I would not think one being spiny and the other being soft would make a difference, but again, watch them closely and have a back up plan just in case. If the UVB bulb is a fluorescent tube and is placed in a traditional aquarium overhead, make sure there is no plastic or glass case between the bulb and the habitat, to further ensure the turtle is receiving all the UVB it requires. The water should never stink, and the temperature should be anywhere from medium to late 70s Fahrenheit. they are babies, im worried! Just remember: Width is more important than depth, although your turtle should be able to swim freely for exercise and exploration. Do you recommend a filter? Also, make sure they each have their own place to bask; provide a lot of options where they don't have to share the same spot. The larger the turtle, the larger the tank needs to be. Less than a 20-gallon tank is fine for a temporary solution, but you’ll eventually need to upgrade to a 20-gallon (a 20-gallon breeder is the best choice, something like 30x12x12). Thank you. Spiny Softshell Turtle Apalone spinifera. Can i use artificial plants with my soft shell turtle. Soft-shell turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in the world, with the nearly extinct Swinhoe's softshell weighing up to 136 Kilogram. Metabolic Bone Disease "Soft-shell syndrome" Softshell syndrome is a major killer of young turtles, especially aquatics. Metabolic bone disease is the result of calcium and Vitamin D3 deficiency, causing irregular shell shape. For a baby softshell, look at my other hub about their setup--I have the perfect setup explained. Always keep the water crystal clear. Florida Softshell Turtle Apalone ferox. I raised a softshell turtle and learned a lot while doing so! I have a 3 year RES in a 55galon tank and I just got a baby spiny I put the baby spiny inside the tank and my RES bit half of the baby spiny shell of you think it's goin to survive? The key to a good setup is providing the turtle options. Don't forget to buy some of our extremely nutritious turtle … No, I'm not sure what that is, but it isn't normal. I've been keeping them in a 10 gallon tank. I would love to talk to you about how to better care for our babies if you don't mind? I would start letting them go in the nearest pond once it's spring (if you can bring them out of hibernation safely). They also need a place to stand and breathe while submerged in water (so their heads reach the surface). If the water hasn't sat out in 24 hours, then buy dechlorinating formula from any fish store, or I guess walmart since it is late. Do not let the turtle go if it is not from the area. I purchased a soft shell turtle about a month ago to add to my 29 gal. These are sold in great numbers in the markets for food. My daughter caught a soft shell turtle on the river bank and its now a pet but it won't eat and hardly moves around i'm very worried my daughter tried to let him swim but the current was to strong. Honestly, that's very bad. The water should never be cloudy or alter in color. My husband accidently dug them up at work shortly after they were laid. Try browsing the Turtles Index if … We have 3 softies and hatched them due to an awful accident. I would keep an eye on them. Soon I took the liver out of the equation and he started eating the pellets alone. We humans make mistakes, but it's our animals that always have to pay for them. Water must be dechlorinated by leaving tap water out for twenty-four hours or by using dechlorinating formula to add in the water for instant use. A calcium sulfa block is something to place in the water to provide additional nutrition also. I would isolate the baby and put it in clear, decholirnated water. 10 gallons is fine for a short while, but they really should be in 20 gallons filled mostly with water. Its real name is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) and it is caused by poor diet and/or insufficient lighting.. If you ever place a turtle in water, make sure the water is dechlorinated. Frozen blood worms, dried blood worms, live crickets, dead crickets (move them like they're alive), frozen beef heart, live ghost shrimp, any little insect, live guppies, and pellets catered to soft shell turtles. Maybe a few degrees every hour. UVB lights cannot be compromised. The spiny softshell turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Source(s): feed baby soft shell turtle: https://tr.im/8vJkO. The nesting sites are at risk of predation from … I cannot thank you enough for this post! They're excellent swimmers and do well in mostly water tanks, with … My husband found one of therlse and. Smooth Softshells make very good community turtles. They may also bury themselves at the bottom of deep water, but they enjoy having their shells buried while breathing normally in the air. The first idea that comes to my mind are those who want to clutter up the aquarium with lots of decorative plants and colorful accessories that fill up a third of the space. If the basking area will allow it, sand should be placed here too. mariekbloch (author) on October 14, 2011: They love sand, but you can have smooth rocks mixed in like I did. Can I give the turtle 'Taiyo' turtle food!!!? They hatch between August and November, and they hibernate during the winter (only those with experience or veterinarian aid should attempt artificial hibernation). All aquarium water has that “fish” smell, but it should never smell like eggs or waste. I am assuming you caught a spiny also. My turtle