Frustrated YBS

tkbeacher

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Help.
I am new to the forum, but have lurked for a while. I have a 10 year old YBS, Larry (girl who we originally thought was boy, lol!) She lives in a 100 gallon horse trough turned into aquarium with a fluval 307 filter. Water is approximately 78 degree, with appropriate basking doc/light etc. For the last ten years, she has seemed to be very happy! She has been acting very strange as of late. She swims ferociously as the side of the tank. When she climbs onto her basking dock, she tries to escape the tank. She seems so frustrated. Could she have eggs? I have examined her for possible eggs, but am unsure of what I am feeling. I created an egg laying box with substrate. When I place her inside, she tries to escape the box. So much so that she turns herself over!! Does anyone have any ideas as to what may be going on?
 

Martin8

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Hello,

I had a similar issue with my YBS. She is about the same age (Mario...who I thought was a boy too :D) and she was doing the same. She also went off her food and had a slight redness to her skin perhaps something to watch as well.I would personally avoid self checking for eggs, it can lead to causing more harm than good, if you squeeze one it could pop inside and do no end of damage. Anyway, I took her to a specialist who kept her overnight and gave her an x-ray because I thought she was gravid as well. It turned out she was struggling to actually form her eggs inside her which caused her distress and that she felt full all the time so she would not eat. Basically her eggs didn't form properly. Normally when that happens the vet said they get re absorbed (there's a technical term and a lot more to it but that's the simpfied version) It sounds scary but there's good news. The vet gave me some injections for her that I administrated myself for 2 weeks and it worked. After the course of injections she was back to her normal flappy self and eating like a trooper. I would consider finding a reputable reptile vet in your area and check in with them and see what they say. Hope that helps!
Martin
 

Toddrickfl1

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Help.
I am new to the forum, but have lurked for a while. I have a 10 year old YBS, Larry (girl who we originally thought was boy, lol!) She lives in a 100 gallon horse trough turned into aquarium with a fluval 307 filter. Water is approximately 78 degree, with appropriate basking doc/light etc. For the last ten years, she has seemed to be very happy! She has been acting very strange as of late. She swims ferociously as the side of the tank. When she climbs onto her basking dock, she tries to escape the tank. She seems so frustrated. Could she have eggs? I have examined her for possible eggs, but am unsure of what I am feeling. I created an egg laying box with substrate. When I place her inside, she tries to escape the box. So much so that she turns herself over!! Does anyone have any ideas as to what may be going on?
100% sounds like she's gravid. Give her a good sized nest box. I use a 55 gallon tank. You need about 12" of substrate like potting soil or sand that's moist enough to hold it's shape when you dig in it. Keep it warm too 78-88ish. You can use a ceramic heat emitter or basking lamp to do this. They tend to nest in the evening, around 5pm- dusk. Take her out and put her in the nest box daily around 4:30. It might take a few days but she'll lay them as long as she's not egg bound.
 

tkbeacher

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Thank you both for your replies! I will begin placing her in her nesting box this evening. I will keep everyone posted on the results. And I am sure I will have more questions, haha!
 

Markw84

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IF you have a nice, safely enclosed garden bed or area that is secure, you could also try putting her out there for several hours. That gives much more natural type choices for nesting and they normally will take to that more easily than a nesting box that is enclosed and unnatural feeling.
 

tkbeacher

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Thank you for your idea. I would love to be able to do this, however, I feel it is too cold outside.. only 50 degrees out right now. It should be in the mid 70's later this week, hopefully, I can get her out then if she hasn't laid yet!
 

Toddrickfl1

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Here's a thread from when I went thru this. Maybe something in it will help you.
 

jeneliza

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Here's a thread from when I went thru this. Maybe something in it will help you.
I read this just because I was interesting to me, how ever did you get any babies out of those eggs?
 

Toddrickfl1

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I read this just because I was interesting to me, how ever did you get any babies out of those eggs?
No, unfortunately they weren't fertile. I gave them about 2 months and it was obvious they started getting funky.
 

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