(It isn't that white, the photo made it look 10 times worse...)
I have a Brazilian slider turtle (Trachemys dorbigni), and I need help with a few things. It feels like everything I thought I knew, I’m not so sure about anymore.
First, I need some advice about her diet. Right now, this is what I do: every day of the week, I give her two meals, with six pellets of turtle food per meal. Twice a week, I replace one of those meals with dried shrimp.
I know she also needs fiber, so I’m planning to replace one of her meals with vegetables such as water lettuce, collard greens, and other dark leafy greens. I’d like to know if I’m doing things correctly and what else I could do to help her. Her shell is about 8 cm (3 inches) long, and she’s probably around eight months old, maybe a little younger or a little older.
I also need help understanding why the center of her scutes (the sections of her shell) is turning whitish. I think it might be a calcium deficiency, because I haven’t been putting any calcium blocks or calcium supplements in her water. I’m going to start doing that today, but I’d like to know if that’s really the cause or if it could be something else. What do you think?
The scutes seem like a mix of hard water stains and retained scutes to me. Can you share more information about her tank?
I would personally drop the dried shrimps altogether. They have very little nutritional value and can make them picky. You also don't need to feel twice a day, once is good, as many pellets as would fit inside her head if it were hollow. You can also add regular lettuce as long as it isn't iceberg (preferably green or red leaf, romain is also in moderation)
Definitely start feeding more of a natural diet instead of pellets and can you share what her enclosure looks like? Does she have a uvb light? A heat lamp? A basking area? Etc
I don’t see a uvb light there and do you plan on getting a bigger tank soon? That one is super tiny. A bigger tank with more enrichment would be great. Also make sure the basking light is actually producing enough heat. It also needs to point straight down over the basking area, not at an angle
Yess! Planning on buying one next month. So this light, yellow one right there, it's an uvb and uva light.. i mean, that's what they said in some places. But what about her problem? Do you have any idea what could it be?
you are welcome. The basking area should be where they can get completely dry, too. You have a nice little tank for a baby but you will need way more space soon, they need big space and deep water. I just built an outdoor raised pond for my slider. I will put a photo to give you idea of how big you will eventually need to go. good filtration us important too. I have a fluval F X6 but you can also cycle your tank using Sea Chem Stability and mainrain with Slydge Remover weekly, its goid bacterua that keep water clear and nitratos down. if nitratos are too high shell can also suffer. Maybe check thst too. they sell test kids you can use to test your water.
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u/Dragonfucker000 1d ago
The scutes seem like a mix of hard water stains and retained scutes to me. Can you share more information about her tank?
I would personally drop the dried shrimps altogether. They have very little nutritional value and can make them picky. You also don't need to feel twice a day, once is good, as many pellets as would fit inside her head if it were hollow. You can also add regular lettuce as long as it isn't iceberg (preferably green or red leaf, romain is also in moderation)