always dug plants up and they’d either die or they got in his way while hunting, so I gave up on plants (at least in this setup). In order to stay alive, turtles … i just got a little turtle (soft shell) me and my friend and my mother were wondering do we need rocks,sand and how would you set it up please right back, Adequate space (at least a 20 gallon tank). PADDYBOY60 from Centreville Michigan on January 07, 2012: mariekbloch (author) on October 02, 2011: i thot your pag was fary usfull it helped me with my turtle so thank you fary much. I know it's right to let him home but I love him and I want to keep him.. Could I be able to keep him?? . at Doi Chiang Dao, northern Thailand, October 2006. My turtle rarely basked, but always give your turtle the option to do so, regardless. … I think all turtles to a degree have that chance, but I don't really know. I would argue that if you really loved him, you would let him go eventually. It is probably best to have just one softshell turtle … 7th Annual Reptile Symposium on Captive Reproduction & Husbandry, Dallas, TX, p. 54-58. Wha? They are very healthy and thats exactly whet I feed my 3 inch baby turtle. I had to trick my turtle by putting softshell pellets in combination with chicken liver. Plummer, M. V. 1977. They are fried and eaten whole. Because soft … Feel every once in a while to make sure it is not starving either. It’s good every once in a while to add freshwater aquarium salt in the water if there are no live plants in your tank, because these animals typically live in brackish water. Oh god, I hate hearing things like this. My turtle went its first five months of life not eating anything that moved, but every once in a while I’d put a small insect near where he usually sits in the shallow area. Because soft-shelled turtles can be aggressive, you should not put them in tanks with other turtles or animals. The Trionychidae are a taxonomic family of a number of turtle genera, commonly known as softshell turtles.The family was erected by Leopold Fitzinger in 1826. It is a 20 gallon tank that I feel I could modify for him. Do not purchase a bulb that says it is meant for plants and assume it has UVB radiation. For the past fifteen months, I have raised an eastern spiny softshell turtle since the day it hatched. If a shallow area for them to rest in is not available, the turtle will ultimately drown. Florida Softshell Turtles for Sale in the United States. Not an attractive setup, but the space is just enough for my turtle to swim freely while having a few things to explore. Choosing Your Softshell Turtle . If you are thinking about purchasing or catching one, you need to be prepared and informed on what you are getting yourself into. 0 0. That's all I can tell you. plz help me wid how and what to feed ma soft shell turtle. I really want to help, but turtles lay eggs in the sand; they don't give birth like animals. I feel so bad for the baby turtle I never thought that my RES was goin to do that! Albino slider turtles … 1 decade ago. Red eared slider turtles, the most popular are available in quite a few slider turtle morphs for sale. Most people naturally put these creatures in aquariums, but a large tub or plastic pool is also acceptable, as long as it is at least twenty gallons in volume. … I'd be sure you have an excellent filtration system and perform partial water changes twice a week. Do what you think is best for the turtle. It happens to all of us at some point. Sometimes they can live in pairs, but only with enough space and minimal bullying. Put freshwater salt (make sure it is right amount) in the water and that will help fight off bacteria in the wound. Any lower can prevent the turtle from eating by preparing itself for hibernation. They are aquatic so they should always have access to water they can fully submerge themselves in. Or are you talking about water depth? Take a rock and rub it on your skin and if it bothers your skin then it will bother your softshells aswell. i recently bought a 90 gallon for her full of sand and a piece of drift wood. 20 gallons per turtle, and that is while they are juvenile, not yet adult size. Unlike most other turtles, their shell is soft, … He also has the option of getting out of the water by climbing up a reptile hammock (meant for lizards) that is stationed by suction cups. He's always sticking his head under that brown arch and catching guppies. Stay alert for erratic activity, eye irritation (closing eyes a lot), scratches, weight loss or gain, and strange curves progressing on the edges of their shells. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Provide the turtle shallow water, adequate space, clean water, a healthy diet, twelve hours of UVB, and a sense of security with sand to ensure the health of the baby softshell turtle. They love to bury in sand with just their head exposed waiting to surprise a fish. