Problem

[Xastur]

My dad has 2 baby water turtles i bought him for his bday. A spotted turtle and a western painted. They were doing fine for a while but have both become sick as of late. While the western painted still eats food she seems like her eye is bothering her and she rubs it occasionally with her front foot. At one point she would keep her eyes closed at all times but she has since stopped doing that but her coordination and eye sight still seem to be hindered.
The spotted turtle seems like she might have a respiratory problem. She opens her mouth every once in a while to breathe and she hasn't been eating at all lately unless she is nibbling while he is away. She rarely heads into the water and seems to just want to sit on her basking rock all day. We were given baytrill by the vet and he advised us against injections so we have been trying oral dosing but it is really to get them to ingest. I really have no idea what to do, he cleans the water every day they have access to real sunlight and the temps are perfect but they just seem to be slowly fading

 

[Yvonne G]

My first thought was that they aren't warm enough. Do they have a basking light that shines down onto the basking platform? Do you have a heater in the water?

 

[Xastur]

They have miami sunlight shining on them from morrning to mid afternoon and we have been having hot hot weather for a while now.. I dont have an exact temperature check but i cant help but think they have enough warmth

 

[Yvonne G]

You're talking about the sun shining through a window onto their aquarium? That's not nearly warm enough. What you're talking about is "room temperature." You need to get those babies warmed up to 85 or 90 degrees on their basking platform...maybe even 100. 75 degree water is quite ok, but they need much warmer on the basking platform.

 

[Xastur]

You're talking about the sun shining through a window onto their aquarium? That's not nearly warm enough. What you're talking about is "room temperature." You need to get those babies warmed up to 85 or 90 degrees on their basking platform...maybe even 100. 75 degree water is quite ok, but they need much warmer on the basking platform.

No they are in a Rubbermaid tote style tub.. Outside with my dad all day theyre getting direct sunlight no glass covering.

 

[1 Low Turtle]

Any pictures of the setup?? Are they in the same setup, these are two very different turtles that need to very different setups. The spotted needs little water and lots of hides and places to hang out on by the water surface. The painted needs lots of water with a place to sit and rest on the surface. They both need basking areas and UVB. As for the eye for the painted you can try Cod liver Oil 100% only(NO Additives) and do a small drip on the infected eye. I would try dry docking the spotted or placing him in a quarantine tank with a little warmer water than normal (helps boost immune systems in water turtles)

Here are some care sheets for the individual turtles for reference:

Spotted Turtle Care Sheet

Western Painted Care Sheet

 

[Xastur]

Yes they are together but we are going to remove the spotted to a warm water seperation container. Should the water be shallow so she she doesnt really need to swim? Here are the pics of the enclosure.

 

[1 Low Turtle]

Yea the water should be shallow so it doesn't have to swim. What are their diets?? The setup you have looks OK for a spotted (i would suggest a few more plants) but the painted could use quite a bit more water.

How are you gettin them the Baytril??

When I have pesronally given Baytril as an oral, I have used the same amount as I would for injections. This is typically when the turtle is too small for the needle or for other reasons such as multiple limb injuries. for aquatics, I cut the head off a fish, let the rest of it dry out for a few minutes and then inject the medication. For tortoises, I use strawberries because they are desireable and also because they are pretty sticky and the meds mix with the juices and it makes it stay a little better in the meal instead of running out all over the place.

 

[Xastur]

Yea the water should be shallow so it doesn't have to swim. What are their diets?? The setup you have looks OK for a spotted (i would suggest a few more plants) but the painted could use quite a bit more water.

How are you gettin them the Baytril??

When I have pesronally given Baytril as an oral, I have used the same amount as I would for injections. This is typically when the turtle is too small for the needle or for other reasons such as multiple limb injuries. for aquatics, I cut the head off a fish, let the rest of it dry out for a few minutes and then inject the medication. For tortoises, I use strawberries because they are desireable and also because they are pretty sticky and the meds mix with the juices and it makes it stay a little better in the meal instead of running out all over the place.

Well since dottie seems to have a respiratory problem we were using a dropper given to us by the vet and waiting for her to open her mouth to drop in the baytrill. Their diet includes night crawlers cut up, dark leafy greens, veggies, reptomin, the occasional shrimp. But as of right now she wont touch anything regardless of what it is.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

The water is too cold and they should have a filtration system so the water levels out with specific beneficial bacteria and they need to be warmer. If you as giving them water from a hose that is too cold it shocks their system.
Are you using a coil type UVB bulb? If yes and it's a 5.0 that's too harsh on their eyes and there have been reports of blindness and eye damage. Just use a regular incandescent bulb, 100 watts.

 

[Xastur]

The water is too cold and they should have a filtration system so the water levels out with specific beneficial bacteria and they need to be warmer. If you as giving them water from a hose that is too cold it shocks their system.
Are you using a coil type UVB bulb? If yes and it's a 5.0 that's too harsh on their eyes and there have been reports of blindness and eye damage. Just use a regular incandescent bulb, 100 watts.

Theyre outside they dont have a bulb, they get regular Florida sunshine. As for the water temps i just used my digital thermometer and got a reading of 82 degrees is that too hot / cold?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Is that the temperature that comes out the hose? Or has it been sitting all day. I am thinking the water coming out the hose is too cold. May be wrong...just trying to help

 

[Xastur]

Is that the temperature that comes out the hose? Or has it been sitting all day. I am thinking the water coming out the hose is too cold. May be wrong...just trying to help

You may be right on the hose ill have to see next time i change the water. Does the diet look fine?

 

[1 Low Turtle]

The water temp is actually a little high. I would keep it around 78-80. Most spotted turtle hatchings and younger spotteds love to eat worms, baby or small worm like red wigglers, or small night crawlers and pretty much anything offered to them. The older the spotted get, they will eat about anything from aquatic vegetation like anachris to insects like crickets; all foods are consumed in the water. They can usually never resist a rig red wiggler or something that moves a lot. Water quality is important they need very clean water. Have you noticed any aggression between the two turtles?? What are the basking temps??? they should be around 90.

 

[Len B]

I don't keep spotted turtles but when a kid in late 50s and early 60s i caught a lot of spotted turtles in Prince George County Maryland and never saw one basking in bright sunlight like a painted turtle does,and never found one in a open pond,they were always in swamp, bog, or marsh areas with filtered sunlight and cool water.one of their favorite foods were dragonfly larva. Hope this helps.---Len

 

[socalturtle]

I have raised and bred a few spotteds. I keep the babies in small containers with a book under one end, so it is tilted a little. The deep end water is about the same depth as their shell length, and the bottom slopes so they can walk up to the dry area. I use aquatic plants to give them hiding areas. With this setup the water is too shallow to filter so it needs to be changed every few days, and I use filtered water. I do not heat the water, but they have a basking light that makes their basking area about 95 degrees. I let their temperature drop into the 60's at night. My babies eat pinhead crickets and live blood worms like crazy. As they get older they will start to take frozen worms and pellet food. I have noticed some babies take awhile to start eating. Last year I had one who ate very little until the spring. He was about half the size of his siblings, but got a great apetite in the spring and started to catch up to them. Don't have much painted experience, but if you keep your spotted like this, I am sure the painted would appreciate a lot more swimming room.