Urgent Care :: Very Bad Shell Quality

[bobsappp]

Hey guys, this is a long overdue post. My RES Potato is about 2 and half years old; my mom raised it for most of that time. She had kept it in the same container for all that time, with no basking lamps, nothing; as a result Potato never really grew at all. When she left the country, she left Potato for me to take of. There was a thick layer of algae the first day I brought him home; I promptly scrubbed it off with a soft tooth brush and everything seemed fine from there. Now 10 months later, while Potato lives in a small but clean 10gal tank with filter and UVA and UVB lights (the latter was purchased recently, though), he has a terrible shell. To start, he is pyramiding from when he was overfed by my gf and I (a whole anchovy a day!); I have corrected this behavior and have been feeding him every other day, and have been giving him green leafy veggies whenever possible. Despite all this, his/her shell is just not improving, here are pics:









I have started to dry bask him (as you see in the pictures), but what else can I do?

Info:
How big is your turtle? About 2 inches
How long have you had it? 2 1/2 years

What is the water temperature? 75.5 - 76 degrees F
Did you use a thermometer? On the water heater
Are you using a water heater? Yes
How much water is in there? Half a 10 gallon tank
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes
Are you using any filtration? Yes

What is the basking temperature? Not sure
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? Wood platform supported by PVC
Is there a UVB light? Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? Reptomin, veggies
When was the last time your turtle ate? This morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 10 gallons
Is the tank near a window? No
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Somewhat

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

[Diamondbacks4Life]

You making it out to be much worse then it is. ID say he basically has no pyramiding at all, on a scale of 1-10 hes at 1. He starting to shed which is good. It will smooth him out some. To get a really smooth shell it takes a pretty long time. Multiple sheds. Just stay on the track your doing and he will be in good shape. If you want to help with shedding, some blueberrys every so often and look into koi pellets with wheat germ.

[bobsappp]

Okay, I've always been worried about his size; he's very tiny for his age (due to raised in a small environment with no light or anything), I'm glad to hear that he's not pyramiding (he is quite chubby!).

Are those white spots normal? There's no smell coming off of them, but I am worried because I keep seeing more and more of them and Potato is having a hard time shedding, especially the schutes(?) Behaviorally he is fine, super active and always eating; he's a bit slow to catch his tank mates (3 minnows and a pleco). I'm afraid the fish are making the water quality suffer, since Potato seems to be shedding a lot of skin.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

The white spots are just air pockets in between old scutes and new scutes. You should see layers of scutes coming off soon. One looks like it could fall off at anytime. Never help pull at them either. Just let them fall off on their own. Your turtle is fine. Also you should see growth pick up since you got him on a proper tract, they recover really quickly from inproper care.