spots). My roommate says it doesn't smell out of the ordinary and other than feeling maybe a little rough (but Taro's shell on the whole feels rough to me, so maybe I am still not used to the texture yet?) it really is how it looks that worries me. I also noticed the outside of Taro's plastron is a little dark and wonder if maybe the whole thing has something to do with our tap water (we have hard water). I used only bottled water today when I changed water. Anyway, I wanted to ask if you guys could please have a look and tell me your thoughts? Should I try to clean the shell? Also, how do the seams between scutes look? When I looked at these pictures, they seem big to me. Perhaps I am overfeeding Taro. I will pull back a bit on the pellets, effective immediately.

[steve]

Could you give the shells a gentle cleaning and see if there are any changes?

[kamekichi]

Hey Steve, would I just do that with a soft toothbrush and warm water, or should I also include white vinegar or hibiclens?

[mattprevails]

I would start with just water and see what happens. It doesn't look like there is anything really out of the ordinary. Small baby turtles like that usually have more variations in color like that and such while they still have their nice, green carapaces.

[steve]

I'd try just water too. Make sure you use a new toothbrush as well.

[kamekichi]

Thank you matt and steve, I'm still learning what to look for so I really appreciate the explanation and assurance. I will give the water and toothbrush bath a shot and give them some time.

[steve]

I would see if the shell can just be cleaned up. The seams look a little thick, but good overall. If the shell can't be cleaned up, then I'd try to figure out what's wrong... fungus, mineral deposits, etc.

[kamekichi]

Hey everyone, just wanted to give an update and ask what you guys thought. I have noticed Taro's spine has begun to raise further and the area around the spine is lighter. I have seen pictures of hatchlings with slightly raised spines, but Taro's is starting to worry me. I have reduced her diet even further (two pellets a day plus the kale the vet told me to reintroduce) but I just wanted to ask what you guys think based on the pictures below.

[steve]

It doesn't look abnormal, but I'd just keep a close eye on everything.