Mixing fish with snake neck turtles  1/17/10

(Original heading:  Re: decorating my turtle tank   1/17/10)

hi Jamie here the guy with the snake neck turtles
<I remember. Darrel here -- the guy with the answers>
History :
I've had these turtles for a good 10 or so years and they've "known" each other from young they are kept in a fairly large tank. There was a time where the smaller had scratches of red ( not drastically smaller but maybe small enough to make a significance )
and separating while feeding helped the scratches healed and that was that , from then on separated while eating .
<Always a good thing to do with animals of different size and/or disposition, the dominant animals always eat too much and the secondary animals never get quite enough.>
I have noticed the smaller one has 3 claws on different "feet" bent upwards I have the big one biting the little ones foot. It doesn't exactly tear seeing as they don't bite just try to swallow whole so it does look like any real harm just bent claws *note this may have been done slowly overtime* and I have just realized it but they only bite when there's food.
<Another reason to separate them at feeding time>
I dropped a calcium tablet they thinking it was food attacked and one occasion each other and on other occasions just randomly bite at each other I don't know if I should leave it be seeing as its not doing real harm or should I add live fish to keep them occupied?
<I don't think fish would keep them occupied. More that likely adding fish would just bring new parasites and new problems to your system>
or more plants to let them "find" there way around. they really seem to like the plants they like hiding and playing in and with it should just put in heaps of plants and make like a water forest? ever since I added plants in they seem to be happier the big one bites at anything filter leaves etc but does no hard as there mouths are flat and not beakish.
any help appreciated
<Changing the decorations is a standard trick for fish & reptile keepers, Jamie. When you rearrange "home" they suddenly lose their familiar territories and with that they lose a lot of the confidence that allows them to be aggressive. Many times when adding a new fish to an established aquarium, a keeper will rearrange the rocks and plants so that the existing fish have enough to worry about and not concentrate on the new guy. The same thing applies here. Also, decorations that allow each turtle to get 'away' from the other one where they can't see each other (called "Visual Privacy") is known to be a good and healthy thing.>
<I think you ideas are good ones>
many thanks
<Yer welcome!>

