Urgent Care :: Lumpy Shell

[abielle3]

My RES's shell is very, well, lumpy looking. It's not in pyramids, in fact, the edges of her chutes are higher than the centers. She underwent a HUGE shed about a month ago and her shell looked great after that, but it's slowly looking more unusual. I didn't take any pictures of her undershell, but where her chutes meet, it sticks out like mountains instead of con-caved like a valley. She is a very active turtle, and a healthy eater. In the last week and a half I have changed her diet because my initial thought was pyramiding/too much protein. Her old diet consisted too many pellets, not enough veg/fruit, the new diet is probably 4-8 pellets once a day, and green leaf lettuce, romaine, or kale offered for her to munch on throughout the day. I'll also offer her shredded carrots, or smaller peas, or whatever fruits or vegetables I have in the house (and of course provided it's RES safe). I have not taken her to a vet since I've had her since there isn't a local vet that is knowledgeable with turtles where I am and I'd have to take her on a road trip which I don't want to do in the middle of winter. If you have any thoughts or suggestions on what I'm doing wrong or how to prevent this problem from getting any worse PLEASE let me know. I've never taken care of a turtle before, and it's my 8 year old son's who would be devastated if something terrible happened to her. Thanks
How big is your turtle? Approximately 6 inches long
How long have you had it? Since Nov 2012. She was a rescue and I'm not sure of her living conditions before.

What is the water temperature? 73 ( I know it's a bit cool. I live in a small town and awaiting a new heater since this one is starting to go)
Did you use a thermometer?Yes
Are you using a water heater? Yes, but it doesn't seem to work well; temperature fluctuates between 70 and 75
How much water is in there? 6 inches deep in a rectangle 40 gal
Are you using a water conditioner? Yes, Nutrafin, only used when filter gets cleaned.
Are you using any filtration? Yes, there's a fluval 204

What is the basking temperature? 80
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? The plastic stuff that covers some light fixtures. It has approx 1cmx1cm square holes in it, that is then covered by the foam-like drawer liner to prevent her feet from going though the holes. There is excellent drainage. No odors.
Is there a UVB light? Yes. Changed every 6 months

What have you been trying to feed it? Kale (doesn't like), green leaf lettuce (doesn't like), romaine (sometimes will eat), shredded carrots (loves), feeder fish, occasionally (loves), cantelope (will eat), pellets (Reptomin), snails from my betta fish tank, peas, blueberries cut in 1/2, cuttlebone (once every 2 weeks I throw the whole thing in there and let her munch on it for a couple days then take it out)
When was the last time your turtle ate? This morning 5 pellets, there is kale presently floating around I don't think she's touched any

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 40 gal glass
Is the tank near a window? no
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? small living room. She likes the attention though

Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Tried, can only find pyramiding, soft shell, and shell rot

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? not really

[steve]

It is a form a of pyramiding, though it could be a combination of retained scutes and improper diet/habitat. With the right care it should smooth out a bit, though not completely.

[abielle3]

After reading about her habitat and diet, would you make any suggestions in changing anything? I know I was over feeding her for a few weeks, but I've corrected that problem and always feed her greens/vegetables before her pellets (which she gets 4-6 once a day).

[devilduck]

Judging from your initial posts, your habitat seems right. Maybe a little more water and an above that tank basking area.
Post up a picture of it and we can make some more suggestions if necessary

[jenaero]

I had an issue of pyramiding with both my res. My husband was feeding them and not telling me, then i'd feed them too. It took about 2 years of a proper diet but it eventually evened out and they both were totally smooth.

[steve]

I'd also make sure the UVB light is being used properly. It needs to roughly 9-12" above the basking area and replaced every 4-6 months (depending on the various models).

[abielle3]

Here's a pic of Shelly's tank. Yes nothing fancy. I know I could use more water in there, but it's a vivarium (yes, I'm living on the edge). I would go and buy a proper tank, but funds are tight due to baby on the way. Is it possible for the UV light to be too close? Also, any suggestions on getting water spots off the inside of the tank?

[abielle3]

Oh, and the heat lamp is on a dimmer fixture, I do check the temp under there to make sure she doesn't cook while she's under there and it's roughly 80 F

[swiltz]

why not more water for her to swim in?

[devilduck]

Here's a pic of Shelly's tank. Yes nothing fancy. I know I could use more water in there, but it's a vivarium (yes, I'm living on the edge). I would go and buy a proper tank, but funds are tight due to baby on the way. Is it possible for the UV light to be too close? Also, any suggestions on getting water spots off the inside of the tank?

Distances of the lights look good. You can probably add water up to the base of the dock.
A great cleaner I found for water spots and algae on the glass is the regular Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Make sure it's the original unscented version.
I also use white vinegar to clean the tough spots before a water change.

[steve]

I think you could actually move the UVB light closer. More water would be good too, though make sure you have the correct stand for a tank of that size first.

[abielle3]

I agree that more water is needed, but I also have another post on here regarding my tank and many have said that I should immediately look into a new tank. So, I'm playing it safe. Also with the stand, it's an old tv stand that does support all but 1/2 in around the edges, another reason why I have so little water, rather play safe than have water everywhere. Again, temp set up. Going to talk to local pet store, hoping to do a trade and get a credit towards proper tank and build a stand to fit. Thanks all

[steve]

Well, going by the 10 gallons of tank per 1" of shell, you have an idea of what size tank to get. Definitely get an appropriate stand... the edges (rim) are actually the most important areas that need support and a full 40 gallon tank could weigh around 350 pounds.