turtle help?

Question

2 of my turtles died recently and i dont know how it happen..i dont know wether its the pipe water or the food or anything..my mum said it could be the water,its got chlorine right? are they not suppose to be in that?? my turtle kept opening its mouth(like yawning) and stays at one place and didnt eat at all, their shell are also quite soft or maybe its just bcos its still a baby?? pls help b4 my other turtles dies!!

Answer 1

One question comes to mind here....do you have the proper environment for your turtles?

Turtles need water YES, but do you have the proper lighting, heating, basking area? AND are you feeding them the right diet with calcium.

Turtle water temps should be 75-86
Basking area should be 85-88

Do they have enough space? What did you have them housed in?

How long have you owned them? If they were new..I suggest talking to the store that sold them to you.

The UV lights provide what the sun does...and also prevents parasites and prevents soft shell and other diseases....

Proper diet is important. They need a variety of Protein, plant, fruit and calcium intake. Cuttle bone and egg shells are high in calcium and my turtles love the shells more then the cuttle bone...

Turtle do yawn occasionally as people do......but not all the time!!

All of these factors can help the turtle live a very long and healthy life!! Hope this helps

Answer 2

it would help to know the species, sizes, and what your set up and diet is like, but...

- Soft shells indicate the diet is not good.

- If you are unsure about the water chlorination (which is not a problem- if you can drink it, it is OK for them), then I would bet you don't know about the right temps. Good turtle water is 75-80F

- I have a feeling that you need to do some research. A good starter site is http://www.redearslider.com

A quickie lesson in turtle care: Turtles need 3 basic things-

1.) Good Water. They want BIG spaces (at least 10 gallons of water per inch of turtle shell if possible) full of warm (75-80F) clean water.

2.) Good Sun. They love to bask in warm (90F) light. Sunlight is best, but it does not work if it goes through glass or plastic, so we use basking bulbs and UVB bulbs to simulate the sun. Basking sites need to be easy and safe for the turtle to use.

3.) Good Food. Try a mix of about 1/2 good pellets with 1/2 live or frozen/thawed 'fish foods' like small fish, worms, insects, krill, shrimp, organ meat, etc. Feed babies daily (and older turtles every 2 or 3 days), but remove uneaten food before it fouls the water. Variety is important!

Try the website mentioned to see what needs to be changed in your setup, and good luck!

Answer 3

it could be the chlorine in the water. i personally use zoo med's reptisafe to get it out. another thing is sometimes if your turtle opens its mouth a lot it could have a respiratory infection. the soft shell also has something to do with it. your turtle could have metabolic bone disease. it is most common in baby sliders and other turtles. i suggest you take your other turtles to a reptile vet and have them checked out and tell the vet how your other turtles died and he/she will definitely help you.

Answer 4

it was the chlorine..they were poisoned

Answer 5

Aside from keeping water at consistent and regular temperatures, it is also important to understand what is in your turtle's water and what is happening in there. There are beneficial elements as well as harmful chemicals and impurities in the water, some of which you need to prevent, control or eliminate.
Tap water

Cold tap water is usually fine to be used with sliders. Tap water may need to be treated for chlorine (or chloramine), hardness and pH. Testing the quality of the water you plan to use will prepare you for any water conditioners or treatment you may need to use. Tap water usually has a pH of 8.0, which is slightly alkaline. You may want to run the tap water for a minute before use.

Although warm tap water is convenient to use, it unfortunately has to go through a hot water heater. Some pipes may be corroded or have lead soldering - which the hot water will dissolve. Impurities and contaminants, including heavy metals and bacteria, also tend to collect and precipitate in the bottom of heaters. This is the same reason why you should not use warm/hot tap water for drinking or cooking. Avoid using this type of water and use only cold tap water. You obviously should not place your turtle in cold tap water and you should let your submersible water heater warm up the water to the preferred temperature.
Nitrogen cycle (Nitrification cycle) / New Tank Syndrome

The nitrogen cycle is responsible for the biological filtration aspect of your turtle’s water. New turtle setups have insufficient “beneficial bacteria” to compensate for the amount of ammonia that quickly builds up. While RES are fairly tolerant of harsh conditions, fish and more sensitive aquatic turtles may find the situation irritating. During this time, water may appear cloudy and have an unpleasant odor.

Over time and given the correct conditions, beneficial bacteria will colonize inside your tank. Well-oxygenated water and biological media (i.e., inorganic media, such as ceramic rings) encourages this colonization. The cycle begins when waste products and uneaten food decay and decompose into ammonia. Bacteria such as Nitrosomonas feed on the available oxygen and ammonia, oxidizing the ammonia into nitrites. Similarly, bacteria such as Nitrobacter feed on oxygen and nitrites, producing relatively harmless nitrates. Nitrates can be reduced through partial water changes or absorbed by aquatic plants. When cleaning biological media, it is best to rinse that media with existing tank water to preserve those colonies.
Note: Reacting to an abundance of ammonia, beneficial bacteria can overproduce and create a “bacteria bloom”, which may appear as cloudy or smoky water. This should disappear once ammonia levels drop and the bacteria levels drop themselves.
Article: http://www.aquariumdomain.com/guideTheNitrogenCycle.asp
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle
Ammonia