Reeves turtles/Golden thread turtles paradise or turtle slum? 10/29/09
Hello Crew
I have a question about setting up a turtle tank. I have never owned turtles.
<Buy a book. Seriously. Turtles are fairly expensive and very long-lived pets, so this is something you're going to be doing for the next twenty years. An evening spent reading a book written by a turtle-keeping expert will give you a fair idea of what's involved and whether it's a hobby that appeals. Am I trying to sound discouraging? Only slightly: while I like turtles as much as the next person, I have to admit they're bad pets for most people.>
I am sure you get many questions about that and hope that I am not reiterating something that has been discussed. After several hours of searching both your website and others I could not find any answers to my questions or at least not enough to answer the full question.
<Fire away.>
I am acquiring a used tank that has in my mind become a turtle utopia :D (haven't even got it home yet) and I was hoping for some constructive criticism the tank is 4ft x 20in x 24in tall.
<That's about 100 US gallons, which is a reasonably good size, particularly given the fairly small size of Reeves' Turtle (Chinemys reevesii). Golden Thread Turtles (Ocadia sinensis) get much bigger, but they should still fit in there comfortably. Provided you used a really beefy filter to keep the water clear, you should be fine.>
I had planned on making it 30% land and of course %70 water filling it to 1/2 (12in) water with a partial sand bottom the rest bare and a sand/ver..(can't remember the name, used for planting aquariums)
<...vermiculite... floats in water...>
mix for the land mass with a acrylic/plastic stand with a gradual slant for the land to sit on, with a waterfall.
<Would stick with plain vanilla smooth silica sand, just 1 cm or so; easy to clean, chemically inert.>
I would plant it with ingestible plants (yes I know not beautiful for long)
<Pointless... turtle food. At best, get epiphytic plants (e.g., Java fern and Anubias) that are distasteful so should be left alone. Can be removed and run under a cold tap to rinse of gunk. Rooted plants will be eaten, damaged, uprooted, or otherwise clogged up with silt and faeces and bits of reptile skin. Add floating plants (like Indian Fern) that will be eaten but are cheap/easy to replace.>
that would have about 4 months to grow as the hatchling turtles would be in a smaller tank till they began swimming quite well (would this take closer to 6 months or a year?).
<Something like that.>
I would plant part of the land as well, also with nonpoisonous plants.
<Again, approach with caution; the land should really be a flat stone or something that absorbs heat, since this is where the turtles warm up.>
Other half basking/nesting site. I was planning on introducing 4 turtles, 2 Reeves turtles (have read that they are aquatic on some sites and semi-aquatic on others)
<Are more or less entirely aquatic when young living, in very shallow water, becoming more and more terrestrial as adults, though they still swim periodically and don't travel far from water. Indeed, Chinemys reevesii shouldn't be kept in tanks with deep water at all; if they can't stand up in the shallow end of the water (usually on their back feet, with their noses poking out) then the water is too deep.>
and 2 Golden thread turtles (aquatic). Hoping for a male and female of each and hoping they would breed.
<Good luck!>
Ok now for the questions (sorry for the extended background); 1) Although these are smaller turtles is there going to be enough room for them?
<Should be okay, but that said, males of both species can be aggressive and won't tolerate others of their gender in this environment. Sexing juveniles is difficult, and having an expert look over the prospective turtles before you buy them would be a good idea. Whether males of different species would fight is difficult to say; usually males of different species ignore each other, but there are no guarantees.>
I don't want them to be crowded and I know that some people have bigger ones in less but I want them to be happy.
2) If I had both would they inter-breed? I know both these turtles are endangered or threatened in there natural habitat I do not want to create some bizarre hybrid I would want them to stay true to species.
<Unlikely to hybridise.>
3) Should I get the females a year or so before the males? As I am under the impression they sexually mature later in life and this may aggravate the males and possibly lead to some serious issues.
<Certainly a good idea. Also likely to minimise aggression, since the males will be strangers and the females established in the vivarium. On the other hand, if you add one male at one time, and another male of the other species some time later, there could be fighting.>
4) How long (I know not definite but approximate) till they are sexually mature?
<Varies with species, but with Ocadia sinensis the males are mature from 12 cm at minimum, females from 20 cm. For Chinemys reevesii, sexual maturity is around the 10 cm mark.>
5) Can these species live harmoniously or am I just asking for trouble?
<Reptiles generally are not social, and almost by definition keeping multiple species and both sexes is asking for some degree of trouble. While raising them together should solve some problems, there are no guarantees.
The standard advice is usually to keep turtles as one species, one specimen to a tank, except for breeding. Obviously not everyone does this, and oftentimes mixing them works fine. Both these species are fairly peaceful though.>
6) Would placing a removable basket below ground lvl in the nesting site filled with the substrate work for removal to an incubator? or do they need to be removed from how the mother lays them?
<Yes, a removable sand tray is fine.>
7) Do you know of any sites that give the specifics on breeding these species?
<Start off at
http://www.chelonia.org/
and
http://redearslider.com/
Even if they don't have pages on these species breeding habits, their associated forums and other resources should help.>
I have read that they are some of the most common turtles sold but I have not been able to find ANY info on breeding them and have ran into very few people who even know what they are. My LFS people just look at me and blink lol even the GOOD LFS guys tell me they don't have any idea what I am talking about. Reptile place also has no idea. The other pet store is keeping box turtles in a 10G with a rock for basking that barely fits one of the two and no other land.... Going to have to mail order them.
Thank-you so much for your time sorry about the length or the message. I have researched the basic care of turtles and these guys in particular but I am getting different stories and not much specifics. I want to make sure I set their tank up right and have what they need BEFORE I get the little guys.
Sincerely KJ Cahoon
<Cheers, Neale.>

