Urgent Care :: Turtle shell growing faster

This is not a substitute for qualified and relevant veterinarian care.
Read this before you post a new topic here.

Post Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 12:35 pm   Turtle shell growing faster

During Christmas time I received two red ear sliders as pets, Marley and Wilson. Marley has grown phenomenally these past few months and already over 3 inches. Wilson however has not grown much at all. Both turtles were approximately 1 inch when I received them. They have been sharing a 40 gallon tank and I have plans in place to upgrade them to a 125 gallon tank in the near future. My concern with Wilson is that he has been struggling to swim. He has energy it appears but can't swim below the water surface, and it looks like his shell is preventing it. His shell had three distinct ridges when I got him but has since grown to five with the overall length having not changed much at all, I am worried he is not growing with his shell properly and it is causing almost like an air pocket in the shell preventing him from submerging. I would just like a few opinions on what it could be before being forced to seek veterinary attention. I have been consistently feeding them pellets, dried shrimp, and off crickets as a treat so I'm not sure if it's something related to their diet or not. I also have two filters working in the tank to maintain water quality as well as a water heater. Another point of interest about Wilson is that when I received him, his heater in the packaging was not working and he was cold as ice, and after letting him sit and basically thaw out in some warm water he finally showed some signs of life. Since then he has seemed very lively and the main difference I notice between the two is Wilson does seem to eat abit less. Any advice as to what could be preventing him from swimming will be greatly appreciated, thank you!!
Mr. Tim
 
Posts: 2
Joined: May 14, 2016
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 3:37 pm   Re: Turtle shell growing faster

Can you take a picture?
RedZz
 
Posts: 87
Joined: Mar 21, 2016
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 5:44 pm   Re: Turtle shell growing faster

Everything you mentioned besides this indicates that they are ok. The not submerging part of Wilson's behavior may be a lazy habit for him or something else but there is no signs of internal medical issues that I see indicating in your text so far. Tim, how long is Wilson now as you said that he did not grow so much? Other questions is do you have a UVA and UVB with a basking area? I noticed that you stated that he was cold as ice with no heater prior to you getting him, normally this could result to a respiratory infection but you would of had further signs of this months ago and since then he is normal with the heater, so I think you are good there. You received them at the right time to help. How deep is the water as well? The overall diet needs to be adjusted in the amount being offered instead of continuous and the part of the extra shell sounds like extra scutes.

I do not think the need to see a vet is mandatory at this time however based on the questions that I asked on Wilson Size , the lights and just general information of the tank accessories as well as the amount being fed can help tremendously and also I personally welcome you to the forums, thanks Tim.

Photos like Red stated can be helpful for sure as well.
Confirmed Sexed Pair of Albino Red Ear Sliders, Baby Albino and Hybino Red Ear Slider and Adult Normal Male Red Ear Slider
User avatar
Tampa Bay Turtle Fan
 
Posts: 310
Joined: Apr 1, 2016
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 2:03 am   Re: Turtle shell growing faster

There is always a turtle in a bale that outcompetes the other(s). You have to cut down food on the larger one, and make sure the other eats. It's usually easiest to take the more opportunistic one out when feeding the other. And before you upgrade the tank, try to find out their sexes first. If either is a female, you might need an even larger tank where males often need to be kept alone.

Regarding Wilson's problems, is this a new problem/symptom?
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 11:43 pm   Re: Turtle shell growing faster

I can't thank you enough for the advice. However only a day after that post, i found Wilson lifeless in the tank. Based on the above information my best guess is he was suffering from a respiratory infection, and my inability to find information in time about his condition made it to late. I can not begin to explain how heart broken I am. I feel I have provide everything I could, with the tank size, uva and uvb lighting with a proper docking area, plenty of food, and daily maintenance to keep the water quality high. But I truly blame myself for not trying to find information when I first noticed something. Thank you again for the help
Mr. Tim
 
Posts: 2
Joined: May 14, 2016
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 1:13 am   Re: Turtle shell growing faster

Sorry for your loss. Where did you get him from?
RedZz
 
Posts: 87
Joined: Mar 21, 2016
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 9:41 am   Re: Turtle shell growing faster

My condolences to you on wilson. Normally prior symptoms such as small groups of tiny bubbles would of been seen just for further information on your turtle kids and periodic signs of gasping. I am so sorry for your lost.
Confirmed Sexed Pair of Albino Red Ear Sliders, Baby Albino and Hybino Red Ear Slider and Adult Normal Male Red Ear Slider
User avatar
Tampa Bay Turtle Fan
 
Posts: 310
Joined: Apr 1, 2016
Gender: Male

Post Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 12:16 pm   Re: Turtle shell growing faster

Sorry to hear it. RIP Wilson. :(
User avatar
steve
Site Admin
 
Posts: 31430
Joined: Apr 11, 2005
Location: New York, NY
Gender: Male


Return to Urgent Care

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 4 guests