General Care Discussion :: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

Taking care of your turtle's overall health.

Post Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:45 pm   Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

How big is your turtle?
- Donnie is smaller than a silver dollar/ approximately less than an inch
How long have you had it?
- I have had her for 4 or so weeks
What is the water temperature?
-not completely sure, but the general room temp is 75-80
Did you use a thermometer?
-no
Are you using a water heater?
- no, but I do have a warming bulb pointed towards the tank
How much water is in there?
- 10 gallons
Are you using a water conditioner?
- Yes, Tetra AquaSafe
Are you using any filtration?
- Yes, a Tetra Whisper Internal power filter

What is the basking temperature?
- not sure
Is there a basking light?
- yes there is
Is there a basking platform that is easy to climb on?
- yes
What kind is it or what is it made out of?
- it is a series of large rocks, the top having a sloped surface going into the water, but with a good 3 inches exposed and dry
Is there a UVB light?
-No there is not, but she’s In a window that is constantly in the sun.

What have you been trying to feed it?
- dried shrimps, mealworms, crickets, and turtle sticks. Live wax worms, mealworms, feeder fish, and Flukers vet formulated soft turtle diet pellets
When was the last time your turtle ate?
- This morning

How big is the tank/pond/enclosure?
10 gallons
Is the tank near a window?
-Yes
Is the tank in a room with a lot of activity?
-Sort of, it is my bedroom, but I am not consistently in there
Have you read the Basic Care section?
-yes, I have
Have you searched the forums for similar situations?
- yes I have
Is there any other unusual activity/symptoms?
-Her swimming seems slightly weak, but she still has plenty of energy

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If you have a question about a skin or shell condition, please try provide pictures of the area when it is dry.
Zoeffler
 
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:13 am   Re: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

Can you post pictures? It's OK for the lines to be darker, but if they are wide/thick then the turtle is being fed too much and growing too fast.
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steve
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:27 pm   Re: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

https://app.photobucket.com/u/Zoeffler/ ... 9addad908b

This is Donnie totally dry, sorry if it’s not a great photo.
Zoeffler
 
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:13 pm   Re: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

Yeah, it's from overfeeding. He's still small so you can keep it in check now and it shouldn't cause problems. How much and of what are you feeding him now?
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steve
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 4:23 pm   Re: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

Aw man, thank you so much for the info, I was stressing hard. I mean I’m still worried, but wow, it’s so much nicer to have a reason.

I have given her dried shrimps, mealworms, crickets, and turtle sticks, live wax worms, mealworms and some bits of strawberries/ greens just in general since I’ve had her. Usually a day or two before I’m planning on cleaning her tank I give her two or three tiny feeder fish to chase around.

Each morning I usually give him like 3-6 turtle sticks, and one of the pre-mentioned foods because I was worried she wasn’t getting enough nutrition/ variation. (Sometimes if she’s still acting hungry I give her another pellet or shrimp later in the day). Whoops...

How much/ many pellets would you recommend, and is there anything I can cut from his diet that would help (Aka Waxworms) or add more of, life fish so she has to work for her food more?

Thank you again, I really appreciate
Zoeffler
 
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 5:13 pm   Re: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

Glad to help! At this stage, I would stick to a really good brand of pellets... Mazuri, Omega One, or Reptomin. Use that as a staple and be consistent with the amounts and time of day if you can. I don't know the current sizes, but the amount I would start around would be 1/3 or 1/2 of the size of her head. Skip all the shrimps, meal worms, crickets, live wax worms, and use those as a rare treat. Those aren't necessary or nutritious, so use it once a week or so. Did she eat the strawberry/greens?
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 6:02 pm   Re: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

Yes, she did eat the strawberry and bits of greens. I haven’t given her much because I read that hatchlings need more protein than greens, but to still let them get used to eating them for when they are older.
How many pellets would you recommend, or just 1/2 of one that is smaller than her head?
Zoeffler
 
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:48 pm   Re: Lines of RES Turtle shell are turning darker/ brown

I don't think it's ever too early to get them interested in greens. Variety is key. The 1/3 or 1/2 is a total amount. So imagine if you can fill his head with pellets, use 1/3 or half that amount.
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