Ammonia is a colorless compound of nitrogen and hydrogen. It is corrosive, toxic and may have an unpleasant odor. Waste and proteins in discarded food are key contributors to the presence of ammonia in tank water and toxicity can build within your tank if these levels go unchecked. Your local aquarium supply store will have the materials that test for and remove ammonia. Biological filtration media helps reduce ammonia, and regular water changes (partial or complete) would be beneficial. Separate feeding containers and reduced protein diets help reduce ammonia levels.
Chlorine and chloramine

Chlorine is a common chemical element used in water purification. It destroys bacteria, including beneficial bacteria in canister filters, and can irritate the respiratory system and membranes. Chlorine can evaporate over time or be treated and removed by a water conditioner. Many municipal water systems use some sort water treatment in tap water. Allowing water to sit for 24 hours will allow for chlorine to evaporate.

Chloramine (monochloramine) is a popular alternative water purifier. It is a stable substance created under alkaline conditions by the chemical reaction of ammonia chlorine bleach. Chloramine has similar properties to Chlorine but will not evaporate or dissipate and cannot be removed by boiling water. However, most water conditioners can neutralize it, but be sure to check the packaging directions.
Nitrites and nitrates

Aerobic (nitrifying) bacteria are beneficial due to their ability to prevent bacterial growth. They are purposely colonized on ceramic rings in the media basket of a canister filter and are helpful in removing ammonia. Ammonia is broken down to nitrites, which are also harmful. Other bacteria present break nitrites down to the safer nitrates. Nitrates should develop naturally once bacterial colonization is established. For this reason, you should rinse your tank's bio media with your current tank water when cleaning. You should regularly check the water you plan to use for unusually high levels of nitrites and nitrates.
Oxygenated water

Well-aerated water essentially contains dissolved oxygen. This oxygenated water is a critical component in biological filtration and is vital to beneficial bacteria. Filters or secondary devices like air stones or bubble wands may agitate the water surface of your tank. Those devices can also be used to provide distractions for your turtles. On a side note, well-oxygenated water is critical to hibernating RES since they do not surface for air but absorb it underwater. The lack of oxygenated water will lead to increased ammonia levels, an increase in certain types of algae, and possibly to the presence of harmful bacteria.
pH

pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Through a scale of 0 - 14, pH = 7 is neutral; a pH below 7 is increasingly acidic and above 7 is increasingly alkaline. Pure water has a pH of 7. Slightly acidic water is desirable as it can prevent certain outbreaks of bacteria and fungus where as greater alkalinity may encourage outbreaks. Check your local aquarium supply store for materials that can test your water quality and adjust your pH levels. pH levels between 6-8 is normally considered safe for RES.

Some simple methods of lowering pH are adding peat (which will also reduce water hardness), bogwood to your tank or partially adding water that has been softened, distilled or been through reverse-osmosis (RO). Water pH can be raised by adding limestone (which will also increase the hardness), by aerating the water or by the use of a buffering agent.
Hard water and water softening

Hard water contains more metals and minerals, especially calcium and magnesium, than ordinary water. More dissolved calcium and magnesium means a higher degree of general hardness. They both have positively charged ions and water softening is a process that removes these ions. A straightforward means to dilute hard water is to add distilled or RO water. Adding peat moss or a water-softening pillow to an extra compartment in your filter can also help reduce hardness. An ion exchanger that is used for water softening replaces calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium ions. Excessive amounts of sodium are neither healthy nor necessary and should be carefully used.
Testing and treatment (Water conditioners)

Fundamentally, water should be tested for ammonia, hardness, nitrites and nitrates, and pH levels and treated for chlorine and chloramine. Various test kits are available and there are treatment options to create specific water conditions. While regular water changes will help reduce harmful ammonia and nitrite levels, it is recommended that you be aware of what is in the water you choose to use for your turtle.

Medicated blocks (usually in the shape of a white turtle), either described as a calcium supplement, sulfur medication or water conditioner should not be used. They are not proven to provide any benefit and in some cases have negative results. Other treatments aimed at reducing ammonia, algae or removing waste should be avoided, as regular water changes are much safer and healthier.

Open mouth breathing

This occurs occasionally, usually during basking. If it is frequent or accompanied by wheezing sounds or mucus, then it is a possible respiratory infection. Take basic measures and carefully observe. If conditions do not improve, then please contact a qualified veterinarian.
Sneezing

This may occur occasionally, even underwater. It should not be a frequent event and should be fine without the presence of mucus. If it is severe, frequent and occurs with other symptoms then it is a possible respiratory infection. Take basic measures and carefully observe. If conditions do not improve, then please contact a qualified veterinarian.
Yawning

This is usually normal and often happens when a turtle is basking, though it can also occur underwater. If it is frequent and there are other symptoms present, then it is a possible respiratory infection. Take basic measures and carefully observe these symptoms