Yellow belly sliders shell

Question
I recently got two young yellow belly sliders from a pet shop. They had no basking/heat or UVB and no filter. I have them now in a 20 gallon tank with a heat lamp, UVB lamp, heater, dock and a filter. They also have food dusted in calcium and a cuttlefish/cuttlebone. The turtles shells are nice and hard put have rust coloured peeling, it doesn't look like the scrutes are coming off just something on the surface, like a thin film. Underneath however is bright and healthy looking. The shell underneath the turtles feels slightly softer. Is this normal or should I do something?

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Chris,

A 20 gallon tank is a bit small for two hatchlings, but will do for now, and sounds much better than what they had previously.  Just keep in mind that they'll need a much bigger tank soon.

The peeling sounds like normal shedding, and as long as the shell underneath looks normal with no redness, oozing, or odor, I think all is well.  Assuming your turtles are hatchlings (1 1/2"-2"), a little give to the plastron (lower shell) is normal.  There will be some flex for up to six months to a year.  What you want to watch for is increasing softness, especially to the carapace (upper shell), along with lack of appetite and lethargy.  This would indicate a more serious problem, generally due to poor diet and/or lack of UVB.  Feed a good, varied diet--pellets, animal protein, and greens--and have a good UVB bulb, and they should do fine.  

Here's some links for additional information that may be helpful to you:

http://www.redearslider.com/  (for RES, but good information for YBS as well)
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-yellowbelly.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/care.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/waterquality.htm
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/housing.htm