Mixing Pond Turtles with other aquatic animals

Are there any other aquatic animals that can safely cohabitate with a larger turtle (in our case a pacific pond turtle)?
<Not that I can think of off the top of my head, feeder goldfish have been known to last a little while, but eventually get eaten, I imagine a crawfish would make a nice snack, frogs or newts would be lunch.  You could try a very fast durable fish, something that can put up with less than perfect water quality.  I had some Giant Danios spawn in one of my turtle tanks once, ended up eating all the fry, but the adults survived with the turtle for a while.  A few years down the road I figured I'd try the Giant Danios with the same type of turtle, they where all eaten within a week.  So, fast, durable, forgiving fish, with good cover, and you may be able to pull it off, but I would not recommend it. -Gage>

Reeves turtles/Golden thread turtles paradise or turtle slum? 10/29/09
Hello Crew
I have a question about setting up a turtle tank. I have never owned turtles.
<Buy a book. Seriously. Turtles are fairly expensive and very long-lived pets, so this is something you're going to be doing for the next twenty years. An evening spent reading a book written by a turtle-keeping expert will give you a fair idea of what's involved and whether it's a hobby that appeals. Am I trying to sound discouraging? Only slightly: while I like turtles as much as the next person, I have to admit they're bad pets for most people.>
I am sure you get many questions about that and hope that I am not reiterating something that has been discussed. After several hours of searching both your website and others I could not find any answers to my questions or at least not enough to answer the full question.
<Fire away.>
I am acquiring a used tank that has in my mind become a turtle utopia :D (haven't even got it home yet) and I was hoping for some constructive criticism the tank is 4ft x 20in x 24in tall.
<That's about 100 US gallons, which is a reasonably good size, particularly given the fairly small size of Reeves' Turtle (Chinemys reevesii). Golden Thread Turtles (Ocadia sinensis) get much bigger, but they should still fit in there comfortably. Provided you used a really beefy filter to keep the water clear, you should be fine.>
I had planned on making it 30% land and of course %70 water filling it to 1/2 (12in) water with a partial sand bottom the rest bare and a sand/ver..(can't remember the name, used for planting aquariums)
<...vermiculite... floats in water...>
mix for the land mass with a acrylic/plastic stand with a gradual slant for the land to sit on, with a waterfall.
<Would stick with plain vanilla smooth silica sand, just 1 cm or so; easy to clean, chemically inert.>
I would plant it with ingestible plants (yes I know not beautiful for long)
<Pointless... turtle food. At best, get epiphytic plants (e.g., Java fern and Anubias) that are distasteful so should be left alone. Can be removed and run under a cold tap to rinse of gunk. Rooted plants will be eaten, damaged, uprooted, or otherwise clogged up with silt and faeces and bits of reptile skin. Add floating plants (like Indian Fern) that will be eaten but are cheap/easy to replace.>
that would have about 4 months to grow as the hatchling turtles would be in a smaller tank till they began swimming quite well (would this take closer to 6 months or a year?).
<Something like that.>
I would plant part of the land as well, also with nonpoisonous plants.
<Again, approach with caution; the land should really be a flat stone or something that absorbs heat, since this is where the turtles warm up.>
Other half basking/nesting site. I was planning on introducing 4 turtles, 2 Reeves turtles (have read that they are aquatic on some sites and semi-aquatic on others)
