Are my turtles ok?

[onniki]

I'm a little worried about my turtles shells.

Please see the photo and tell me what you think, I have circled an area on one that has a small discoloured area. The circle is a little hard to see I think, it is on the smaller turtle with his foot on the other one. The spot has been there for a few days. They have both been shedding and you can see this on their legs and necks.

Also do their shells look like they are growing too fast?

They eat a variety of food (bloodworms, brine shrimp, turtle dinner, prawns, made into blocks with gelatin and with added calcium and woombaroo mix). Feed once per day

Water temp 25C

UV tube and a basking lamp provided.

These are my first turtles, they both eat well. But one is growing much faster than the other. The bigger one in the picture was the smallest when I purchased them.

I would like any help

 

[hornet]

they look ok to me try and give them hole fish, get feeders from your local petstore, i freeze mine to make sure they are safe them feed em off

 

[-Peter]

It looks like a small abrasion. Keep an eye on it for now.
The old question, "are they growing to fast?".
Ideally there wouldn't be ridging forming on the individual scutes as they grow but theis is found on wild turtles as well. There are of course times of vast food abundance in the wild as well as lean times.
If they grow quickly; which they tend to do in captivity; at least make sure their diet is adequate. That way the bone growth will be strong.

 

[onniki]

Thanks

It's been suggested to me that one may be growing faster than the other as females tend to grow faster than males.

Does anyone know if this is true?

 

[-Peter]

I havent heard that one but think you'll find that one gets more food than the other.

 

[onniki]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

The bigger of the two is a much more active turtle. Always swimming around and looking for food or greeting us at the front of the tank.

The smaller one spends most of the day sitting under the turtle dock, resting on the plants with just it's head sticking out to get air.

 

[ldheav]

vut back on the food

 

[mrdestiny]

An adult female turtle is generally larger than an adult male.

 

[Tristis]

The old question, "are they growing to fast?".

i dont think any reptile can grow to fast, i have a murry river tort that is 25cm and just over a year.
her shell is perfect.
all you need to do is heat them and feed them right.

 

[Tristis]

and no uv.

 

[-Peter]

and no uv.

I have a collection of carapaces and plastrons from deceased turtles that have grown to quickly without enough nutrient and UV.
You base you assumptions purely on the outward appearance of your turtles shell.
People who keep their turtles in less than optimum conditions are doing no favours to anything except their own egos and their penny pinching hip pockets.
You are not doing right by your turtle.
Hey, my turtle can survive for 2 years without food and it looks fine.

 

[hornet]

i agreee, turts need uv for a healthy shell, if you dont use a uv light take them outdoorsfor sun every week

 

[onniki]

-Peter, Am I feeding these guys the right things (my first post listed their food)?

They are approx 4 months old and one is 4.5cm and the other is 4cm.

The larger one has grown 1cm in the last month.

Thanks to everyone for their help and opinions

 

[Tristis]

growing reptile need the right choice of temps and the right diet,
no reptile needs uv. the faster the bones form the more calcium they need.
reptiles bask for heat not uv.
the guys in the U.S have no problem raising and breeding herps without uv for decades

 

[JasonL]

I'm with you all the way Tristis, though it's going to be a uphill battle!

 

[hornet]

from what i have heard without uv they cant use the calcium? everytime i have kept dragons without uv i have had problems

 

[-Peter]

uphill battle for you but downhill for the turtles then guys.

Your diet seems fine, check out Expansa's care sheet, its pretty comprehensive.

 

[Tristis]

10 years ago when i started i was told by every body that i needed uv for pythons. now almost nobody use uv for python. the same for monitors every body says they will die with out uv. mine didnt die .
you need the have the right deit and the right temps
baby reptile should grow fast thats just what they do

 

[-Peter]

diet and temp, yep, nothing else is needed.

lets see, first off, the discussion is about freshwater turtles and specifically in this case eastern long necks so stop referring to all herps.
Excess calcium is in the long run going to kill your turtle. Have a chat with Scott Thompson over at Carettochelys.com.
On growing quickly, thats not an issue with me. Naturally animals have good and lean times so with turtles you will get fast and slow grow periods. Generally though captive turtles show a much lighter bone density than wild ones.
To absorb calcium young turtles need access to UVA and UVB. To withhold it based on ten years of internet reading and observation of other totally unrelated animals(its like comparing the needs of dolphins with monkeys) is not something I would use to make a descision.
Will they die, of course they will eventually but yours will die earlier than necessary but thats probably not important. Friend had a long neck that live for 37 years. I think if she had had more info in the formative years it would be alive still.
Why would you quibble over taking your turtle out into the sun once a week. How stingey can you get.

 

[bunnykin]

no uv??? what a load of ..... not even worth the typing ... I also hate when its compared to a time line ( ive done such and such for blah blah years ) especially when your talking about animals that live for 70 plus years .... when you show me a turtle that was born and lived its species estimated life with no complication without any uv , then I will contimplait it for now i will go with nature and all the turtles I have known have died or deformed from absence of uv. for hevens sake its one bulb if people cant efford that bloody hell!