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Once they reach 4 inches in width, they need to be upgraded to a longer, bigger tank. It may have to be euthanized if it is as bad as I am thinking. They should have a little blubber on their limbs when retracted. ! Now you know not to put those two species together. Creating a Habitat for a Soft Shelled Turtle Decide which animals will live in your tank. I don't know how it could survive with that much damage. This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. If this turtle was bought, it would be best to hand it over to a wildlife sanctuary and they will most likely relocate it to its natural environment. Scientific name: Apalone ferox We have thousands of exotic reptiles for sale from top breeders from around the world. If we are talking about a 20 gallon tank and your turtle is four inches wide, then space would have to be high priority when designing your aquarium. Unlike in other turtles, in the spiny softshell turtle, the sex of the hatchlings is not determined by temperature variations; it is determined by genetics. If you already have a fish tank, reevaluate it: These turtles dry their shells every once in awhile for health purposes, so your turtle must have something to climb out of the water. By cage you mean aquarium, right? Do you think he would be okay in a tank with 5 small goldfish? long is what I know. Like 3/4 filled with water, maybe. Captive bred baby spiny softshell turtle … My setup only has a shallow water section and a land part. Most species of softshell turtles live in Asia, but the spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera; previously Trionyx spiniferus) lives in North America. To me, this setup (above) is the best kind of environment, but not necessary. UVA comes with natural sunlight, but again, without the “B,” it cannot make up as a substitute. There is so many opinions and even websites and youtube videos that will say they they do not bask, do not need uvb/uva. Watch your turtle; it is up to your judgment when it is time to feed. The female also may show dark grey mottling, or … Also be wary of how close the light is placed over the habitat. If it spends less time in the basking area, then the light needs to be moved higher. Make sure the water is always crystal-clear and has a good filtration system. A soft-shell and what was sold at the local tropical fish store as a "button turtle… Make sure to clean the water regularly, especially if you have a ton of guppies and ghost shrimp. Tiny pebble-like rocks are acceptable as long as they are smooth, but you will find newborns constantly trying to bury themselves, only managing to throw a few rocks on their backs. They will spend most of their time buried in the sand with the exception of their noses and eyes above the water’s surface. The baby softshell turtle is one of the hardest turtles to keep as a pet. It took a lot of research and diligent care to learn what I know now, and for those of you who are also looking up information, this article will cut your search short. It’s perfect because he is able to bury himself and breathe while having the option to go into deeper water to explore. I don't understand your question. They may fight over food. They also usually sleep buried mostly or entirely in the sand, but only if it is in shallow water. I replace half the water every week and have a filter running at all times. I had no idea how best to care for him and this is fantastic! There are different shaped 20 gallons, like a 20 gal. These animals can easily die due to scratches on their shells, filthy water, and an unhealthy or overfed diet. Is it common for the turtles to have red spots on their stomach area. There are different creative ways of setting up an aquarium for a baby softs hell turtle. Of course, it depends on the size of the aquarium and the size of the animal. Our baby turtles for sale here are some of the worlds most beautiful turtles anywhere. The average diet of a baby softshell turtle in the wild consists of: Here are alternative foods in case you cannot provide all or any of the above: These items can be purchased from any aquarium store. Take it to an animal shelter or something and see what they can do. For those of you who are interested or already have obtained a baby softshell turtle, I would like to share my information. If you think a softshell turtle is a good fit for you, get your turtle from a … And be careful not to overfeed; these animals can die if fed too much. Freezed bloodworms, yes. Did you buy these or did you catch them? Length? Any help? By burying themselves, they not only have a feeling of security (reduced stress), but they typically catch live prey this way, thus preparing them for adulthood. Dear blogger, I would try feeding it little green pellets called ReptoMin by TetraFauna. These turtles have to get twelve hours of natural sunlight or UVB radiation per day. According to my mother it must have been like in the low to mid 50s last night. With no caves, crevasses, sand, or plants, it would be a boring world, especially without guppies or other smaller animals that can serve as meals and entertainment. It does not have to crawl completely out of water, just shallow enough to dry its shell. By the way, 9 baby turtles in a 10 gallon? Ive heard they do and im concerned because we recently found one in a parking lot and have been caring for her ever since. There are different creative ways of setting up an aquarium for a baby softs hell turtle. To control the temperature, I placed a heating pad up against one side of the tank. Notes on the courtship and mating behavior of the softshell turtle… Such as salmonella?? Shes so cute and tiny, half dollar size. For a baby softshell turtle, I used Tupperware filled with sand as his shallow area. Eric Milne from Pauma Valley, California on March 25, 2012: I have a Florida soft shell in a 55 gallon tank was wondering if I could put a spiny soft shell in there too? Hey umm I found my turtle in my creek and I already have paid a lot of money for the cages and all of it.. 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