Feeding and Nutrition :: spacing between scutes?

[texasres]

So me and my gf got a baby res a few weeks ago And both of us are new to turtles. From what I've been reading here I think I've been over feeding for sure. There was no space between the scutes when we got him but now there is a pretty large gap. Also there is some lighter discoloration on the ridge of his carapace and towards the outer edge on some parts. Any ideas on what's going on with my new favorite pet? Also I'm trying to load some pictures of him (or her) but can't seem to figure out how.

Any advice would be appreciated

[steve]

To upload pics, you can choose this: Full editor -- > upload attachment or use a 3rd party host. Imgur.com is free and fast (select BBCODE for it show up embedded in your posts).

[texasres]

What is 512 kib? No matter what I do I can't get a picture that small

[texasres]

[texasres]

Damn sorry, I know that's a huge picture. Idk what else to do tho

[steve]

It's fine, I wish more people would post larger pics

The seams are little thick, but still good. The yellow coloration on the ridge is normal. The light/dull green spots look like they might be shedding but he is pretty young for that to happen. I'd keep an eye on it for now. Does have a UVB light, basking area, etc?

[texasres]

Ok good. And yup he has a turtle dock and a uvb/heat lamp combo so he can dry off and bask.

[texasres]

I've since changed his diet to a couple pieces of kale and 2 or 3 pellets in the morning and 5 or 6 more pellets when I get home about 12 hours later

[texasres]

At what age do the normally start shedding? And would environmental impacts cause that to happen sooner?

[Into_the_Mystic]

I've since changed his diet to a couple pieces of kale and 2 or 3 pellets in the morning and 5 or 6 more pellets when I get home about 12 hours later

Sounds like a lot of pellets.. also be careful of the amount of Kale.. You may want to go with a Green leaf, Romain, or a Red Leaf type.

[steve]

I agree about the kale. Shedding is a bit unpredictable, there's no way to guess but it will go at it's own pace. Just make sure the shell is healthy and the scutes do not become retained.

[texasres]

They're the zoo med hatchling formula. It's got 43% protein. That's too much still? It's less than what would fit In his head

[steve]

Sounds OK. I would look into other pellets though... Mazuri, and Omega One are very good.

[texasres]

Ok cool. Thanks so much. And what does mystic mean by a red leaf type? Is kale something I shouldn't feed him at all?

[steve]

Kale is fine as part of a balanced diet. But red leaf, green leaf have less phosphorus, which is a good thing.