Whats wrong with my 2 turtles?

Question

I have 2 red eared turtles.I've had them for about 2-3 months.there shell is getting softer everyday and most of the time there sleeping.I feed them every other day and have a light bulb in top of the tank to keep them warm at night.I also want to know when they hibernate and when do I know they are mating.Please tell al the info you can give me.Thanks

If my turtle gets sick or has a bad infection where should i take him?should i take them to a regular animal hospital/vet or is there a special vet for turtle/reptials?

Answer 1

If your turtle is very young, it will have a soft shell, until it hardens naturally. This is not a poor health issue. If your turtle's shell does not harden as it grows, then the turtle's diet needs to be reviewed, as well as the UVB light tested.

Ensure that your turtle's diet if rich in calcium and that you UVB light is still producing UVB waves. This condition should heal itself without the aid of medications, but if it persists without improvement, a trip to a qualified vet is in order.

Most turtle sticks contain D3 which makes the turtle absorb the calcium without a UVB source. Maybe try supplementing the diet a little with some of those.

Answer 2

Well I don't know a lot about red eared turtles. I have a Russian Tortoise. Tortoises and Turtles are similar in the basic way you care for them but have some differences. I would chack that out. But I would assume that if their shells are getting soft that they are not getting enough calcium or nutrients. Most pet stores that sell turtles also sell supplements that you feed your turtle. It's usually stuff you can sprinkle on their food before you give it to them. I use something called Tortoise Dust. I also keep something called Turtle Bone in his home that he can chew on whenever he wants, it gives him extra calcium.
Another reason their shells might be soft is from a poor diet. What are you feeding them? Variety is key to a turtle's diet. You can not give them the same supermarket greens everyday. If they do not have a good diet with a LARGE variety of food it can cause softness of the shell and deformities.
Another problem that is probably contributing to their sleepiness is your light. Do you have both a UVB and a UVA light bulb?, because land turtles need both. Also what wattage is your bulb? Tank (my Russian Tortoise) has both lights in his home, and his UVB bulb is 100 watts. If your turtles are not warm enough they will probably sleep all day and not eat much. Without the right warmth they can not digest their food and have no energy. Also the bulb needs to be on for 12-14 hours. If you only turn it on during the night they probably do not get enough heat. Have you ever checked on them while the bulb was on at night? That is when they might be up and around because if you only turn it on at night that is the only time they are warm enough. I leave Tank's light on from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m. and I have an appliance timer that you can buy for cheap at any Wal-Mart or Home Depot that I plug into the socket and it turns the lights on and off. It's really helpfull because these guys need a consistent amount of time under the light.
Sorry I wrote a whole book, but there's lots of things that could be wrong.

Answer 3

If you seek a vet, most vets will try to do what they can for your turtle, although most are not trained to do so. I'd recommend calling around so you know in advance where to go in an emergency. Hopefully there will be someone close who can boast at least one vet with some reptile training.

Also, you can check your local universities. Some universities have specialized training because they are teaching vet students, or there may just be a professor there who is obsessed with reptiles and would be glad to help. When I had a sick turtle I was able to find 2 local vets willing to help and a local university professor was willing to make some phone calls to reptile specialists at a sister university. He also pointed me out to a forest ranger who was a turtle specialist as well. You might just be surprised of the support you can find in your own back yard. Good luck!!

Answer 4

Unless these are babies, in which case a soft shell would be normal, Triskelion hit it right with the UVB light as the solution to a soft shell.

I wanted to add that it would be better for your turtles to use a red heat lamp or a ceramic heat emitter rather than a light bulb - they need to have a "day" and "night" the same as you (maybe that's why they're always trying to sleep).

If their temperatures are warm enough, they won't hibernate.

Here are some websites that have all kinds of info about red-eared sliders - feeding, lighting, housing, sexing, hibernation, etc.: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm
http://www.redearslider.com/

Answer 5

Rather than teaching you everything you need to know, I'll just point you to two good sites:
- http://www.redearslider.com
- http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

Some quick answers would include:
- Soft shell is the result of bad diet, dirty water, and/or the lack of UVB lighting.
- Excessive sleeping is usually due to low water temperatures.
- A light bulb over the tank is no where near enough warmth for the poor turtles.
- They hibernate when days get shorter and temps drop to under 70. True hibernation hits about 40-50F- but they do not need to hibernate in captivity- it is really hard for a beginner to do this safely.
- Mating occurs at about 4" long or about 4 years old. See the websites for more details.

You badly need good information for your pets. PLEASE read the sites listed.

Answer 6

Call the vet office to make sure they are experienced in turtle care. RES are more common, so a regular vet may be able to help.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON YOUR LIGHT: You need a UVA/UVB light purchased from a pet shop or online. The light must be high-quality, and must be placed 6-12'' from the turtle to be effective.

Definately look for a vet.

Answer 7

In order for their shells to get hard they need a UVA/UVB bulb available at your pet store for all reptiles. This bulb looks similar to those new energy saving floursecent bulbs. That and/or good indirect sunlight. This along with D12 vitamin reacts with Calcium to bind and create the shell and claws of the reptiles and its bones. I feed my tortoises Mineral ALL with D12 vitamin and theyre doing great. Just make sure you feed them the right food and green or red vegs. As long as youre using the powder will be good.
My little tortoise bottom of his shell(carapace) was soft and received her from a woman that told me the other one died. I put her with food with the mineral all and shes doing great now and after 9 months of separation(in case she could have had any diseases) shes doing fine!

Answer 8

I don't know much about turtles, but their is a website called: www.turtles.com that can help you.

Answer 9

lots of warm light/lots of calcium

Answer 10

turtles,
turtles are garbage get rabiit