Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 3 toed that hatchling that is about 9 months old. It is only a month younger than our other one. It is not growing nearly like the other one is either. Appetite seems to go in spurts. Feeding live foods, soaking in warm water, etc. We do have a light for the vitamins over the tank. It also gets vitamins in the water. I just went to soak and feed them again and found that the top shell and the underneath is very very soft. I could squish it very easily if not careful picking it up. It's still responding, etc. But would not eat for about two weeks, which hasn't been abnormal for this one. The other one's shell is hard and seems normal. Any suggestions? I need some help here Thanks!

I use a 40 breeder tank for my babies so I can get a proper heat gradient set up, then I use a thermostat hooked up to a dome fixture with a ceramic heat bulb at one end set to 81 or so. That is the hot side. The whole thing has a flourescent UVB bulb (I use reptisun 5.0 or iguanalite 5.0). Substrate is usually 3-4 inches of bed-a-beast mixxed with soil. I scatter some grass or clover seeds around on top, plant a houseplant or small fern, make a rock cave, put in a glazed ceramic plant saucer (really shallow), and that's it.

The light is on a timer, the heat element is on 24/7 with the thermostat. Keeps it warm at night.

With this setup, I feed daily by removing them and soaking them for 20 minutes in a few mm of lukewarm water. Then I feed them in a nother bin for 20 minutes (no water in this bin). While they soak and eat I clean their water dish (EVERY DAY! this is a must!), check the plants in their tank, water where needed, and mist the whole thing. THen I return them home and sometimes put a butterdish lid in there with a few fruits/veggies on it to snack on.

I move the feedings to every other day after about 4 months. At 9-10 months they move outdoors permanently.
In you case you may need to get the shell a bit more solid and getting eating more reliably.

I'd also recommend that once a week you dust with herpti-vite and rep-cal

But what usually causes the soft shell? The other one doesn't have that at all???? Thanks

their shells are soft until they stiffen up as they grow, so that could be one thing, the other could have grown faster. Also, if this one is not eating much, and is not having regular access to uvb lights along with a healthy diet, it could be developing extra slowly, or it could have a deficiency in vitamin D3 or calcium.

Good lighting and a regular diet (using the method I gave before will help get them "scheduled" and train them to eat better) should correct most problems.

Its sound like metabolic bone disease if the shell is that
soft. The only part of the shell that should be flexible.
is the back part by the tail. First off, take it to a vet.
I would put this one by itself and give it a Reptisun or
Iguana light on for 12 hours/day. Try feeding and adding
a little calcium which you can get from your vet.

I would start intervention ASAP with the vet visit. Your
turtle will most definately die from this if you cannot
stop it.

Good luck and please keep us updated.