Help! Diamondback terrapin health concern..is my turtle sick?

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Cyndij33

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I've recently adopted a diamondback terrapin named "Spot". He's aprox. 5 weeks old and 1.5 inches long. He's in a 20 gallon long tank with the water temp at 82'f.

I've been worried about him because I think he might have a respiratory infection.
He CONSTANTLY opens and closes his mouth underwater, i saw him breathing through his mouth earlier today,and I thought I seen him swimming in circles (listing?) a couple days ago..also his throat puffs out like a bubble sometimes...
could these be signs of an ri settling in?
However he still eats like a pig, has no foam or mucus coming out of his nose or mouth, and doesn't excessively bask..which leads to another concern..he doesn't bask at all !!!
His shell actually became a little soft where I had to dry him out so it would harden up.. And when I let him dry out for 2hrs, a white crust formed over his eyes! Why doesn't he bask?

What in the world is going on with my turtle??
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Cyndiij33:

Welcome!

I think your water is a bit too warm. They usually come out of the water to warm up. So you want a light shining on the basking place. The water can be about 75F degrees. They have a pretty good appetite when the water is a bit cooler.
 

Cyndij33

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I just now, after I got done posting this, seen him basking on his turtle bank. wow,what a freaking coincidence..which I am releved to see, but at the same time it's scares me because he could have an ri and start basking too much...is it normal for turtles to constantly open and close there mouths underwater?
 

Cyndij33

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Well he all of a sudden is basking now... But are those signs of an ri?
 

Mrs.Robinson

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I had a 25 year old RES and she had heart disease. The reptile specialist that I got to said that one of the signs that I would need to bring her in immediately if she started breathing out of her mouth. I don't mean to scare you they are different species but i would take her in to get him / her checked out. Also how does he sit in the water. Is her back parallel to the surface of the water? If they float leaning to one side it can be a ri.
 

Cyndij33

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Yeah, he can sink and walk along the bottom fine...I think I'm going to wait and see if any changes occur...if he starts to list I'm taking him in right away.. If not I will take him in when he gets about an inch bigger for routine checkups.. In the case of a heart disease,...well... I hope its not..but we will find out sooner or later..

Just have to wait and see!
 

Mrs.Robinson

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She probably doesn't have heart disease, mine was just susceptible to ri cause of the heart disease. The listing to one side can mean pneumonia. My tank water sits around 80 and my little girls is just fine, but shes a Mississippi map turtle. My old girls tank was a bit warmer cause she was sick. These are the temps that my reptile vet suggested. The opening and closing of the mouth is a bit out of nature with the types of turtles that I have had... Does her neck puff up when she does this?
 

Cyndij33

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No, only when he comes up to the top for food or when he pokes his head up out of the water..i read somewhere that they use it like a floating device, wich seems accurate..
I have the temp. at 82, but I think he's going to be okay though, nothin has changed, he's eating like crazy and basks regularly,also swims fine and everything.
 

Redfoot NERD

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What's all this RI concern about? Stop reading all this nonsense about RI and all these other diseases. You are worrying too much and are going to kill your baby if you don't leave him alone! HE WILL BE O.K.! Just keep the water clean and everything will be O.K.

Do NOT heat the water.. Water too warm causes ailments! Above 70 F is way too warm.

My basking spot for my hatchlings is barely warm to the touch - I'm talking about the spot where they bask!

Do NOT handle him..

Feed only about 4 - 5 little pellets of Zoo Med Hatchling Diet ONCE a day.. or Reptomin broken up in 3 -4 pieces [ each stick ] - they will swollow it whole.. if not break it up smaller.

You have not described anything abnormal at all! His neck puffs up when he takes a breath.. notice how bubbles come out when he swims down?

How deep is his water? Mine are in a 55 with about 13" of water -

1terrapinTank.jpg


They are fantastic little swimmers!

This is a male I've raised from a 2009 hatchling -

Bo1118.jpg


Raised like I've encouraged you to do Cindi...

Maybe this will help - http://www.turtletary.com/specials.htm

[ There are none for sale now ]
 

Cyndij33

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I don't handle him at all..i havent taken him out of his tank in almost 2weeks. Besides once to change his water...
I will take your advice to lower the temp,but I can't see only giving him 4 measily pellets once a day.. Why do you say only that much?

He's in a 20g long tank..almost filled to the top..I will be putting him in a bigger tank sometime next week..(72g)
And the basking spot isn't hot, it's just warm..and it's big enough so he can move around on it...




..I'm not worried about him anymore...
He was just new to me so I wasn't sure, and was scared of the possibilities.
Don't worry I'm not going to "KILL" my baby....


HE IS OK EVERYONE!!
 

Redfoot NERD

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Cyndij33 said:
I don't handle him at all..i havent taken him out of his tank in almost 2weeks. Besides once to change his water...
I will take your advice to lower the temp,but I can't see only giving him 4 measily pellets once a day.. Why do you say only that much?

He's in a 20g long tank..almost filled to the top..I will be putting him in a bigger tank sometime next week..(72g)
And the basking spot isn't hot, it's just warm..and it's big enough so he can move around on it...




..I'm not worried about him anymore...
He was just new to me so I wasn't sure, and was scared of the possibilities.
Don't worry I'm not going to "KILL" my baby....


HE IS OK EVERYONE!!

I can't see only giving him 4 measily pellets once a day..

It's always better to keep them hungry than overfed.. it's too easy to overfeed them! They will eat as much as you feed them.

I showed you what they can look like 3 years from a hatchling.

Have you looked at the results on the Diamondbacks page?
 

Cyndij33

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No...what's the link?
I don't know what your talking about...
 
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