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I'm guessing this is a combination of Algae and some shedding problem. Can someone help me please? What is the problem with my turtles shell... and how can i get a nice smooth shell?

40 gallon tank
35 gallons of water
huge basking area with proper heat
UVB lamp (its pretty old and im pretty sure its not emitting uvb any more... just ordered a new one)
Always had filtered water since baby.
Going on 2 years old
Diet consists of zoo med pellets only.***Im thinking maybe i need to use Reptomin instead because Zoo meds pellets dont mention anything about calcium....?

Please help

I'm no profesional, and still kind of a newbie to the turtle world... but one thing I have read a lot is that calcium is very very important... that was my first thought when I looked at the pic, before reading about his environment. I would get a calcium bone. its important they have the combo of UVB and calcium.
How often does he bask?
What about protien? do you give him shrimp or fish?

Welcome to the site.

There are 4 issues with the shell, and these problems are interconnected.
1) poor diet, pyramiding which leads to 2) retained scutes. This allows more opportunities for infection, like 3) fungus. Fungus can make retained scutes even more stubborn and possibly lead to more serious infections under the retained scutes and allow 4) algae to get underneath the scute.

I would first re-examine the turtle tank... how often does your turtle bask? Does it have a UVB light? Can the bottom of the shell also dry off? You need to re-examine the diet, as a pellet-only diet is not very healthy. I would also do some light cleaning of the shell, look for loose scutes and any soft areas on the scutes or seams. Never force a scute off! Doing so might pull off to many layers, and breaching the shell. You can use diluted betadine or Hibiclens and a new toothbrush.

First, I want to thank you for the advice.

I have purchased a new Solar Glo 125 Watt bulb and changed their diet to Wardley pellets (i noticed they have calcium) and the occasional lettuce/carrot/grape.

Out of curiousity... will these changes cure my turtles current shell conditions? And if yes approx. how long will it take? I have not cleaned the shell with anything yet though.

Also... How bad is my turtles shell? Like really bad or not so bad.

Thanks -Brooks

Can you also post picture of the entire turtle top and bottom? Might also help to post pictures of his tank setup too. What filter does the tank have?

Several sheds could make a dramatic difference, though that could take a couple of years. It's very hard to predict when and how often they will shed when there are shell issues present. As Devilduck, more pictures could be helpful.

Ok I have two turtles and this is the one thats having more of the problems. (Donatello)



This is my other one (Leonardo)



And.... heres my tank... 40 gallon tank with about 35-38 gallons of water. I use Zoo med reptisafe conditioner for each new fill up. I built them a planked dock so the light from my bulb (125W Solar Glo) would protrude through into the water. I use a Topfin 75 gallon filter. I have cardboard taped to the edge temporarily to stop any chance of them jumping out until I can build a railing on the ramp. Also, I have a tetrafauna heater next to where the filter sucks up water to help circulate the heat.




This is a bonus, lol.... sleeping.

Both are developing it, correct? Fungus is contagious, so it should spread to the other one. Did they bask a lot before?

They look pretty large for males, they might be females. Were they hatchlings when you got them?

Consider using carbon filter media instead of a water conditioner. It's much safer for them.

What is carbon media?


And are we positive its fungus because i only notice it on one. And yes ive had them since they were no bigger than a quarter.

The carbon used is activated carbon... it looks like small black gravel and has high adsorption properties. Here's a good look at fungus: viewtopic.php?t=10839

They look quite large for 2 year olds, I would also re-evaluate their diet and protein intake.

So I went to Walmart and bought a Betadine Solution and some Aqua-Tech Activated carbon. Ive been taking them out the tank... let em dry off... and then scrub their shells with the a new toothbrush and Betadine. They absolutely hate it when im scrubbing their bellies... lol.

After i scrub them... what do I do? Am i supposed to let them sit with it on their shells for a while? or am i supposed to rinse it off right away?


Oh and about their size.... i think the pictures make them look bigger than they actually are. Ill get a picture of them next to a cd or something.
My biggest ones shell is about 9 inches long top to bottom.... ALthought I do believe my biggest one is a bit too fat.

I usually dilute the betadine (so it's tea color) and use a tooth brush to scrub, and wait until it dries. I usually dry dock overnight too. Some rinse any residue off and return to the tank. I haven't had much luck with betadine and fungus though.

Considering a cd is about 5 inches across, the one in that picture looks to be about 10". Too big for a male, and very big for only 2 years old.

So what does that mean I need to do?

Give them new names.

Cut back on their diet, and start saving for a bigger tank and filter.

How much are you feeding them? You should estimate how many pellets will fit inside their head (not including the neck) and give that amount every other day. Keep protein to a minimum and feed veggies (i.e. red leaf lettuce) every day.

As far as the tank and filter, females can get up to about 12-14 inches, so for 2 of them, the rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch for the first one and 5 gallons per inch for the second one. 12*10 + 12*5 = 180 gallons Once they reach full size they really should be in at least a 180 gallon tank. You'll probably want a Fluval FX5 for filtration.