General Care Discussion :: White thread like fungus on RES neck and legs

[MorganPDX]

Our turtle is slowing down. When she is i the water she has about 1/4" long threadlike fungus that seems to hang on to her neck and legs. Up till today she has had a great appetite with lots of activity. Eyes are clear but she does extend her neck, opens her mouth and seems to gulp air. Any ideas what's going on? Do I need to do a sulfate bath to clear the fungus? Thanks

[steve]

Is she shedding? If it is thin, wispy and translucent then it is likely just some shedding skin. If it is fungus, I would try adding some aquarium salt into your tank (NEVER USE TABLE SALT) before I would use a sulfa bath.

[marisa]

The "threads" are noticeable in the water but not out of the water? If so, it sounds like shedding. How long have you been noticing it? HOw often do you change the water?

For the slowing down, they do tend to slow down somewhat with the change of seasons. (It's getting cooler where you are, no?) What have you been keeping the water temp and basking area temp at?

[MorganPDX]

The water is at 82 and the basking at 95. It is cooling down in the house. We turn off the light at night with no cover. We'll start adding a blanket to keep the night temp up. Its been shedding about 3 weeks and we partially change the water once a week with a full change every 3 weeks. We don't have the UVB light now. Is that a problem?

[jenaero]

How big/old is your turt? The water is too warm and that will contribute to excessive shedding. For a hatchling, the water temp should be 76-78. For a turt over a year old it should be 72-75. I don't know if the lack of uvb contributes to shedding but you really need to get one asap. The uvb is essential for metabolizing calcium and healthy development of the shell and bones.

[birdlady]

I noticed yesterday that my 14 yo turt Bob is starting to shed around his neck and legs. Water temp is about 74 and the basking area is 85-90 (time of day depending).
Think it's the change of weather....as it got colder outside, they started to slow down (don't forget they don't get alot of sunlight now either...with the time change).
Holly

[MorganPDX]

Out turt is only about 1.5" long I don't know how old she is since we bought her. We'll turn the temperature of the water down and get the UVB light. Our tank has a screen cover. Is this too drafty? should we close it up some with glass or something else? Thanks agin for your help.

[birdlady]

I have no cover of any sort on my tank...just plain open.
Then again, mine have never shown an interest of escaping either so I've never had to worry about it.
I have no water heater either so mine is just plain air temps keeping the water warm...the only place that has any heat given to it, is the basking area.

[steve]

MorganPDX, if there is a draft around your turtle tank (i.e next to a window or vent), then you'd definitely want to eliminate it as it can be source of respiratory illness. What is the room temperature that your turtle is in.

birdlady, I thought you kept your turtles outside... or have they been brought in? A water heater is, IMHO, a good investment regardless if you think you need it or not. And depending on the water level, a screen is a good idea too.

[birdlady]

At this time of year Steve my turts are indoors (Michgan...frozen ponds now).
Here is a pic of mine currently shedding...does yours look like something like this MorganPDX? (sorry about the lousy pic but she wouldn't hold still long in the water) Her leg is showing alot of shed on it in this pic:

And no the water is NOT yellow...lol That is the color of the wall behind the tank..

[marisa]

MorganPDX, what's the ambient air temp of the room? If it stays constant at 75F, you probably could just do with lighting (UVB and heat) during the day. Since your turt is small, though, if it gets cooler than that, I'd cover most of the tank at night to keep the warmth produced by the submersible water heater in the tank.

[MorganPDX]

It must be shedding. Thanks. The ambient room temp gets down to about 68-65. I have been covering it at night now. Today I noticed some very little bubbles coming out of her mouth as she breathed. Is this an idicator of an infection. She is so small that I'm worried about her. She is basking all the time now. with her head extended and on the dock. Still defecating but not eating for the last couple of days. Are we in trouble?

[marisa]

Were the bubbles in the mouth when she was basking, and if so, when she breathes, does she do so with her mouth open? On the chance she may be developing an RI, since she's small, I'd set the water temp. back at 81-82F for a bit and the basking area 10 degrees higher. The increased warmth will boost her immune system and help fight any infection.

The room I'm keeping my year-old painted turtles in is about the same temp as yours. One of the turts was a preemie, who seems to be much more sensitive to cooler temps than the others. I've started to put a sheet of plexiglass over a good portion of the tank during the day (lets in light) to trap warmth.

I'm wondering what you have the tank on--a stand? the floor?