I rear painted turtles for a release project. Some of our turtles are showing a general softening of the shell. Not shell rot, there are no lesions and both carapace and plastron look normal, the overall animal shell is very soft. Some of our thoughts:
-dont think MBD, very good diet (pellets, mysis shrimp, crickets, meal worms and a jelly produced under zoo recipie including mussels, kale, sardines, turkey). They have good light, the same light we have raised turtles under in the past with no problems (new bulbs etc). We have recently switched to mega ray to improve, if indeed lack of UVB is a problem. I use UVB meter regularily to test lamps.
-food is removed after being offered daily for 3-4 hours. Tanks are scrubbed and 100% water change daily.
-water is from aquifer (non-municiplal) has no treatments and is tested twice monthly.
-haul out area 1/4 size of tank, floating basking area under full spectrum light.
-shells did harden after hatching but have gotten soft over the past month.
-of 80 turtles 13 are affected, one has died. they come from a variety of clutches and there is no trend in size of turtle affected that we can see.
What we have been doing:
-affected animals isolated
-replaced lamps, increased the UVB availability
-vet reccomended a treatment dose vitD3 and calcium bath which we have been doing 3 times a week for 3 hours each time. The vits are water soluble and non coating. Done in dark to decrease vitD breakdown.
-UVB boosts
-low dose vitD3 and calcium in tank water
Things I am thinking to try:
-currently only had access to Flukers vits, have ordered Repashy rescue cal for treatment.
-add basking lamps to beach area to allow for more drying and more basking (though they have plenty of basking and dry out area)
-constant availability of greens (painted turtles are almost entirely carn at this age so they have never really been interested in the greens beyond shredding it, but its worth a try)
I have heard from people that there may be bacterial causes but no one has specifics and no vets I have been to have heard of this so I cant even give them an idea of what is meant. Online searches have revealed nothing but information on shell rot.
Can anyone give advice or help please
I would post photos but they look completely fine.
-dont think MBD, very good diet (pellets, mysis shrimp, crickets, meal worms and a jelly produced under zoo recipie including mussels, kale, sardines, turkey). They have good light, the same light we have raised turtles under in the past with no problems (new bulbs etc). We have recently switched to mega ray to improve, if indeed lack of UVB is a problem. I use UVB meter regularily to test lamps.
-food is removed after being offered daily for 3-4 hours. Tanks are scrubbed and 100% water change daily.
-water is from aquifer (non-municiplal) has no treatments and is tested twice monthly.
-haul out area 1/4 size of tank, floating basking area under full spectrum light.
-shells did harden after hatching but have gotten soft over the past month.
-of 80 turtles 13 are affected, one has died. they come from a variety of clutches and there is no trend in size of turtle affected that we can see.
What we have been doing:
-affected animals isolated
-replaced lamps, increased the UVB availability
-vet reccomended a treatment dose vitD3 and calcium bath which we have been doing 3 times a week for 3 hours each time. The vits are water soluble and non coating. Done in dark to decrease vitD breakdown.
-UVB boosts
-low dose vitD3 and calcium in tank water
Things I am thinking to try:
-currently only had access to Flukers vits, have ordered Repashy rescue cal for treatment.
-add basking lamps to beach area to allow for more drying and more basking (though they have plenty of basking and dry out area)
-constant availability of greens (painted turtles are almost entirely carn at this age so they have never really been interested in the greens beyond shredding it, but its worth a try)
I have heard from people that there may be bacterial causes but no one has specifics and no vets I have been to have heard of this so I cant even give them an idea of what is meant. Online searches have revealed nothing but information on shell rot.
Can anyone give advice or help please
I would post photos but they look completely fine.
