Advice From Experienced Turtle Keepers Needed!

[fall-apart-dave]

Hey!

I have recently aquired a pair of musk turtles, but I want to know how to make sure they are healthy. They seem happy enough, saw one of them swimming around this morning presumably looking for food, but I rarely see them eat (have seen them eat frozen bloodworm twice). I drop food in there, I use some frozen turtle food, dried mix of pellets, shrimp, fish etc, and bloodworm. I am thinking of introducing live food too. The thing is when I drop food in there, very often it hasn't been touched by morning. They are only babies, and I have no experience specifically of turtles though I have kept lizards, tarantulas and the like in the past.

I've read up about them on a few websites, these two being te best I've found:

http/www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/oderatus.html

http/members.aol.com/TheWyvernsLair/turtles/MudMusk-1.html

There is a little contradicting info on basking (some places say they don't need to bask and dont bask when given a light, others say they do), and I have not yet added a basking light though I will be adding both basking and moonlight (so I can watch them at night) in the very near future.

I was a little concerned today as I saw one of them completely out of the water last night on a log, this morning I woke to find he hadn't moved and his eyes were tight shut. Picked him up to make sure he wasnt dead, his eyes reamained shut though when I touched his feet and head he withdrew into his shell more. After a while he opened his eyes so I put him back, he didnt move for a long while but then eventually dissapeared somewhere under the wood in the tank.

I have no idea how to spot if they are healthy or not... Any help please?

Thanks

 

[fall-apart-dave]

Live food they went mad for (blood worm and brine shrimp) though they were too slow to catch it most of the time. However, back to one turtle in particular spending a lot of time on a log with his eyes shut resting his head on it. Concerned about his health! Can't find info on what could be the matter with him either Basking light being fitted tomorrow, see if that perks them up any.

Any help anywhere?

 

[The_Dude]

The basking light should help a bit. But try to get the little guy better.

 

[fall-apart-dave]

They both died in the end

 

[Buslady]

the shape of the tank to me isn't right for a couple turtles. It looked too deep on the sides. What you had were shallow water turtles and needed easy access to air and land. I would go for a normal tank, and try again with all the needs they require. don't give up! turtles are fun to have!

 

[fall-apart-dave]

They had both shallow and deep water in there. I'm looking at a map turtle next... Perhaps... Got my tank up for sale for now though - if I get a buyer before I buy another turtle so be it!

 

[Buslady]

They had both shallow and deep water in there. I'm looking at a map turtle next... Perhaps... Got my tank up for sale for now though - if I get a buyer before I buy another turtle so be it!

Maps are great, they can do with the deeper water better. They stay small and are really cute.

 

[Davo86]

Maps are great, they can do with the deeper water better. They stay small and are really cute.

Yep i agree, the musk turtles you had were much more of a basking turtle whilst the maps will appreciate the deep water, IMO they are quite hardy little things and should do well in your setup.

 

[Buslady]

Maps are great, they can do with the deeper water better. They stay small and are really cute.

Yep i agree, the musk turtles you had were much more of a basking turtle whilst the maps will appreciate the deep water, IMO they are quite hardy little things and should do well in your setup.

Basking, nah not really. Musks bask but not like a pond turtle. Maps are baskers, they'll do the whoe superman pose.

 

[Davo86]

Basking, nah not really. Musks bask but not like a pond turtle. Maps are baskers, they'll do the whoe superman pose.

ok, maybe i typed that incorrectly, what i meant was that map turtles are just as happy at the bottom of a tank as they are out of water