Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How's it going? I just went to a local pet shop (which I am currently not pleased with) to finish paying off a tortoise I had on lay-a-way. I was checking out their aquatic turtle tank, when I noticed an injured chinese softshell. I was able to get it for free and now I want to get it back to health... It was bitten by sliders in the tank and is missing some toes on its rear-left foot. Above where the foot was bitten is a 2 centimeter chunk of shell missing. Both areas, as you would imagine, are pink and white. I'm keeping it in VERY clean water with MelaFix in it (works WONDERS... It is all herbal with tea tree oil in it. I would recomend it to anyone!) Any suggestions on anything else I can do to help out this poor 'lil guy?

Hello. I have had softshells do this to other softy's in my tanks. I ended up separating them of course. They were always fine after being seperated. I had one softshell that had several nickel sized chunks missing from his shell, but he was perfectly healthy after being seperated from his ruthless roommate. I actually released him about 2 years ago in a nearby large pond, and saw him this September while fishing! He surfaced about 3 feet from the shore and I could clearly tell it was him because of the missing chunks! He took a quick look at me and submerged immediately! I would say keep your Chinese softshell in the clean water and give him a week or two to recover, he should be fine! Later, Chris

I agree with the Melafix in the water. It does help with the healing process. When I am treating turtles in rubbermaid tubs (doing daily 100% water changes) I keep Melafix in the water.

You should keep the wounds clean and allow him to dry dock for a few hours a day. You can use silvadene (sp?) creme on the wounds and then let him dry dock for an hour or two before putting him back in the water. Some folks use a diluted betadine solution (10%) on the wounds and allow the animal to dry dock. Fungus is something else you have worry about the Melafix is a helpful thing to use in the water.

Once you have him on his feet again you will need to set him up with a sand substrate to dig in and in a well cycled tank that has a good filtration system. Right now the best thing to do is just keep him in a tub that you can make 100% water changes everyday until those wounds heal up.