sick RES-help!

[zerzer]

i have two RES, had them for 2 months. I got them as baby.
one of them is having fungus infection and starting to have shell rot, but i guess i know the problems now since i read through every threads here. I only feed them turtle pellet and they do not have sufficient light. my bad. I saw from somewhere that giving them 30 minutes warm salty bath everyday can cure the infection within ten days. reliable?

the other one is having fungus infection too, but very mild. but he is having "tumours" around his neck (two, on each sides of the neck) and the other one near the tail. what is the cause and what should i do? and plus i think i accidentally hurt him while i was cleaning his shell using a toothbrush, and he got a blister on top of his head. I tried wiping the blister everyday but it was already there for a month and wont heal. =((((

i know that i am a VERY bad owner. =(

[bettababy]

Those animals need to be seen by a qualified vet and they need the proper lighting and enclosure. I would not advise a salt bath at this time because it sounds as if they have many more issues than just fungal infection and shell rot. The salt bath may cause more harm depending on what other issues they are dealing with. This kind of problem should only be handled by a qualified vet.

If you need help learning how to put together a proper set up for them please post and I am sure many besides myself will be happy to coach you. And for sure, get them a basking light and provide a dry basking spot for them asap. They need vitamin D, so if daily sunbathing is not possible then the proper UV light should also be provided.

[zerzer]

thanks. i tried feeding them some other food such as vege and apple but they won't eat. they are only interested in their turtle pellet. what should i do?
i tried feeding them less pellet, hoping that they will try other food out when they are hungry, but i am worried that they might starve to death at the same time.

about the sun bathing, is only morning sun recommended?

[Winter]

8-12 hours of sun is good but it's almost nearly impossible to supply. Leaving them by a window won't even justify it unless you actually put then outside. I really do recommend the proper lighting.

Please get your babies seen by a vet :( I want them to feel better just as much as you do.

RES can go without food for up to a week and then go hungry. You might have to leave leafy vegetables in their tank without pellets until they try it and adjust. Most young RES really love protein so you should be able to throw in some krill or meal worms and they'll eat them. Since they're so used to pellets I recommend the freeze-dried items. Live sources are the best but stay away from that now because they can carry disease and your turtles are sick enough.

[bettababy]

Morning sun, afternoon sun... they should have at least 8 hrs/day of sunlight or the equivalent of sunlight with the proper light fixtures and daylight reptile bulbs containing UV. They should also have shaded spots away from the heat lamp to cool down if their body temp gets too warm.

How much water is in their tank? What size tank are they in? How big are these turtles? How often do you change their water? Is there a filter in their tank? Do they have dry land as well as enough water to swim around in regularly? It would help a lot if you could post a photo of them and their enclosure.

I am still going to persist in telling you that you need to seek a qualified vet to have them both examined. A vet can explain to you and help make a list for you to get the proper equipment to provide for these turtles the right way.

There is nothing wrong with feeding them the turtle pellets, but they should have other food in their diets. Try getting some anacharis (aquatic plant) and putting it into their tank. Most RES's will devour it quickly without any prompting. If they are refusing foods it could be because of their health issues, and that is even more reason to get them to a vet asap.

[zerzer]

yup i am now giving them enough sunlight and i change their water everyday. i got them from the pet shop and they did not mention about any kind of UV lamp. They din advise me to get them a filter too.
The tank has the diameter of 26cm and height of 15cm. and i put the water just enough to cover their shell and yes they do have dry land when they feel like being on the land.
i do not think that vets here will do any good, as no one send their turtles to vets here. they are very cheap here and people think it doesnt worth the effort to do so. I have vet friends and they do not know about tortoises too.

[Winter]

Zerzer~ just tell us your city, state so bettababy can help you find a qualified vet ;P

Many pet stores do not house their animals as needed... most of them focus on profit so they only aim to hold pets temporarily until sold. I was just as my local privately owned pet store. They have more than 1 species of aquatic turtles in the same tank and there is no basking light or any other form of lighting. I peeked in surprised enough that there was only about 5 in there compared to the usual 20 (so that means they're being sold or dying). The one I saw sitting on a rock had REALLY bad shell rot. That type of condition is contagious but the pet store obviously doesn't care about the well-being of the other turtles :(

If you can.. separate your turtles. Take all the necessary precautions and care for them until they see a vet or miraculously get better ^_^

Oh the best tip I have that many ppl leave out~ have a rock or something hard with rough texture to help your turtles shed. For example, I keep 2 big brown coral looking rocks in my tank. My turtles use it to scratch their backs and help them shed all the time ;P It promotes shell health and growth.

[bettababy]

Can you post any photos of the turtles and their enclosure please?