<Are more or less entirely aquatic when young living, in very shallow water, becoming more and more terrestrial as adults, though they still swim periodically and don't travel far from water. Indeed, Chinemys reevesii shouldn't be kept in tanks with deep water at all; if they can't stand up in the shallow end of the water (usually on their back feet, with their noses poking out) then the water is too deep.>
and 2 Golden thread turtles (aquatic). Hoping for a male and female of each and hoping they would breed.
<Good luck!>
Ok now for the questions (sorry for the extended background); 1) Although these are smaller turtles is there going to be enough room for them?
<Should be okay, but that said, males of both species can be aggressive and won't tolerate others of their gender in this environment. Sexing juveniles is difficult, and having an expert look over the prospective turtles before you buy them would be a good idea. Whether males of different species would fight is difficult to say; usually males of different species ignore each other, but there are no guarantees.>
I don't want them to be crowded and I know that some people have bigger ones in less but I want them to be happy.
2) If I had both would they inter-breed? I know both these turtles are endangered or threatened in there natural habitat I do not want to create some bizarre hybrid I would want them to stay true to species.
<Unlikely to hybridise.>
3) Should I get the females a year or so before the males? As I am under the impression they sexually mature later in life and this may aggravate the males and possibly lead to some serious issues.
<Certainly a good idea. Also likely to minimise aggression, since the males will be strangers and the females established in the vivarium. On the other hand, if you add one male at one time, and another male of the other species some time later, there could be fighting.>
4) How long (I know not definite but approximate) till they are sexually mature?
<Varies with species, but with Ocadia sinensis the males are mature from 12 cm at minimum, females from 20 cm. For Chinemys reevesii, sexual maturity is around the 10 cm mark.>
5) Can these species live harmoniously or am I just asking for trouble?
<Reptiles generally are not social, and almost by definition keeping multiple species and both sexes is asking for some degree of trouble. While raising them together should solve some problems, there are no guarantees.
The standard advice is usually to keep turtles as one species, one specimen to a tank, except for breeding. Obviously not everyone does this, and oftentimes mixing them works fine. Both these species are fairly peaceful though.>
6) Would placing a removable basket below ground lvl in the nesting site filled with the substrate work for removal to an incubator? or do they need to be removed from how the mother lays them?
<Yes, a removable sand tray is fine.>
7) Do you know of any sites that give the specifics on breeding these species?
<Start off at
http://www.chelonia.org/
and
http://redearslider.com/
Even if they don't have pages on these species breeding habits, their associated forums and other resources should help.>
I have read that they are some of the most common turtles sold but I have not been able to find ANY info on breeding them and have ran into very few people who even know what they are. My LFS people just look at me and blink lol even the GOOD LFS guys tell me they don't have any idea what I am talking about. Reptile place also has no idea. The other pet store is keeping box turtles in a 10G with a rock for basking that barely fits one of the two and no other land.... Going to have to mail order them.
Thank-you so much for your time sorry about the length or the message. I have researched the basic care of turtles and these guys in particular but I am getting different stories and not much specifics. I want to make sure I set their tank up right and have what they need BEFORE I get the little guys.
Sincerely KJ Cahoon
<Cheers, Neale.>

