My female RES showed up this morning with white stuff on the front edge of her shell and on the top of her head. It looks like it was dipped in flour, it is so white and just on the edge of the shell. We made the mistake last week of feeding her a minute steak and the tank filled up with grease as well as poop. We changed the tank and cleaned it, then added a filter. We did not wash off the turtle itself, just a rinse. We did,however, scrub the algae off of her shell with a toothbrush when we first got her. (She is a wild turtle)
8" long, We have had her just about a week.
We do not have a thermometer. Maybe around 69 or 70 degtrees. No water heater, There's about 10" water(almost half) in a 20 gallon tank. No conditioner. We have a filter for a ten gallon tank.
There is no basking light. She has a piece of a stump to crawl out on, she has difficulty getting on it. The wood is always wet. (Boy I can sure see a dampness problenm,if nothing else.)
When we found her, we had nothing to feed her and gave her a minute steak. The next day she ate feeder fish and has had fish and fishworms (from our yard) since. Fish are from pet store and the pond.. . She has been eating well and last ate yesterday afternoon. We have been feeding her every other day.
She is in a 20 gallon tank, but it includes rocks and the stump taking up about a third of it Last night we added a second turtle temporarily. The tank is in front of a window. We only have two rooms and three people, so yes, there is much activity.
We have not read your care directions., but I know something about caring for turtles. I know our set-up is flawed. We just do not have much extra money. It was my idea to sell the second turtle and use the money to buy more stuff. I see that I can do better on the basking place with things I have at home. What we have (rocks and wood) was picked up in the woods. The "stump" is just a short, wide length of wood cut from a limb by someone and left in the woods.
No change in activity. She is plenty active.
