My baby turtle has a black spot on its shell. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Reptile | Turtle | 1 year and 1 month old
Hi my baby turtle has a black spot on its shell.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 20th, 2019
You can use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently scrub the area. Maintain clean water and provide a health, balanced diet along with adequate UVB lighting and vitamin supplementation. all these will promote shell and overall health. Monitor for spread, bleeding, lethargy, loss of appetite, softness or pitting. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If you can provide the species of turtle and an image or two in a new post, we may be able to provide more specific advice.
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on February 20th, 2019
Thanks for reaching out about Kaka. Black spots could be due to mobilization of melanin pigments, of which reptiles use as an immune response. This be result from nutritional deficiencies, trauma, inflammation or infection. If the spots get larger or spread, a veterinary visit is recommended. The dried shrimp are a poor food source, having little calcium and too high of phosphorus. Live insects that are healthy and aquatic turtle pellets are probably the best. Good luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My baby turtle has developed some white patches on his shell. On Google search I found that it might be fungus and some suggested applying betadine on the affected area. I would like to add this baby of mine is a voracious eater, avid swimmer but doe
Confirm proper environmental conditions. The basking spot should be around 31C. Make sure water quality is maintained via filtration and regular cleaning. Provide adequate amounts of UVB lighting, a multivitamin and a calcium supplement to promote shell health. You can use diluted betadine or chlorhexidine and a soft bristled brush to gently cleanse the shell. Keep him out of the water for an hour or two after each cleaning. The link below will provide additional information. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My red eared slider turtle has black spots all over its shell and it doesn't seem to be because of being in water for too long. What could the possible reason for the black spots that are developing on its shell. P.S. Im not able to provide UV light
UVB lighting is critical to shell and overall health. If you don't yet have a UVB light source, you can take Jazzy outside in full sun for at least 60 minutes daily. Use caution to prevent overheating though. Perform a partial water change (30% total volume) and scrub and tank furniture. Confirm the filter is rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. You will likely need to perform partial water changes weekly or every 2 weeks to maintain water quality. Turtles eat and defecate in the water, so it can get dirty very quickly without regular maintenance. Scrub Jazzy using a soft bristled toothbrush and a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution. Allow for a 1-2 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each scrubbing. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, soft spots on the shell or pitting. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. You can review slider care at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/r
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a baby red eared slider a friend bought from Chinatown then couldn’t keep. I believe it’s about 1-2 months old as it wasn’t even old enough to eat when I recieved it. I have him set up in a filtered tank with a dry rock area and some caves in
It could be some minor shell rot. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and some diluted betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) to scrub the affected area once or twice daily. Allow for a 1 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. If the spots do not resolve or if they spread, have Squirtle physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. A UVB light source, calcium powder and multivitamin will promote shell health. You can also float a piece of cuttlebone in the tank for him to munch on as needed. It will provide additional calcium. Find the cuttlebone in the Bird section of the local Petco. The link below will provide additional information regarding the care of sliders. http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, my tortoise (small one) has black dots since I bought it and today, I noticed the black dots are expanding. He didn't eat anything himself except when I fed him with a stick. He also didn't move and sleep for 23 hours a day. What should i do?
You have a slider, which is a semi aquatic species of turtle. Tortoises live on land exclusively. The black spots may be some algae growing or it could be early rot (infection). Maintain pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. Use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently clean the shell. If the spots persist, use a diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) solution along with the brush. Scrub once daily and allow for a 1 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. Promote shell and overall health by providing UVB lighting, vitamin and mineral supplementation, a balanced diet and appropriate heat support. You can review slider care at the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Red-Eared-Slider-Care-Sheet/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
what are these spots on my new baby painted eastern turtle?
Those uneven pitted spots may be shell rot. Cleaning the shell with an old toothbrush, and then applying betadine antiseptic (available at your local pharmacy) and then letting your turtle’s shell dry for a period of time…and the reapplying daily for several weeks is a standard treatment. Painted turtles are semi aquatic and should have an area of dry land in their enclosure where they can bask. Best wishes!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My turtle shell has some brown spots and some of he corners of his scutes are brown and peeling. His lines on his shell are also brown. He does have a uvb and heat lamp.
The peeling scutes may be normal shedding. Do not attempt to remove them yourself. Maintain pristine water quality. You can use a soft bristled tooth brush and a diluted Betadine solution to gently scrub the shell or affected areas. Allow for a 1 hour dry dock (out of the water) after each cleaning. If the UVB bulb has been in use longer than 6 months, replace it. Make sure it is not blocked by fine mesh, glass or plexiglass. Provide a balanced diet including prey, fresh greens and vegetables and a commercial pelleted diet. Dust food and prey with both a multivitamin and a calcium supplement regularly.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My turtles shell is turning black, and I'm not sure if it is shell rot. I don't know what to do.
Shell rot is characterized by pitting, soft spots, foul odor or discharge or loss of scutes. It can be a serious condition and requires veterinary attention. Your turtle may have rot or the discoloration may be due to excess mold or algae. Clean the tank, do a water change and change the filter media. Confirm proper environmental conditions for your particular species of turtle. Try using a toothbrush and gently scrubbing the affected area of the shell. Make sure your turtle has a warm, dry basking area with proper UVB lighting. If your UVB bulb is older than 6 months, replace it. Do not place glass or plastic covers between the turtle and the UVB bulb. Feed an appropriate diet and dust food with a calcium supplement once a week.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello sir I have Indian soft shell turtle the problem is black spot on down side of my turtle and there are no pet doctor in my city please help me I'm also attaching the photos of my turtle
This could be a fungal or bacterial infection. You can try to manage it at home by maintaining pristine water quality via filtration and regular partial water changes. Make sure any filter you have is rated for at least twice the volume of the tank. Remove any uneaten food promptly to prevent it from fouling the water. Use a soft bristled brush and a diluted betadine or chlorhexidine solution to gently scrub the affected areas daily. Keep the turtle out of the water fro an hour or two after each cleaning. If the spots do not begin to resolve within 5-7 days, you may need to seek veterinary attention.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
I was washing Cooper' s shell when I noticed there a tiny red spot on her shell.When I press it on and disappears but when I lift my fingers the red spot comes back again.Also Cooper's soft shell is now gotten a little more worse and I don't have the
Yes, the images are blurry. The best you can do is monitor the spot for rapid change or growth. Maintain water quality and environmental parameters. Provide a well balanced diet along with vitamin and mineral supplementation. Unfortunately, without a physical exam, there is not much more to be done that you aren't doing already.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 4 month old turtle is developing white patches with tine black spots on his shell. They were initially localised but have started spreading now. Also, his vertebral scute seems to be lying at a different level than the rest of them. He eats well a
Biscuit may be developing shell rot. This condition is usually caused by poor lighting, poor water quality, poor diet or a combination of the three. The lack of a UVB light source may be contributing to the condition. Natural sunlight is great but the window panes can block a large portion of the beneficial UVB rays. If the shell underneath looks pitted, deformed or feels soft and spongy then there could be a serious issue. Minor shell rot can be treated at home. Use a soft bristled tooth brush and an antiseptic such as chlorhexidine or povidone to gently clean affected areas. Dry dock Biscuit until the area heals. This means keep him out of the water except for 30 minutes daily to eat, eliminate and hydrate. The dry dock (and tank) should have a UVB source placed no more than 12 - 18 inches above the tank. Use a screen instead of plexiglass or glass. Replace UVB bulbs every 6 months. Clean the tank, do a water change and change the filter media. Feed a species appropriate diet
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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