Will my turtle get lonely in the pond should I get a companion turtle?  7/6/08

(Original heading:  Pond for turtle...  7/6/08)

hi,
<Hiya Juanita -- Darrel here>
I'm planning to build a pond in my new home (when the house is done so it will be in a couple of months). I've had a little turtle that's about the size of my hand (not counting fingers) and the guy that sold it to me said that it would get as big as a plate. At the moment she's in a very very little aquarium and she doesn't fit in it anymore (she does fit in it but can't move a lot). So I've been looking around to see how this pond thing works because I really don't know much about ponds. I've got lots of questions.
1.) How big does the pond have to be?
<It doesn't have to be all that big -- the trade-off is that that larger the body of water, the less it resists change (heating in summer, cooling in winter) and the larger the pond, the less likely one turtle will foul the water -- but then the filter needs to be bigger and when it does need service the job is that much larger. I've seen a single slider housed happily in a 67 gallon preformed plaster pond.>
2.) Should I buy a pond or build one?
<Too many variables for here -- building a pond gives you many more options but costs more and takes longer. Buying a preformed pond lets you dig a hole and have a pond all in the same day>
3.) Do I put a fence around the pond so the turtle doesn't escape? (the back yard is going to be fenced)
<YES! Turtles are remarkably good climbers. The fence should be twice as tall as his shell is long, PLUS another 5 inches bent INWARDS (like a flat lip) on the top.>
4.)Should I put fish in with the turtle?
<Not for the turtle's benefit, no. Many of us have put in 'feeder goldfish' at some point, only to have them grow to be almost the size of small Koi and become pets themselves. The truth is that turtles are more opportunistic and scavenger eaters and rarely catch a healthy fish>
5.)Do I need a water fall? If yes how do I set one up?
<Not unless you like the look and the sound, but they are pretty and they do help aerate the water. Give it some thought -- doesn't have to be complicated, either -- if you BUILD a pond, you can find many books at the local building supply store giving you all of the in's & out's and if you decide to BUY a pond, most of those same stores sell the kind where you can buy a small pond and have it drain into a bigger one -- presto! instant waterfall>
6.)Do I need to put sand or rocks around the pond so the turtle can go out of the water or can I put things in the water that stick out?
<Yes, this is important. Turtles are more comfortable climbing out of the water on a rock or a log than they are climbing to shore. If you BUILD a pond, put in a couple of shallow-sided bays for him to crawl out. Preformed ponds are designed for water gardens and Koi and usually have steep sides, but they make them with a shallow shelf-tray on one side to hold plants -- you can place stones and large rocks there in "ramps" so that he can climb out & bask on the rock or easily make it to shore>
7.)How do you put a filter in?
8.)How do I choose a filter?
<Again, more many variables than we can discuss here. External filters are a better bet for long term use because they require less care, but in pond filters are less expensive and easier to clean -- the major building supply chains that sell the preformed ponds sell a range of low end pumps and filters that should be just fine for a turtle or two in a pond>
9.)What kind of plants do I need?
<none, really. Turtles just tear them up>
10.)Can I keep the turtle out year round? (I live in Florida so the cold weather is not a big deal)
<You can from a temperature standpoint. In fact, winter isn't usually the problem -- it's summer. Remember when I said the larger the pond, the more resistant it is? Well beside the fact that a larger pond stays clearer longer, a larger pond stays cooler longer in summer and warmer in winter. For example, a 20 gallon pond in the Florida sun would get so hot so quickly that the turtle would suffer from over heating if not in fact dying from it. Same turtle in a 1,000 pond wouldn't even sense a temperature change. Assuming you will go bigger than 10 and not 1,000 an important criteria is placing your pond where it will get a good deal of shade in the hottest months.>
11.)Is the turtle going to get lonely? Should I buy another one?
<You can, they seem to get along just fine, but there is no "need" to do that.
12.) How deep does the pond have to be?
<Again, deep water stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter --- at least 18 inches at it's deepest point>
13.)What kind of plants can I put in or around the pond?
<on the OUTSIDE of the fence, around the perimeter, would be a great place to plant some shrubs that would shade the afternoon sun (to the west side of the pond) but nothing INSIDE the fence or he'll use it to climb out.>
14.)Should I change the turtles feeding habits? Right now shes feeding on "REPTILE PREMIUM STICKS" and once in a while romaine lettuce or can she feed on plants in the pond.
<Repto-Min is great stuff. Koi Pellets from your local fish/pond store is the SAME THING only a lot cheaper. Either one is fine & no, don't change. I raise hatchlings to breeders on that same food.>
15.)Are there any predators for her, like raccoons, snakes, or squirrels? If yes what can I do to keep them out?
<Ah yes, a major down side to all outdoor life. They are all out there and they will all try for her if they can. The only SURE way is to make a fence with a tight fitting top and again this is a trade off -- easy to do for a small pond, not possible for a large one. Beyond that .. wide, deep water allows the turtle to rest on the bottom at night, more or less out of sight and reach of the common predators.>
16.)In what season or climate should I build the pond?
<In Florida? Any time it's not too hot for you to be out there!>
<Good luck to you>
<Darrel>

