How long have you had it? I have had Sammy (the one with problems) since January 2010, she was only 1 to 2 inches when I first got her. In March 2010 I took in JackJack, another RES who was born in November 2009, from my friend who was not taking care of her properly. When I took in JackJack, Sammy was already bigger because she was healthy and growing and JackJack was still the same size.
What is the water temperature? 78 to 82 degrees, seems like the water has been warmer since the sun has been out more.
Did you use a thermometer? I used to have a thermometer inside the tank but the turtles kept eating them and breaking the glass.. So now I have the thermometers that stick on the outside of the tank. There are 3. One on each end and one in the center.
Are you using a water heater? Yes.
How much water is in there? The tank is completely full of water. It is a 100 gallon tank. I just bought a 125 gallon tank that I am going to be moving them into in about a week when I switch apartments.
Are you using a water conditioner? No
Are you using any filtration? Yes I have a fluval 405 canister filter. I plan to get another 405, or a 305 when I move them to the larger tank.
What is the basking temperature? 90
Is there a basking light? Yes, there is a heat light. Is that the right kind of light? Or Is the UVB light supposed to be above the basking area? I also have a night time red heat lamp that I turn on at night.
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on? yes.
What kind is it or what is it made out of? There is a home made basking platform that sits on top of the tank and takes up about half the length, this is where they crawl up and bask. I plan to make a new one that has a larger and longer ramp, possibly even two ramps. The turtles seem to be basking less, and I think it is because they are getting too big for the ramp. I plan to make this after I move them to the new tank.
Is there a UVB light? Yes. There is a coiled UVB bulb that faces into the water.
What have you been trying to feed it? I feed them 3 or 4 different types of pellet food, snd also the sun dried shrimp. I also feed them live crickets and live earthworms. They also used to love to eat goldfish when I put them in the tank but last time I did that they did not eat them and now there are about 10 just living in the tank. I also recently blended up my own recipe of strawberries, honeydew, kale, one can of tunafish, some of the pellets and vitamin powder I got from the pet store. They don't love it. But they eat it sometimes. I did this because they were not eating and veggies or fruits at all so I thought this would help.
When was the last time your turtle ate? This morning they ate a little of the homemade food, and also a handful of one of the kinds of food sticks.
How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 100 gallons
Is the tank near a window? Yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? Semi. The apartment is pretty small so it's fairly close to the front door, and the window it is by a sidewalk where people walk by. My new apartment is bigger and will have a spot that is not right by a window.
Have you read the Basic Care section? Yes
Have you searched the forums for similar situations? Yes
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Her shell is peeling off in large chunks, last time i did a deep clean on the tank i found at least 15 pieces of the shell. the shell is not soft though. But on the underside of her shell where the center line is, there seems to be a lighter colored possibly soft spot. just less than an inch long. And the turtle that is having shell problems is the one who eats the most. But after some research I found out I may have been over feeding her..she is a little fat when she puts her legs in. My other turtle used to eat a lot, but now is eating way less, but still eating, but this one does not have problems with it's shell.
Overall, I don't know what is wrong with her shell! And it seems like if it has to do with quality of water or tank environment that both turtles would have the same problem?
i will try to post pics soon.
