Urgent Care :: One turtle died of (what looked like) RI. The others...

[eighty2]

...are showing the same symptoms. I found a baby RES a few weeks back and he acted funny from the beginning. We kept him in a seperate tank for awhile and he started to act better, so we reintroduced him into the main tank. The next day he was dead. Now, one of my other turtles is experiencing similiar symptoms. What can I do? There are no vets nearby that work with aquatic turtles, and I don't want all of my turtles to die. The symptoms that the small one was showing was no eating, no activity, constant floating (he couldn't swim to the bottom of the tank), closed eyes. Now my other turtle keeps one eye closed, alomost all the time, and he seems much more bouyant than he used to. What can I do? Any help is appreciated.

[eighty2]

Sorry, I forgot to post the basic information.


How big is your turtle? 5 inches
How long have you had it? 1.5 years

What is the water temperature? 78degrees
Did you use a thermometer? Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? 35-38 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? Between 85-90 degrees
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? I used mesh to make a ramp onto a piece of ceramic tile that they bask on.
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Reptomin, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce
When was the last time your turtle ate? Yesterday (but not as much as normal)

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40 gallon tank
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Yes (but they're used to it)

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? He seems more bouyant than normal. One eye stays closed, and isn't eating as much as usual.

[penelope]

As an interim,
- bump the water temp to 80-82 degree
- Isolate any potentially ill guy or gal from others, even if you need to dry-dock him/her to accomplish it (as long as you can keep the area warm in the 80 degree range)
- Where are you located? (only asked because of the 'no vet' comment) From what I understand, emergency vets have a "book" they can refer to for life saving care. You can always call ahead and ask. If they can listen to the breathing and provide an antibiotic, it is better than avoiding a vet altogether. They also may be able to offer a referral to an exotic pet Vet.

[steve]

RI can be contagious, so it's possible it is RI. How many turtles do you have? What kind of UVB light do you have? Also follow Penelope's advice.