Each turtle has unique personality; even same species

Mating and Compatibility with Red Eared Sliders?  1/25/09

Snapping turtle mating & comp.  1/25/09

Dear Crew,
<Hiya Sucari, Darrel here tonight>
I have a 2 year old 7 inch snapping turtle and, age unknown 5 inch Red Eared Slider in a 50 gallon tank.
<Actually, what you have there is a tragedy just waiting to happen.>
They lived in the same tank for about a year now with no problems they get along great.
<Get along great? Tell jokes? Like the same movies? Enjoy lively political debate without crossing the line?>
For about a month now I have noticed that they are trying to mate. I was wondering if I should have any concerns?
<I sure would have concerns, Sucari. For one thing, these mixed relationships rarely work out. What would the neighbors think? What about the in-laws? And the kids? Red Eared Snappers? Snapping Sliders??????
And the kids! Think of the kids!!!! How sad to have a clutch of babies that swim into the pond to try to lay in wait to ambush a piece of river grass or hyacinth?>
Thanks
<OK, seriously, Sucari. All kidding aside, most turtles are very tolerant of dissimilar species. They don't compete for food, no mates to speak of and no territorial issues that really matter. Neither see each other as a threat. And I too have seen Sliders and Snappers and Soft Shelled turtles all kept together in relative harmony ... until that day when one of them is just GONE. Sliders are non specific scavenging herbivores and Snappers are ambush predators with very short tempers and an instinctive, vicious 'ambush' strike that pretty much destroys what it touches.>
<This is not to say that all snappers are mean or evil, Sucari. My snapper, Biff, is mild tempered and easy to handle and he puts up with a LOT before he starts to show any signs of stress. But still, I never EVER forget that he is a wild animal with a tiny brain.>
<My point ... if there is any chance it has escaped anyone so far ... is that everything will be just fine right up until JUST the moment that the snapper attacks and kills the slider. Will it ever happen? Maybe not.
But how will you feel if it does?>
<Please separate them as soon as possible>
<Regards, Darrel>  

Will RES and Snapping Turtle get along together?  4/30/07

(Original heading:  Mixing Turtle Species Together 04/30/07)

I have had an adolescent red eared slider for a couple weeks now. Its shell is just about an inch an a half to 2 inches round. Today I got a adolescent snapping turtle that is 3 1/2 to 4 inches long. I know that snapping turtles are nippy and have short tempers but I was curious to know if they would get along together and if they would be healthy together? Both seem to be healthy and I am not sure of the sex of them thanks for the help Alex =)
< I would not recommend placing these two turtles together. The snapping turtle is actually a poor choice as a pet. The risk of injury to the other turtle and to yourself is too great.-Chuck>

Mixing Painted turtles with Snapping turtles  9/7/05

(Original heading:  Mixing Turtles  9/7/05)

I have a smaller painted turtle and I was just given a baby snapper. For now I understand my painted is safe but in the future would it be ok if the shared a tank? thank you Alex D
< I would not recommend ever putting these two turtles together. Snapper gets too big and much too mean.-Chuck>

Snapping turtle and red eared slider compatibility

(Original heading:  Turtle Mixes)

Is it ok for a snapper turtle and a red eared slider to be together  in the same tank?
<Not a good idea, you would need a huge tank for the snapper, and there is a good chance that your slider could get hurt.  Best Regards, Gage>

Mixing Softshell turtle species together

(Original heading:  Florida Soft Shelled care, and turtle sys. period  8/30/08)

