General Care Discussion :: Shell problems?

[Princess_tinyfeet]

Hello there, Im new to the forums! I have one female RES who is about 3 years old (5 inches). Ive had her for a while, and just moved her into a bigger tank (40 gal) in an area of the house with better lighting and I noticed some spots on her shell. I feed her mostly reptomin turtle pellets and occasional red leaf lettuce (going to be feeding way more lettuce and less pellets after reading this site). She has a UVB light and a heal light available to her, as well as a basking area. Her carapace also has really curved marginal scutes that have me worried, as she doesnt seem to look like other RESs....
Any help is greatly appreciated, Im not great at this and Id like to get her the care she deserves!

[steve]

Welcome to the forum! Can you post some pictures? What colors are those spots? Are they spreading?

[Princess_tinyfeet]

Sorry, I meant to post pictures! This is the first Ive seen them, so I dont think theyre growing fast or spreading. Theyre whitish and yellow, and her shell just looks unthrifty...

[steve]

Looks like she's in need of a good shed. Those marginals are usually the last to come off. The spots, which appear golden, are usually an indication of an air pocket... which is the first sign of shedding.

[Princess_tinyfeet]

Well thats good to hear! I was getting worried...
Is there any way to encourage shedding? I dont think Ive ever seen her really shed, maybe shes holding it in haha!

[steve]

I see a bit of algae on the shell, so I would do a gentle scrub and rinse. Then inspect the shell for any potential issues.

As for encouraging to shed, plenty of UVB and basking are in order. Wheat-germ pellets (for koi) are believed to be helpful and some think blueberries might be worth a try as well.

[Princess_tinyfeet]

Thank you again! I scrubbed her shell, and I think Ill get her outside for some real UVB. Shes not thrilled with her new dock, so Ill have to figure something out!

[steve]

What's the new dock? Also be very careful when she's outside... they are faster than you think and can blend into the surroundings very well. Make sure there is constant supervision. Some real sun would be great for her shell.

[Princess_tinyfeet]

Her new dock is something I made out of acrylic, and I plan on getting her a little outdoor pool to hang out in for outside play! Thanks for the head up!

[steve]

Sounds great, post pics so we can check it out

[Princess_tinyfeet]

Since my last post, I got a great new tank from petco (1 dollar per gallon sale!) and I built a basking box. The old acrylic one I was telling you about, she never used! She refused to get onto it! Well, now that shes got ANOTHER basking area, she wont go into this one either! She sits underwater on the ramp, but isnt walking up it! Am I doing something wrong? Here are some pics. (Shes on the dock in a couple because I placed her on it)

[steve]

This is a pretty common situation. You'll need to give it time, but also consider privacy, treats leading up the platform, and a slight increase in basking temp.

[Princess_tinyfeet]

I left to get groceries after posting, and when I got home she dive bombed into the tank from the basking area! I think you are right that its a privacy thing, she is a very secretive little thing. Hopefully shell get plenty of basking time while Im at work!