About a month ago I received my (approx.) 2”-3” baby red eared slider from some online website, and right off the bat he was unhealthy. He already had pyramiding in his shell, which is not good of course but because it is permanent and the damage was done there was not a whole lot I could do about it. For the first day or two he was in the tank, the water was at 73°-75°F because my heater was broken, which was unbeknownst you me at the time. He showed signs of a respiratory infection and with time they went away on their own so I didn’t seem this much of a problem. However, he basks almost 24/7 and he NEVER swims in the water unless I put him in, and even when I do that he swims to go bask again. It is a 30 gallon tank, with both a UVA and UVB light and a water filter/basking dock that I bought on amazon. The water temperature fluctuates between 80°-83°F, as that’s what the internet said baby red eared sliders like. He showed signs of a Vitamin A deficiency for a while as well, but those symptoms also went away with time. I change 25-50 percent of the water every three or four days, and I’ve done a full water change once so far. The water continues to be foggy and murky, although I have fully-functioning filters and some water clarifier in the water. My hard water softener was not working correctly a while back, so the water was hard which resulted in hard water spots on my turtle (problem is now resolved, hard water spots slightly remain). I tried cleaning his shell lightly with a toothbrush and apple cider vinegar diluted with lots of water, which worked a little bit. I feed him the pellets he came with, Flukers freeze dried mealworms/brine shrimp/crickets, spinach and cucumbers. I feed him 1-2 times a day and I am careful to not over feed him. Shell has a dark black spot on it that I have growing concerns about. I am also worried as to why he never swims in the water. Can some turtles be like this and be healthy, or does he has an underlying health condition I’m not noticing? I have his tank in my bedroom with me, so I am with him most of the time. I am very concerned and I need help. What should I do? I also can not take him to the ever due to financial issues, and most vets in my area are closed due to the virus unless it’s a medical emergency, or they do not care for turtles and other reptiles. This is my first time making a thread, and I believe I attached two photos of his shell that I have. Please help me figure out what is wrong with my turtle!
Update: I glanced over at the tank and he was upside down in the water! At first I thought he was dead, but then I lightly prodded him with my fish net and he turned back around. I looked over a few moments later and his mouth was wide open, and then he fell into the water. He did not sink, he just floated. His swimming appears to be lopsided, and he is a bit of a weak swimmer... I suspect it could still be a respiratory infection but perhaps it’s too far gone to fix? Please help.