Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[mcfluffin]

Hiya...

My wife and I fancy getting some smallish turtles. I don't find many posts from people keeping the above-mentioned turtles, but I wondered if anyone out there can advise.

We are thinking of getting an aquarium about 3ft long (quite deep and tall...hopefully about 2 ft high). Would this be suitable for a few musk turtles maybe? I would like to breed them, so what is the best way to setup the land for breeding? Also would it be possible to keep any other tank mates in the aquarium to make it a nice display piece? We are going for the naturalistic type setup with gravel, live plants, rocks driftwood etc.....

Thanks

Joe and Hayley
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[Ailurus]

This may help mate:

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

Snakes: :Pantherophis: :Coelognathus: :Lampropeltis: :Heterodon: :Antaresia:
Lizards: :Rhacodactylus: :Pogona: :Goniurosaurus:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Ailurus27

[mcfluffin]

Thanks Tom....I had read that one....I just don't know why more people on here don't keep them...they are pretty common in aquarium shops and reptile shops. Hopefully someone who has had experience with these turtles is on CB somewhere
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[mark_w]

I wouldn't say i was an expert but I am growing on six western painted turtles Chrysemys picta belli and three stinkpot musks Sternotherus odoratus to eventually keep together in a naturalistic North American river-type tank.

There was a really good musk turtle special issue of Reptilia magazine a while ago with a lot of info on breeding...

Cheers,
Mark.
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Turtles: Chrysemys, Clemmys, Cyclemys, Phrynops, Rhinoclemmys, Sternotherus.
Skinks: Egernia, Lygosoma, Tiliqua, Tribolonotus.
Geckos: Phelsuma, Ptychozoon.
Tegus: Tupinambis.
Tortoises: Testudo.

[mcfluffin]

Oh...cheers Mark...maybe I'll try to get a back-issue...sounds interesting...

What are you current setups and experiences with these turtles?
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[mark68]

Is everybody else finding it impossible to get onto the tortoise trust website ?

[mcfluffin]

Nope...I was on there loads yesterday
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[mark68]

Thanks..

Weird because I have been trying for a couple of weeks, and it seems it might be blocked somehow to people outside of the UK ? I am having no other problems with the internet.

[mark_w]

The painteds are in a plastic tub, about 24" x 15" x 15". Deep water, about 10" deep. Fluval 1 filter. Really good swimmers even when tiny. Pile of rocks in middle just above the water level. 60 watt basking bulb with a compact fluorescent pointing at rock. Basking about 90 or 95F. Water about 70-75F. I have plastic plants and a light cover of floating Salvinia. Food = mostly roaches. Some lesser mealworms, occasional fish, occasional Egeria (aquarium plant).

The stinkpots are in a shallow plastic tub, about 15" x 10" x 10". Water 2" deep. Cover of Salvinia, plastic plants. No filter or heating/lighting. Water temps are 70 or 75. Food = the same, but they don't touch the plants. Fairly hard to get...

I really like both species. The stinkpots are a little shy. The painteds are bonkers and go mad to take food from fingers. Not at all shy! Easy to get.

The other North American turtles I have are spotteds, Clemmys guttata, which are a little bit more terrestrial, but would look great in a naturalistic set up. Mine are in a similar set up to the painteds, with a larger land area. Very pretty and not shy. Much harder to get!

Hope this helps.
Mark.
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Turtles: Chrysemys, Clemmys, Cyclemys, Phrynops, Rhinoclemmys, Sternotherus.
Skinks: Egernia, Lygosoma, Tiliqua, Tribolonotus.
Geckos: Phelsuma, Ptychozoon.
Tegus: Tupinambis.
Tortoises: Testudo.

[mcfluffin]

Thanks Mark...that's great...what will their adult setups be like?
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