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Turtles skin

22 15:57:25

Question
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I am just noticing that my red ear slider's skin looks gray inside his neck and limb areas. It looks strange. She is not shedding nor do I see any pink or red spots. My turtle is gray. I've never had this issue in the past 2 years.
I've had my turtle for two years and she lives in a 10 gallon tank with a Repto Filter and a Powersun UVA/UVB light.

Answer
Hi Yolanda,

From the picture, I don't see any glaring abnormalities.  Their skin does become grayer/less green as they mature.  If you're not seeing anything like redness or oozing, a bad smell, fuzziness, etc., I don't think there's cause for concern at this point.  However, you do need to make some changes to your turtle's setup.  A 10 gallon tank is MUCH too small for a turtle of that size; in fact, it's too small for a hatchling.  I'd guess that your turtle is about 4" now, so it should be in about a 50 gallon tank.  That will give a little room for growth, but keep in mind that an adult RES needs about a 100 gallon tank (larger for a big female) with a filter that can handle at least twice the tank's capacity.  The Powersun is a good UVB bulb, but does need to be replaced every year.  Improved water quality should help any skin issues that might be cropping up, because most skin and shell problems stem from poor water quality/being too crowded.  It will also make it much easier to keep the tank clean.

More information on care and housing:
http://www.redearslider.com/
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-red_ear_slider.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/waterquality.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/housing.htm