Lrodmyre
Member
Hi All,
I have had turtles for many, many years, and have rescued quite a few also over the years. My son brought me a Diamondback Terrapin last Friday from a kid that was just going to through it in the lake because he was tired of it. He has had it for 3-4 years since it was a hatchling. We live in MN so the turtle would not survive. He only fed it Zoo Med pellets. It is a female. Her name is Gumball. When I received her I used Hibiclens and a soft toothbrush to get all of the algae off of her shell, and I'm guessing about 3 layers of scutes came of over the last week. Her bottom was totally black, and now it is yellow at least. Her beak was a MESS! Crooked, couldn't close it, very overgrown. I put oyster shells in the bottom of her tank and started feeding her half shell clams, snails, shrimp and a variety of pellets. Her beak has made an amazing recovery, but still has a ways to go.
I'm worried about her shell. Wondering if the white stuff in her rings around her scutes is shell rot? I've dealt with shell rot numerous times, but this looks different. It's hard. Not soft anywhere. Could it be calcium deposits from the water? Is that a normal look for a DBT shell? I don't think the edges are supposed to curl up.
The other problem is I can't get her to bask. I have the basking spot at 90 degrees. She was living in 72 degree water and I've slowly moved it up, right now to 76 degrees with a final of 78 degrees. Am I just being a little to nervous, but I've never had even a rescue not bask by now.
Thanks for any ideas, or opinions. In all of my rescues, I've never had one of these. She is beautiful, even with her problems.
I have had turtles for many, many years, and have rescued quite a few also over the years. My son brought me a Diamondback Terrapin last Friday from a kid that was just going to through it in the lake because he was tired of it. He has had it for 3-4 years since it was a hatchling. We live in MN so the turtle would not survive. He only fed it Zoo Med pellets. It is a female. Her name is Gumball. When I received her I used Hibiclens and a soft toothbrush to get all of the algae off of her shell, and I'm guessing about 3 layers of scutes came of over the last week. Her bottom was totally black, and now it is yellow at least. Her beak was a MESS! Crooked, couldn't close it, very overgrown. I put oyster shells in the bottom of her tank and started feeding her half shell clams, snails, shrimp and a variety of pellets. Her beak has made an amazing recovery, but still has a ways to go.
I'm worried about her shell. Wondering if the white stuff in her rings around her scutes is shell rot? I've dealt with shell rot numerous times, but this looks different. It's hard. Not soft anywhere. Could it be calcium deposits from the water? Is that a normal look for a DBT shell? I don't think the edges are supposed to curl up.
The other problem is I can't get her to bask. I have the basking spot at 90 degrees. She was living in 72 degree water and I've slowly moved it up, right now to 76 degrees with a final of 78 degrees. Am I just being a little to nervous, but I've never had even a rescue not bask by now.
Thanks for any ideas, or opinions. In all of my rescues, I've never had one of these. She is beautiful, even with her problems.