Turtles

[Mbutiful]

Thanks Brooklynella!! thats the first hand info i was looking for, seems perfectly healthy from looking at it just needed to clear that one up!

Thanks again

 

[coura]

My 5 year old Pelusios Castaneus very rarely enters the water. Matter of fact, she eats on the basking area and when she's hungry, she sticks her head in the water. On average, she takes a quick swim once a month!
I see nothing wrong with your turtles and extended basking is nothing to worry about.
Sidenecks like to walk around on the bottom thus I am against raising the water level. Matter of fact, I would lower it! They like an environment similar to Soft shells.
Either way, your turtle does not need a vet.

Sorry but that in my experience does indeed deserve a deep investigacion. First of no african sideneck or softshell turtles for that matter is a swallow water turtle, you can see Pelusios going deep on lake tanganika for chiclid eggs, and softshell turtles...well they are simply one of the best swimers on turtle world, in my opinion its simply inadequade keeping them in lower water but thats another story. Back to Pelusios sp they should handle no prob at all water 2 times their shell length or more if enough holding points are given.
And you bet extending basking is something to worry about because it simply isnt normal. One thing is a turtle (like I have a "few") spending its day on land and going to the water during the nigth, but all the time on its basking platform...something very wrong its going on, the fact that he still acepts food doesant say nothing, if I had to put my money on I would say your turtle has some more unusual form of respiratory desiase (the more comon ones kill turtles rapidly) like necrotic tuberculosis, wich by the way its much more comon on sideneck turtles A normal Pelusios is a almost 100% aquatic turtle, mine allmost NEVER basked (and I have kept a hand full of thouse) they spended the day swiming and begging for food just in front of the tank. You both need to take your turtles to the vet and have them x-rayed wich will detect any problem going on in the lungs

 

[coura]

Thanks Brooklynella!! thats the first hand info i was looking for, seems perfectly healthy from looking at it just needed to clear that one up!

Thanks again

Most sick turtles or any one wild animal for that matter looks healty untill the last stages of the problem unveil...

 

[~THEO~]

Thanks Brooklynella!! thats the first hand info i was looking for, seems perfectly healthy from looking at it just needed to clear that one up!

Thanks again

LOL. The one person that gives the complete opposite advise to EVERYONE else in this thread and you agree and thank them to save yourself a vet visit. As Coura said, it is very likely a respitory infection, or it could be stress related. If you think something is wrong, woulddn't you like to put your mind at ease with a vet checkup?

 

[Mbutiful]

No i just wanted some good advice, not someone who jumps the gun and automatically says GO TO THE VET!, i think im well aware of when to go to the vets and will do so at my own accordance, like i said i wanted advice not orders. obviously the guy has knowledge on the species and i am using that to my advantage.

 

[~THEO~]

Well I have 10 years experience with turtles, keeping, rehabilitation and research and I am telling you that you need to go to a vet, not for a consultaion but to get some anibiotics into it. I am not ordering you to go, you can do what you want. You don't find it odd that your healty turtle swims and acts like a turtle and the other sits on the rock lethargic like?

 

[kafiltafiisch]

Sorry but that in my experience does indeed deserve a deep investigacion. First of no african sideneck or softshell turtles for that matter is a swallow water turtle, you can see Pelusios going deep on lake tanganika for chiclid eggs, and softshell turtles...well they are simply one of the best swimers on turtle world, in my opinion its simply inadequade keeping them in lower water but thats another story. Back to Pelusios sp they should handle no prob at all water 2 times their shell length or more if enough holding points are given.
And you bet extending basking is something to worry about because it simply isnt normal. One thing is a turtle (like I have a "few") spending its day on land and going to the water during the nigth, but all the time on its basking platform...something very wrong its going on, the fact that he still acepts food doesant say nothing, if I had to put my money on I would say your turtle has some more unusual form of respiratory desiase (the more comon ones kill turtles rapidly) like necrotic tuberculosis, wich by the way its much more comon on sideneck turtles A normal Pelusios is a almost 100% aquatic turtle, mine allmost NEVER basked (and I have kept a hand full of thouse) they spended the day swiming and begging for food just in front of the tank. You both need to take your turtles to the vet and have them x-rayed wich will detect any problem going on in the lungs

i concur coura is got the idea

 

[omojena]

too many 40's?

 

[coura]

No i just wanted some good advice
You just wanted someone that agreed with you...
not someone who jumps the gun and automatically says GO TO THE VET!,
That would be the best advice possible when you dont know for shure whats wrong with your pet
i think im well aware of when to go to the vets and will do so at my own accordance, like i said i wanted advice not orders. obviously the guy has knowledge on the species and i am using that to my advantage.

I gave you advice too not orders, you will do what suits you however I dont agree in not doing anything to correct it And as for knowlage on the species well...I currently have close to 36 turtles of 16 diferent species and subspecies, in the total I probably have experience on 20 plus turtle species and being keeping turtles since I was close to 4 and now Im 23 I dont have at the moment any sidenecks because I want to consentrate on asian turts wich are in big trobble, but I once had my fare share of thouse. Have yet to try my first mata when I get my own place

 

[Brooklynella]

For the record, my African Sideneck is still hanging on with her 5 year old lung infection. Her behavior has not changed at all and she's eating well and seems perfectly content with her habitat.
Too bad she's on her last leg.

Oh, and Sidenecks do prefer shallower water. They like to lumber around more than swim, thus shallow water suits them well (Note: By shallow, I mean 2-3 times their lengh in water depth). We seem to be having difficulty defining "Shallow" in this thread.

I'd be wiling to bet the OP's turtle is just fine.