Turtles

[E4G13M4N]

<H1>Eastern Long Neck</H1><DIV id=Qtextbox><P><STRONG>Author: AmericanPhysco</STRONG><BR><BR>Hey guys,

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Been into cichlids for ages but just got my first turtle tonight...the guy i bought him from had previuosly kept him in his damn and has recently moved him inside to a 3' tank that was filled up with muddy water. I have since started to set up a more cleaner tank for him...now my question lies with some things that seem to be growing on the out side of his shell and also along his neck and all around the openings to his shell...they also exist on the bottom side of his shell. They are white to clear in colour and seem to look like some sort of weed of something....i wanted to know if anyone would know what this is...is it harmful to him and also how do i get rid of it! is looks a lot more pleasant without it...

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thanks guys/gals

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regards Johhno

</P></DIV><H2>Replies »</H2><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: scitzfish</STRONG><BR><BR>could be skin or mucus.......not sure about the removal of it but try an old toothbrush but be gentle

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: slotha</STRONG><BR><BR>A wild turtle where i used to work had long green algae all over its head and shell. They are also known to get tiny seeds caught in their skin which germinate. I think its pretty harmless but can look abit unsightly.

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Tim

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</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: AmericanPhysco</STRONG><BR><BR>yeah its really unslightly!!! i tried a tooth brush already...he got abit scared i think as he started to release a pretty fowl odour. Didnt want to stress him out so i stopped it. I would love to just sit there and pull them all off.....i think what youve said about the seeds sounds about possible. It doesnt seem to be anything like fungas etc, just hairy things growing on it.....i'll try it again with the toothbrush.....the parts growing on the neck...how to you clean that, i mean his neck is re tracted when i pick him up...anymore input would be appreciated though....thanks

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Regards Johnno

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: slotha</STRONG><BR><BR>Maybe by cutting out light abit might help. How much light does it get and is there a ramp that he can climb up onto and totally dry off?

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Tim

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</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: AmericanPhysco</STRONG><BR><BR>slotha: i ve got him in a tank that is stacked up with slate rocks and is filled so that the water is only taking up half so he can get out and dry off.....he gets about 6 hrs at the moment as i dont have time....

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: E4G13M4N</STRONG><BR><BR>With out seeing the turtle, it is possible that its a form of algae on the shell, as for the neck and shell openings it could be layers of shedding skin and can be very unsightly..

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^Mark^

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: scitzfish</STRONG><BR><BR>what type of light is it? reptile or normal fish tube?

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: TheSuperFish</STRONG><BR><BR>In the wild turtles naturally grow algae over them, especially when they live in dirty dam water. The best way to get rid of it is to let him dry out completely, empty all of the water out of the tank and leave in out for a week or two, but keep you reptile light on. (If you don't have one of these I suggest that you get one straight away, it is very important for them to have UV light.) This sounds cruel I know but it will not have any ill effects on him, they can actually go several months without water. The Algae will die and dry out, and then it will be much easier to clean off.

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Hope this Helps

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good luck with him.

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: melshaw5</STRONG><BR><BR>not an expert at all but was reading a report about them.

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And it goes on to explain that adding a teaspoon of aquarium salt to every 10 Litres of water will help reduce the chances of fungus and skin disease etc.. like I said

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im no expert...

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url of where i found the info:

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www.vhs.com.au/pages/Care...rtles.html

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: leptomaniac</STRONG><BR><BR>Hopefully, American Physco's prob is sorted out by now, but if it isn't, I'd say that it was skin being shed - a normal occurrence, coinciding with the turtle's growth.

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However, if it was a fungal infection, it should have appeared as cloudy patches on the skin. The best way to treat such an infection is to dry the turtle out and apply mercurochrome to the affected areas. Fixes it up in a jiffy!

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HTH,

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Andrew.