my daughters red earred slider turtle has white spots on his shell.?

Answer 1

Sounds like shell rot, a bacterial infection that is fairly common in all sorts of turtles (mostly aquatic ones though) and caused by scratches in the shell, poor nutrition, not enough basking light, and/or unsanitary living conditions, amongst other things. If left untreated the infection could get worse and become fatal. Some symptoms of shell rot are: white spots on the shell, which can sometimes be soft or emit a strong, unpleasant odor, areas of flesh being exposed when scutes (shell pieces) fall off, lack of appetite, and cloudiness of the eyes. The last three symptoms described are indicators that the infection has spread and become serious, and that you should see a reptile vet for further treatment. If the only noticeable signs of shell rot are the white spots on the shell, you can treat the infection at home using Sulfa Dip (you can find it at your local pet store) or the regimine provided in the link below.

But before you jump to conclusions, the white spots could also just be air trapped under the scutes of the turtle's shell as it sheds, which is completely natural. If the spots are not soft or smelly or look/feel rough on the shell's surface, it is probably just normal shedding.

Answer 2

Your daughters turtle needs to be seen by a vet. You and your daughter are not providing a proper habitat for the turtle. This is usually caused by bad filtration and lack of UVB lighting. You can add UVB lighting and get a bigger better filter for the tank. If you are usuing a basic fish filter it needs to be two times the size of the tank.So if you have a 20 gallon tank you'll need a 40 gallon filter. Turtles are way more messy than fish and if you don't clean their tanks and filters regularly then your turtle will develop serious health conditions, many of which are life threatening. I don't feel that you understand how to take care of these turtles nor do you know how big they get. They will be the size of a dinner plate if female and just a little smaller if male. A general rule of thumb to follow for a tank is 10 gallons of water for every inch of shell. A full grown female is 12" in diameter so she would need at least a 140 gallon tank to have 120 gallons of water to swim and then room to get out and bask, as all turtles need. Your turtle also needs to have UVB lighting which with lack of is a good cause for spots, shell rot, funguses, and other shell related diseases. They will also die prematurely if they have no UVB lighting as they are not able to metabolize calcium and they don't have vitamin D3 which is both produced and metabolized by UVB which prevents many shell related diseases including metabolic bone disease which is generally fatal to captive turtles as their owners are too uninformed to realize what's happening. I'd sugest going to this site: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/ as it has lots of good info on all aspects of turtles lives. Also, keep in mind if properly kept, these animals will live 20+ years in captivity.

Answer 3

The white spot is shell rot, a common fungus. Here's how to deal with it.
Allow the turtle to dry.
Gently scrape the white fungus off with a butter knife.
Apply neosporin ointment.
Keep the turtle dry overnight.
Repeat once a week until the fungus is gone.
Add novaqua (available in pet stores) to the water as a preventative measure.

Answer 4

Probably some sort of fungal infection. See a vet to diagnose the problem and for antibiotics.

Answer 5

It's time to eat 'em.