Dear Crew
<Hiya Tina - Darrel here today>
I am going to do my best and keep this short...
<Let's see how you do>
A few weeks ago my boyfriend surprised me with two baby turtles from the reptile show that he had gone to, 1 Florida Soft Shelled
<Trionyx ferox!! one of my all time favorite turtles>
and a Spiny Soft Shelled
<Trionyx spinifer - virtually identical care & needs in every respect>
We are reptile people and have had many snakes and lizards over the years, some of which we bred, so the turtles are a new venture for us!
<Welcome to a bigger world, Tina. At the risk of hurting the feelings of my 4 iguanas, turtles and tortoises are my favorite reptiles. While not possessing the intelligence or personality of the iguanids, chelonians are fun, active, personable and generally fun to be around ... come to think of it .. that also describes my last girlfriend. Hmmmm>
They are in a tank together right now and seem to be getting along just fine.
<Soft shell turtles are not particularly social, Tina. In the wild, they tend to live singly like the snappers, mud & musk turtles as opposed to the Emydids (Sliders, cooters, etc). They can be housed together and usually will get along fine as long as there is enough room for them to get away from each other when they need to. Make sure you feed them separately as well. Try to entice them each to a different corner of the tank at feeding time so they don't even APPEAR to have to compete for food.>
The tank air is at about 80 to 85 degrees normally and the water ranges from 72 in the early morning (before the lights turn on) and 76 by time the lights turn off for the night. They have been eating a pellet food that he got from the breeder and occasional frozen brine shrimp (which the Florida loves!)
<Not bad. I use a high quality Koi Pellet for all my aquatic turtles and I "treat" them with an occasional earthworm (night crawlers which your local tropical fish store should carry) Brine shrimp are OK, but there is very little nutritional value and the uneaten shrimp foul your water ... which is an important consideration. Pellet food and one worm per week per turtle is more than enough. The worms will keep in the fridge for about a week and then you can dump the rest in your garden, which does wonders for the plants.>
I have a filter and I am attempting to grow vegetation in the tank presently.
<Item #1 and Item # VERY important, Tina. Our soft shells require MUCH higher water quality than almost any other kind of turtle. We're talking almost tropical fish-tank water quality. Crystal clear and charcoal filtered. Skin/shell infections are serious conditions for the Trionyx and VERY difficult to treat... so keep it clean>
<**********General Note to Turtle Keepers Everywhere********>
<Please, abandon ALL hope of having a mature biological filter system for your turtles the way you do for your fish tanks. Chelonian dietary needs, combined with a fairly primitive digestive system (aquatic turtles, at least) provide such a high output of .. um ... raw materials for the biofilter that it has virtually NO hope of catching up and keeping pace. Change the water regularly, siphon the bottom every time you change, add lots of activated charcoal to the filter and change it regularly.
<Thanks for listening>
I noticed today that the Florida has a white tint to his shell and I am growing concerned, Why would this happen and is it dangerous to him. I would like to know what to do to fix this problem now so that I can keep him for a long time to come. Please let me know if you have a clue as to what it may be. It doesn't appear to be filmy, just white-ish.
<Difficult to say Tina, for a number of reasons. First, fungal infections down IN the skin (as opposed to on the surface) will appear whitish yet not slimy. Second,. as T. ferox matures and loses that dark shell with the beautiful orange band, one of the first things that happens is that the shell starts to "fade" by looking slightly whitish. My suggestion for the moment is that you attend to the water quality issues and then make sure that the tank lighting provides UVA and UVB and then see that he (both of them actually) get plenty of natural sunlight. 15 to 20 minutes a day of direct sunlight. Now that doesn't mean COOK them of course. Put them in a box with side high enough that they can't climb and place that box where sunlight can hit the bottom directly and then cover half the top so that there is shade. Even if they choose the shade, the unfiltered light that reflects around the inside on the box is still "direct enough" to be beneficial.>
<Here are some tips on keeping the Trionyx family: they DO bask just like the rest of the water turtles and they NEED the UV light, same as the others. Being somewhat shy about it, they do it carefully and away from eyes (often in the weeds, reeds or tall grasses) in the wild. As they grow, they spend much of their time buried in the sand where they only need stick out their long snorkel-like neck to breathe. Now this is the part that people miss, when the water is shallow enough that they can be UNDER the sand and still stick their heads out of the water, a LOT of that hot Florida sunshine is reaching them.>
<This brings up another tip: In every instance where I keep soft shelled turtles, I have shallow water with small grained sand as least 3 times deeper than their shell so that they can engage in this natural behavior. Sometimes that can be as simple as a small clear plastic shoebox filled with sand and set inside a bigger "normal" aquarium atop some rocks so that it's 1 inch under the surface.>
Sincerely,
Tina
<Check the water quality issues, Tina. Provide the daily sunshine and write us back in 14 days -- Darrel>

