Hatchling - Shell fungus???

[rade1610]

Hello dear tortoise lovers from all over the world!
My name Is Radek and I'm from Czech republic. I have my first tortoise and Red-footed it is. First of all, let me thank you for all advices and helpful Information about tortoise care and enclosure setup that are available on this forum.
I have 2 months old hatchling named Kory and I'm worried of the white spots on her plastron. Is this shell fungus? I've tried to scrub it with toothbrush but it didn't dissapear. In case it is fungus, what specific athlete foot cream do you use for the care?
I am attaching some photos of the enclosure. My current setup is:
Light- ARCADIA PRO T5 UVB KIT 12% UVB, 54W, 1150 MM/ 16 MM
Heat - ARCADIA CERAMIC HEATER, 100W with thermostat
Substrate - peat mixed with sphangum Moss, inside the hide I had also sphangum Moss, but it showed a signs of mold (root cause???) So I replaced it with wood shavings.
Plants - spider, preacher and some Blue Grass ( all save acc to tortoise library)
I would be grateful for your advices.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't know for sure, but I'll bet it is. Wash the shell and dry it well, then rub in some athlete's foot cream.

 

[KronksMom]

Your enclosure is beautiful!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I think it is the beginning of a slight fungal issue.
Find some athletes foot cream. It will stop it.
Clotrimazole is the active ingredient in most of the Athletes foot cream. Whatever brand of anti fungal you find,
It all works very well.

 

[rade1610]

Thank you for the replies. I bought cream Clotrimazole and I apply it to the plastron twice a day. I will let you know about the result. Also thanks for the appraisal of enclosure. I plan to make a DIY manual for that 3D wall when I'll have some time. ?

 

[KronksMom]

Thank you for the replies. I bought cream Clotrimazole and I apply it to the plastron twice a day. I will let you know about the result. Also thanks for the appraisal of enclosure. I plan to make a DIY manual for that 3D wall when I'll have some time. ?

You should. That wall really makes the whole thing feel much more like a cave than just a box in your living room. I might just have to try and copy that...

 

[rade1610]

So I'm writing an update after 18 days of Clotrimazol treating twice a day. As you can see in the picture, fungus is still there. 2 days before I bought a Betadine and diluted with water 1:100 and rinse the fungus with it, but no significant improvement. Any advices, or is it normal that the treatment takes so much time? Thanks everyone!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I don't think that's fungus. I think that's just a unique pattern/color your baby has.

 

[rade1610]

I don't think that's fungus. I think that's just a unique pattern/color your baby has.

I am enclosing photo of before/after, so you can see it next to each other. It can be seen that white spots, which were at the beggining full spots, are now more like white circles, so definitelly it is reacting to the treatment. But I thought it would be faster.
If it is some colour pattern, have you ever seen some like this?

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I am enclosing photo of before/after, so you can see it next to each other. It can be seen that white spots, which were at the beggining full spots, are now more like white circles, so definitelly it is reacting to the treatment. But I thought it would be faster.
If it is some colour pattern, have you ever seen some like this?

I have here before. Those little white circles sometimes appear. Nobody really knows for sure what causes it.

Those weird white circles on the shell

In what is a strange coincidence I have had a few worried people in the past several weeks contact me and ask about what they described as 'weird circles' or 'water marks' or even 'white squiggles' on the shells of their young tortoises. In one case I got photos showing these things pretty well...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[rade1610]

I have here before. Those little white circles sometimes appear. Nobody really knows for sure what causes it.

Those weird white circles on the shell

In what is a strange coincidence I have had a few worried people in the past several weeks contact me and ask about what they described as 'weird circles' or 'water marks' or even 'white squiggles' on the shells of their young tortoises. In one case I got photos showing these things pretty well...

tortoiseforum.org

Interesting... I bet on level of experiences of each one of you, which increases during time. That thread is from 2011 and maybe @Yvonne G and @ZEROPILOT have seen it since then and it could be healed like fungus.
Maybe it really is not fungus, but something else, which would have healed either way. I am new to tortoises, so I am slowly gaining my own experiences
Anyway, I'll keep this thread updated with another progress.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I for one am guessing that "squiggly lines and spots" can actually be fungal in nature.
If I'm correct...Treating it with ATHLETES FOOT cream can stop it.
If I'm not correct...That cream does no harm and both of those symptoms are known to go away by themselves, anyway.
So, either way, it doesn't seem to warrant any serious concern.