sick turtle?

Question

I recently got 2 baby red eared sliders...i have had them in a few setups over the past month but i have finally got them in there permanent setup with all the right things in place (heat uv filter etc.).

I have recently noticed that one of my turtles has grown a lot since i got them...almost twice the size, while the other one has not grown at all. I was unable to tell the difference when i first got them and now its strikingly obvious.

The smaller of the 2 does not eat and rarely basks. he just sits in the shallow end of the tank and does nothing. He also has a mean case of soft shell. Im afraid he might die. On the other hand, the other turtle is doing awesome! He loves to eat swim and bask in the light. Nice tough shell too. No signs of anything bad.

i know that the conditions for the tank are perfect. I have a thermometer that says the water temp is around 82 and the basking light is around 90. I got the filter, UV lamp, and even a sulfa block for the water.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

firstly - SEPERATE them! the other turtle could have parasites, or a bacterial infection, or some type of disease.

I would seperate them just in case he has something that the other one can catch - he probably doesnt, but you would want to be sure - that way you can also see what he is eating and exactly how much, you can also observe his behaviour without the interference of the other turtle.

see if he gets any better without the other turtle around over a month or so. I suspect a social problem.
if not, he probably has developed some type of disease and may not recover at all.
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Answer 2

1. Lots of moves can easily stress a turtle, and that might be all it is.

2. Get rid of the sulfa block, all it is doing is fouling the water and developing resistant bacteria.

3. You do not describe the tank size, or turtle sizes. Are you offering at least 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length? Small tanks increase aggression and stress.

4. Smaller turtle is obviously ill. Softshell and small size are diet-related. is the bigger turtle eating all the good food? This is often another sign of stress, aggression, and a small tank.

Answer 3

I feel for you...about a year ago I had two baby red eared sliders and they both had bad soft shell. I recommend cuttle bone which is usually for birds, but it will give them the calcium they need for the soft shell. Just break off little bits of it and see if the little guy will eat it. Good luck!

p.s. I found this site helpful: http://www.turtlepuddle.org/health/mbd.html

Answer 4

Is the healthier turtle preventing the other one from eating and basking? It might help to provide him with a separate basking stone and feed him in a bucket of water away from the other turtle to see.

It sounds like he has a vitamin A deficiency so you might try supplementing him with drops.

Answer 5

seperate them. there is a dominate turtle and a subordinate one. I have had the same problem, I usually just keep a close eye, . one turtle is making sure he gets it all and the other is not so brave. Some turtles stay soft so that they can grow quick as juviniles, . The little one might like his own safe place to do his thing. [e-mail]

Answer 6

listen your smaller turtle feels that the other turtle is more dominant you should feed them separately and in a different tank to keep the water from being polluted.

Answer 7

Why not take your concerns to some really experienced keepers who will be glad to help? These guys are great.

Answer 8

Take him to a vet. they know the best.

Answer 9

mabe because it is very sick it needs a vet!

Answer 10

females are smaller than males