Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all! I have just gotten a new turtle, Lucy, and she is incredibly energetic, eats like a fiend, is jumpy but starting to get used to us, and looks healthy from eyes to tail. I had two questions about her care.

1) She had one tiny hole in her shell when I got her -- I figured that was normal. This morning, there are some whitish spots between panels on her back. I disinfected everything before she moved in. If it gets much worse, I will take her to the vet, but for now I wonder if there are any home remedies for shell health that people recommend? Her tank is at 78 degrees, she has a nice basking area on a rock in her tank, I take her outside occasionally to get real sunlight, and she eats reptomin pellets (and lots of them) and is about to start on cooked chicken. She's about 5 inches long. I have a topical spray for shells, but my vet said he sees no reason why it would be effective.

2) tank health! I have two filters working on a 32 by 12 by 12 tank, and I change the water often. I wondered if any kind of additive would make the water less hospitable to infections without making it less hospitable to my turtle. Any suggestions? I am moving back to school at the end of the month and it will be more difficult to clean the tank in my dorm, so I'd like something which means I don't have to do it that often. Also, how often to you clean your tank?

Thanks all.

in a tank that size i would clean the water twice a week doing a 75 percent water change each time.
you can lower the pH with a product like 'PH down" this will inhibit the growth of some fungus. (but get a pH test kit so you know what range its in,,,sliders are pretty tolerant but i wouldn't go below 6.5)
you can apply a antiseptic lke nolvasan or even alcohol to the shell but the best way to kill fungus is forced basking. (just leave the turtle in a safe warm place from which it cannot escape, with no access to water for three or four hours at a time)
you will need to plan to change the water;
college dorms are noriously bad places for pets and you should plan for it.
make sure you have extra basking bubls and a good tank heater.
you will need a bigger tank in less than ayear.

Thank you! I'm disturbed by the idea that she's going to need a new tank so soon but now I can shop around for something that's appropriate to the space.

Don't be too shocked...the general rule of thumb is about ten gallons per inch of turtle. And if you consider that the tank isn't completely full so they can get out and bask, that reduces swim space. Meaning, many people factor that in and go and buy an additional size larger tank to suppliment that.

Turtles can be tough in dorm room situations because of the inconsistant room heating. (When I went to college in NY my room was always an oven, so I would have to leave a window cracked, making a localized freezing cold draft in winter.) And lugging stuff down to the communal bathroom for cleaning stinks. But you do what you have to do to keep the tank clean and the turtle healthy!

Sure, cleaning blows (I am considering setting up a pump system so no lugging will be necessary, though it'll require some tolerant neighbors), but the idea that I'll need a bigger tank long before I have a shot at a bigger room is intensely troubling. For the heat problem, I'm putting a, insulating layer between her and the window to supplement the tank heater and sun lamp.

Has anyone come up with any creative ways to give a turtle space without monopolizing what little space you have? A larger tank wouldn't be just inconvenient, it would actually be impossible for me to clean in my current living situation. If my dormmates are nice I can keep her in our large kitchen this year, but I'd rather have her in my room where she can distract me from reading.