Turtles, RES and Soft Shell incomp.  4/5/08
Would it be ok to stick a red eared slider and a soft shelled turtle in the same tank?
LOVE AMANDA!!!!!!!
<In a word, No. These turtles have different needs and different temperaments. Soft-shell Turtles get big (the Florida Soft Shell Turtle for example has a shell length of 60 cm/24", and the Spiny Soft Shell is only a bit smaller) and are very bad tempered. They bite at everything, including their keepers and any animals unfortunate enough to be placed in the same tank. They are not a suitable species for the home, and if you haven't bought this animal yet, think very VERY carefully before you do so, because you will likely regret it. Red-ear Sliders are generally fairly easy going and don't get nearly so big, so provided you have a heater, UV-B lamp, filter, lots of green foods, and space for the 55 gallon aquarium adults require, are quite easy to keep. If you don't have these things and don't want to buy them, please don't bother with turtles at all. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Turtles... mixing species  4/15/08
thank you for the info, we now have them in different tanks and the soft shelled turtle is very interesting and likes to bury himself into the sandy bottom.
<I love it when people don't write to say "thanks" until they want more information... gives me a nice warm glow knowing that good manners are still a part of the modern world.>
But recently the red-eared slider stays on the turtle dock and does not swim and has not eaten in a few days is she sick or what should we do? thanks
<First tell me about the vivarium and care. How are you supplying UV-B light? What foods are you using for the 50% plant material portion of its diet the Red Ear Slider needs? How are you filtering the water? How much water are you changing per week? What temperature do you keep the water at? The reason I'm asking these questions is that virtually all problems with Red Ear Sliders come down to people not providing UV-B, not feeding them a plant-based diet, not filtering the water, and not changing the water regularly. If you aren't doing ALL of these things properly, then your first "thing to do" is fix them. Cheers, Neale.>

Re: Turtles, WWM, manners/normative beh.   4/15/08
Are you always an ass when people ask you for information? Because your the one with the website so if you don't like people writing to you with questions then maybe you shouldn't have one. Oh yeah and by the way thanks for the info!
Amanda
<Hello Amanda. Good manners cost nothing. Simply because you're getting a service doesn't mean your manners should be neglected. When you get a drink at a bar, or pay at the checkout at a grocery store, I'm sure someone as well mannered as yourself would always use those magic words "thank you" at the end of each transaction. When you're getting something for free, such as the expert advice from volunteers like me trying to help you care for your animals, then being polite is even more important. I enjoy helping out here at WWM because most of the people who write are fun to communicate with. Humour, good manners, and a shared interest in animal welfare are the things that keep me coming back. Cheers, Neale.>

RES and softshell turtles not compatible  4/5/09

(Original heading:  Turtle question, RES, Softshell incomp.   4/5/09)

Hi, I have a red eared slider and a Softshell turtle together in an aquarium.
<Mmm, not compatible>
They've peacefully coexisted since I got them both as babies last July, but for a couple of weeks now the slider has been taking bites out of the softshell's shell!
<Yes>
A man at the petstore suggested I buy a bigger tank so I upgraded from a 10 gal to a 29 gal,
<Still too small>
but the slider is still doing it! What should I do?
<These two need to be kept in separate systems>
Thanks so much for your help,
Brandi Davis
<Welcome Brandi. Bob Fenner>

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