Urgent Care :: Strange Shell Discoloration

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Post Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 2:24 pm   Strange Shell Discoloration

How big is your turtle? - 4 inches or so.
How long have you had it? - 3 weeks.

What is the water temperature? - 78 Degrees
Did you use a thermometer? - Yes
Are you using a water heater? - Yes
How much water is in there? - 7 inches.
Are you using a water conditioner? - Yes
Are you using any filtration? - Absolutely

What is the basking temperature? - about 90
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? - Hard foam of some kind.
Is there a UVB light? - Yes

What have you been trying to feed it? - Pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate? - Yesterday

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? - 20 Gallons
Is the tank near a window? - No direct sunlight.
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? - 1/2 the day or so.

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? - Strange discoloration that has been there since day 1. Seems to be slightly better now but my google-foo has not found any identical looking markings on others turtles. He / she has also yet to use the basking area after 3 weeks. ( That I've seen. ) I've heard it can take a while for them to get used to being out of the water in a new environment but it has been quite a while now.
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LeonsArcade
 
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 5:59 pm   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

I'm not sure what areas you are referring to, but I do see some algae on the shell.
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steve
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 6:29 pm   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

She is still getting use to new home. Yes see that algae to! Turtles know more what they want better than any book you read. Observing is the true key but we can help guide you. Heat bulb sound good for temp and placement. BUT turtles are very picky with the UVB too ! Hope you read all the paper work on placement. With UVB's you have a placement for the burn in period and then a placement once that's done ! If done wrong it could hurt her eyes , burn them or worst and she knows what she wants. And placement could be at a different distance than the heat bulb that's why a lot of long time turtle keepers use two different fixtures unless you have them balanced well.

Have no idea what type or % you have but here is an example of the full instructions please read : http://www.redearslider.com/downloads/r ... ctions.pdf
litefoot
 
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Post Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 6:38 pm   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

Ahh, so it is just algae. I do have two different fixtures for the bulbs and thank you for the good read! Will continue to learn and keep a close eye on her :D Thank you guys for the solid tips / help!
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Post Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:50 pm   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

I call your turtle a girl. That front right claw , short nails. Any other photos showing front claws better and the cloaca maybe ? Any name ?
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Post Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 6:05 pm   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

Love those green eyes. Algae is easy to clean off too, but you need to get her to bask... maybe you need a different basking area.
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steve
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Post Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 4:28 pm   Shell chipping/peeling?

Hello! I've been a bit worried about one of my male RES due his shell. It seems to be chipping and peeling along the edges. I noticed a little while back they started as little white dots on his shell and have progressively got bigger. I see and hear him scrapping his shell up against the rocks in his tank rather hard, but I figured he's just itchy. Before I take him to a vet I was curious if someone knew what this could possibly be from? He lives in a 125 gal tank w.filtration, basks frequently, has a uvb light & heat lamp. I thought I was doing everything right but it doesn't look like it based on the look of his shell =( Please help if you think you know. Thanks a bunch!

How big is your turtle? approx 4 inches
How long have you had it? 3 years 3 months

What is the water temperature? 78 degrees
Did you use a thermometer? yes
Are you using a water heater? yes
How much water is in there? about 110 gallons in a 125 gallon tank
Are you using a water conditioner? no but will start asap
Are you using any filtration? yes

What is the basking temperature? 95 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? made from thick plastic w/fake grass covering it
Is there a UVB light? yes

What have you been trying to feed it? reptomin pellets, carrots, romaine lettuce, peaches (on occasion), shrimp (on occasion)
When was the last time your turtle ate? about 10 hours ago-he has no change in his appetite. He has never gad any problem eating

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure? 125 gallon
Is the tank near a window? in the same room but not right next to the window
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity? yes, in our living room (only my husband and I live in our house)

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

Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms? Not that I have noticed
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Shell chipping/peeling?
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Shells24
 
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2017 6:33 am   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

The picture is abit small to make out details. The marginal scutes are usually the last ones to come off, so I would be a little more patient with them. Little white dots are usually the start of fungus, but I would need larger pics to confirm. You also don't need water conditioner if you are using carbon in your filter (which you should).
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steve
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Post Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2017 4:56 pm   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

I have zoomed into the pics to try to make it more visible. We do use carbon in our filter, thank you for that bit of advice! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond =) I hope these pics show the concern I'm having.
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Shells24
 
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:49 am   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

Doesn't look too bad, though I would review the diet a bit to make sure you're not overfeeding. Can you send me the full pic or upload it to someplace like imgur.com if you're having size issues? I don't clearly see fungus, I'd just like to rule it out.
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steve
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Post Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2017 2:15 pm   Re: Strange Shell Discoloration

Use the head rule or even the 2/3's rule for it's diet , work's with babies to adults.

Read here : http://redearslider.com/pellets.html

You may want to click upper left make a "new topic" just for you in the "future". This is not to confuse the first poster and your issue under Urgent Care or any other topic , Thanks'
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