Alligator snapper question...

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SimonL

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 23, 2005
3,213
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Ontario, Canada
Okay MFK turtle guys I have a question for you...Now, I have 15 turtles of various species, including an FRT, so I'm not exactly a turtle noob...but here's my quandry...

I noticed recently one of my snappers, an Alligator I've had for about 5 years, 'bout 8" shell length, that the bottom of her shell looks well...soft? she's almost always shedding, but I've noticed recently it looks like the bottom of the plastron isn't hardening like normal. It's not pitted or decayed, or anything like shell rot.

She's a very picky eater, I had assumed that it's some sort of deficiency (calcium?). Any suggestions? Thanks!
 
That's what I was thinking. Various frozen fish and shrimp.
 
I've never had such a case. Is it only the plastron that is soft?
 
Yep, just the bottom, it's lighter coloured than it should be too. I removed the gravel from the tank too, just in case. Weird huh? I've never seen anything like it...
 
Hmmmm....your diet sounds fine to me. Maybe you could try some whole thawed mice or rats. The calcium from their bones might help. Some people use cuttlebone but I doubt a gator snapper would gnaw on it.
 
Hmmmm....your diet sounds fine to me. Maybe you could try some whole thawed mice or rats. The calcium from their bones might help. Some people use cuttlebone but I doubt a gator snapper would gnaw on it.
Click to expand...

Have tried, she won't eat 'em.
 
To me it sounds like she requires a more stable diet you may wanna try to get her to eat less of a rich diet of shrimp and fish. And more of a stable diet of Turtle Stix. These can also be forced under the skin of present excepted foods or wrapped in them. Eventually weening her off her present diet and using the fish and shrimp more along the lines of treats and not the main course.

A question or two:

1. The shrimp you feed her, are they shelled with or without heads?
2. Have you tried just placing a calcium brick in here aquarium, or inject a liquid calcium supplment into the shrimp and fish that she does eat?

:popcorn:
 
Good points, Tequila, although I have never seen an alli go for pellets ( as opposed to Commons , but then, these freaks eat anything )
 
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