I recently bought a pair of red eared slider hatchlings. One of them is fine he is very active but the other has a weird shaped shell ( goes up high towards the front and then dips in the back) she also doesnt swim very well there fore i actually have them in very shallow water right now (she either uses her back legs or her front legs... she has truoble uses them at the same time but she does do this on occasion) I was wondering if this was something that could be fixed or if it was a birth defect and if there is anything i could do about it i want to put the normal one in deeper water but i'm afraid the other might not be able swim properly and drown.

I'm sorry about your little turtle.

See http://www.fishpondinfo.com/turtles/turhealth.htm#shell under deformed shells. I just put up two photos of a red-eared slider with a deformed shell. Such problems can be genetic (born that way) but often are a result of one of the following: improper diet deficient in something, improper full spectrum lighting, cramped quarters, etc.

Did the baby have a strange shell shape when you got him? With proper diet, lighting, and setup, the baby may improve with time but probably will never be completely normal. If he/she has trouble swimming, then the shallow water was a good idea. Otherwise, be sure he/she gets enough to eat (the other one may get to the foods first), lots of variety in the diet, good lighting, etc.

My page on baby turtles is at
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/turtles/hatchling.htm

I suggest taking the turtles to a vet for a consultation and advise as well.

Good luck!