#376

 2 of my 5 baby softshell died

And there’s nothing I can do about!!But Im happy I discovered why they died and perhaps Ill save the remaining 3 ones. I rescued these 5 softies a few weeks ago.I brought them home and I did everything I could to make them happy.I put them in my balcony, in a clay vase, with sand in the bottom bacause they loved to dig and hide, a rock as a basking spot,I did everything according to the rules.Thursday I asked my maid to change the water and to clean the vase.She spent hours brushing the interior of the vase. Yesterday, Friday, I noticed the babies were acting weird.They spent hours on the basking rock (no, the vase is in the shadow.They didnt overheat)they even slept on the rock like they wanted to stay out of the water.As they were eating and playing the day before I didnt mind.Today I found 2 of them dead with the shells black and wrinkled and 2 others still alive but with the same problem on the shell.I could not figure out what had happened and I was thinking about taking the bodies to the vet to be anatomized when I noticed that the plant I bought a few days ago was dead too!Well I went to a plant nursery and I asked an expert to go to my house to check what could have happened to my plant.He went and explaned to me why my plant and my... turtles died!! He said that in Malaysia people that make and sell clay vases want to make money very fast so they put a lot of very acid chemical products to make the clay dry sooner. These products, when put in contact with water, start to dissolve and after a few days or weeks the quantity of acid will be so high that will kill ANY living being doesnt matter if its a turtle or a plant!He recommended me to take the 3 remaining turtles out from the clay tank and to NEVER put any living thing inside a Malaysian clay vase.Then I remembered I asked my maid to scratch the vase with a brush.When she did that she probably activated the acid dissolution. Did you know that?? Flavia

 #377

 Oh, Flavia, I’m so sorry!

I never would have thought that clay would be treated with acid. It makes sense, though, that folks would use chemicals to speed up their production. Poor little turtles! I hope the 3 survivors are able to rid their bodies of the acid and lead long and happy lives with you.

 #379

 They’re still alive

Its sunday, 8pm in Malaysia now and Im already awake waiting for the return of my husband.I have just checked the softies and all 3 of them are alive in a plastic vase.But one is acting weird I dont know if will survive. The tragic thing is that those vases treated with acid are sold everywhere for plants!!I bought them because they are cute, very decorative in their primitive way.Can you understand what I say?? Flavia

 #382

 Re: They’re still alive

Sorry to hear about your turtles. I always use plastic. I never trusted anything from clay. Maybe give the one turtle that isnt doing so well some distilled water. It may help clean him out. Being the water doesnt have anything in it will try to pick up things. Just a suggestion I dont know of side effects of it though. PE

 #383

 Re: Re: They’re still alive

Do dandelions grow in Malaysia? They are a mild diuretic, which would help those turtles pee out toxins faster. They are also a mild liver stimulant, to help their livers filter out the junk a bit faster. Also, they are quite nutritious. Perhaps local people know of other plants that would help to cleanse their systems a little bit more quickly.

 #385

 Re: Re: Re: They’re still alive

Wow...sorry to hear that Flavia! I hope you can save the others. Where is the quality in products these days? Toxins everywhere.

 #387

 The weird one died in my hands this morning.

The border of its shell was completely burned looking like someone soaked it in acid..Well thats exactly what happened!!I did that without knowing!!Its movements were awkward, like the movements of a broken doll...I took it in my hands to see if it was still alive, it lifts its front arms, and fell to the back dead.There are now only 2 .One has the shell very burned too but is acting normal like a healthy one and the last one doesnt have anything.I suppose it climbed to the basking rock and stayed there until I took them out of the vase.Like that the acid water didnt harm its shell.I remember seeing a softie basking all day long.It must be that one. I bought 2 clay vases.One I put the softies and the other one I tried to plant a weed garden to my STAR tortoise.Do you know that it was impossible to cultivate weed and grass in that vase??Even weed died!!Perhaps thats why my STAR almost died too!!I used to put it in that vase to eat the weeds before the weeds died!! Dont worry my STAR didnt died.It is OK now but the softies...Poor babies!! Flavia