Turtle Advice Really Urgently Needed, One Turtle Dead...

[fall-apart-dave]

One of my Musks passed on today. Water is 0 nitrate, 0 nitrite, cannot test nitrate though its heavily planted so doubt it'll be high.

One turtle was looking peaky for a while, getting completely out of the water and resting his head a lot. Not reacting when I opened the enclosure (the other would dive deep and hide). He picked up after a couple of days, started eating well etc and behaving normally. Then today, I got home and he was dead. I installed a basking light yesterday, though there are plenty of places to hide out of the light and the tank reaches about 28 degrees at the warmest part, water temp 26. Drops to about 20 on a cold night, normally drops to 22. Water heater set to 22. Diet is frozen bloodworm, frozen turtle food, dried pellets, shrimp, prawn and fish. Live bloodworm and brine shrimp as a treat. They are only babies, about the size of 2p pieces.

One possibility is he may have drowned, I found him upside down under a large log at the back of the tank. Thinking he may have fallen down there, and got his shell wedged between the log and glass with his head under water? Other turtle seems healthy and is eating well.

ANyone any ideas on how to check a turtles health? The dead guy looked healthy, though his shell is quite flexible. Colours are fine and doesnt look too skinny.

HELP ME PLEASE FELLOW TURTLE KEEPERS!

 

[Mikaila31]

I'm terribly sorry that he pasted away

The only thing I can suggest is joining a turtle forum like this one here, (it looks a little familiar ) they could probably help you.

 

[fall-apart-dave]

Other turtle has now passed away...

 

[Buslady]

I think one of the problems with that oddball tank was the water depth, they live in shallow areas mainly; warm temps, no lower than about 75 degrees, and as warm as 90. I would have housed them in a 20 gallon long tank until they were big enough.

 

[jourdy288]

I had a turtle that died of drowning, sorry for your loss. As for what happened, I have no idea.

 

[PRW1988]

sad, sad news, sorry to hear. One problem may have been that you're feeding mainly frozen foods, frozen foods (if left in the water too long) can sometimes begin to rot, causing fungus and diseases in the water. I wiped out one of my tanks of all but 3 fish after feeding a heavy dose to them. The next day, some of the food was left and alot of the fish were dead

 

[Saedcantas]

It would seem to me that the main problem came down to low temperatures and no mention of access to uv lighting?

Just make sure whichever turtles you choose next time you do plenty of research, dont be put off, just make sure you learn from this unfortunate event

 

[Buslady]

sad, sad news, sorry to hear. One problem may have been that you're feeding mainly frozen foods, frozen foods (if left in the water too long) can sometimes begin to rot, causing fungus and diseases in the water. I wiped out one of my tanks of all but 3 fish after feeding a heavy dose to them. The next day, some of the food was left and alot of the fish were dead

Frozen won't affect turtles like fish.
I feed my Reeves and Spot frozen blood worms, they love it. What doesn't get eaten the ghost shrimp and snails find.


Low temps would slow down, not kill...and the lack of UVB won't kill them that quickly. I think they were too young & delicate and/or just hatchlings who weren't meant to live. Failure to thrive.

 

[Saedcantas]

No basking spot where the turtles could completely dry and warm themselves enough to digest food properly, would indeed cause illness serious enough to kill them.

The lack of UVB in growing baby turtles that apparently had soft shells, would only serve to compound their poor health and allow them to be so easily susceptable to illness.

They were young, delicate and kept in unsuitable conditions. That they were hatchlings that jst "werent meant to survive" is the least likely answer to this.

 

[Buslady]

No basking spot where the turtles could completely dry and warm themselves enough to digest food properly, would indeed cause illness serious enough to kill them.

The lack of UVB in growing baby turtles that apparently had soft shells, would only serve to compound their poor health and allow them to be so easily susceptable to illness.

They were young, delicate and kept in unsuitable conditions. That they were hatchlings that jst "werent meant to survive" is the least likely answer to this.

Mud turtles (Musks are a type of mud, im using it in a general reference to muds & musks) aren't a typical "basking" turtle; a basking turtle is usually a pond species like sliders, cooters, maps, and other highly web footed ones. Muds are swamp turtles; they hibernate in mud, they stay in the water most of the time; only coming out to lay.

The lack of UVB hasn't prevented many hatchlings from growing; there's turtles who don't even need it. Mine for one, but they get it anyways. I've raised enough babies to know. Redfoots don't even need it. As long as they get D3 they can process their nutrients and grow; thats just w/ some not all. Hatchlings always have soft shells, it takes up to a year for them to become firmer. If there was no UVB for a week or two, it's not gonna kill them.
Not all hatchlings live. There's a condition called Failure to Thrive, usually there's something wrong internally when outside they look perfect. It happens. I had one die on me years ago.

This case boils down to improper housing; that's what I originally said. It could be a combo of things, improper housing, poor temps, temps fluctuating too much, turtles being sick before they came home...it could be anything. Sometimes ya just don't know.