Softshell turtle with fungus   10/13/11
Dear Crew
<Hiya - Darrel here>
I have a 6 yr old Asian softshell turtle (I believe she is a Pelodiscus sinensis) recently she developed a whitish spot on her back that was smaller than a penny which I suspected was fungus. Her water is clean with a filter/waterfall that she hauls out onto, but she had broken apart her turtle-safe heater so she was without a heater in the tank for awhile.
<Shouldn't be a problem>
Since it was summer I didn't think it would be necessary, but I'm wondering if this may have contributed to her getting the fungus.
<Probably not. If anything fungi grow in wet WARM places, not cooler places>
I removed her from the tank, and kept her in a plastic bin without water to dry out. I put the bin in the sun (with half in the shade in case she didn't want to bask) and then put Betadine on the fungus. When the Betadine was dry I put Silvadene over it. I would put her back in her tank for a couple of hours to eat, etc. and then do the Betadine Silvadene regimen again.
<That's what I'd do>
On day 2 I read that she shouldn't be completely dry so I put just enough water in the bin to cover her limbs which perked her up a bit, and I also read that Betadine can be toxic to some Softshells so I wiped it off her shell, washed it, and just used straight Silvadene. Do you know if it's safe for her species?
<I've never heard that before and have used plenty of Betadine on soft-shelled turtles. The important thing is to apply it and let it dry>
Anyway, on day 2 when I put her in her tank for exercise/feeding/pooping I noticed she was PALE all over. It's just like all her coloring has faded. I'm worried that being out of the tank really stressed her out.
<Yes, it does, but it's not like we have a choice>
She looked pretty miserable in the plastic bin, and would either sit with her head completely I also noticed a dark spot on her back foot that is where her foot bends (I wonder if when she was dry her foot was bent and that spot stayed wet?) there's a slight dark area almost on the same part of her other foot, but it looks on her left foot that it's almost a callous or scab or something. Also on the leg with the dark spot some of her skin is coming off. It's not a lot - just a little piece, but I'm worried it's because I let her dry out completely.
<In the wild they haul out and sun themselves until they get completely dry, so the act in itself isn't the cause>
I decided it was too stressful for her to be in and out of the tank, so I let her stay in. I have since gotten a turtle sulfa block, and added a little aquarium salt and got a new heater for her. Anyway, I think the fungus got kicked for the most part. There's a "ghost" area on her shell where the fungus was.
<That is likely to never go away completely, but don't worry about it.>
Is the sulfa block enough to fight the remainder of the fungus under the skin?
<I have no faith in the sulfa blocks at all. I've never seen one actually work>
Also, she now refuses to eat her ReptoMin pellets. She loved these for years until the other day. Now she's only eating earthworms and frozen beef heart cubes (very voraciously, I might add). Is she ever going to eat pellet food again?
<in time, probably. But she's not likely to eat the pellets while she's getting the better-tasting treats '¦ and you should continue the treats until she's a bit more back to normal. Once we feel she's well healed, we can go back to tough love and offer the pellets with the "eat these or go hungry" mentality for a week or so. Right now, it's not a battle worth fighting>
I'm so worried that she got so pale.
<It's a combination of physical factors and stress '¦ please don't feel like you broke her.> Do I need to call a vet?
<Not yet. But here's the thing. As you already know, softshell turtles need pristine water conditions and once a skin problem starts, it's very hard to heal. What I suggest is this: Take her out of the water and into the empty tub. Allow her to dry for a half hour, then douse the shell and leg areas with white vinegar. Let that dry just a few minutes and then wipe with Betadine. Let that dry a half hour and then put her back in her tank. Repeat every third day for two weeks until you're sure that the skin is healing.>
<Our goal here is to BALANCE the healing & protective properties of the treatment with the stress factors. User her appetite and general alertness & activity as your first indicator that the stress is getting to her>
My fiancé and I love this turtle and we're hoping to have her for the next 20-100 years.
<I understand>
Please advise.
Thanks so much!
Mona
<Hope it helps>
Re: Softshell turtle with fungus 10/20/11
Thanks so much Darrel,
<Yer welcome!!>
My turtle is doing MUCH better since following your advice.
<It's an amazing thing, Mona. EVERYONE seems to do better when they follow my advice! From turtles to cars to water heaters and relationships -- I' the guy with the answers and I'm right almost 22% of the time!!!>
Her coloring is back and she has a bit of a scar from the fungus but it's not spreading and
it's pretty much gone, otherwise. I've been withholding food her to get her pellet appetite back - especially after you wrote me she was just playing with the worms and not even eating them! I didn't feed her for 2 days and on the third she was back to pellets.
I hadn't thought of vinegar as a fungus killer (I use it all the time though for household cleaning) - so smart! thanks so much again!
<No charge, Mona -- but if you ever get the urge to donate money, the web site has a donate button on each page!>
- Mona
<Lastly, Mona. There are 6 special things to look at with a softshell turtle. The first FOUR are water quality!!! Pristine conditions keep them healthy. The next two are basking: They DO bask and they DO need UV-B lighting when they bask, so make sure you have a light for them. Lastly, they like to burrow in the substrate, so make sure that the substrate is small enough particles and soft enough particles to allow this. What I used to do was make a small "box" on the floor of their tank where I could put 6 inches of sand (rather than the 1" that covered the rest of the bottom) and since I only had 8 inches of water, they would bury themselves completely and then just shoot that long next up to the surface like a periscope. That's their way in nature and it makes them feel more secure>

Sick Florida soft-shell turtle    9/12/10
Dear Crew
<Hiya - Darrel here>
My daughter found a Florida soft-shell turtle the other day but it's not healthy. It has a lump on one cheek, will not eat (that we have noticed), stays in one spot most the day but will swim some if pushed and is very thin. There is also what looks like some skin shedding on all limbs. Is there any hope of bringing it back to good health?
<There is some, yes>
We can not afford a vet.
<I understand>
Should we put it back where it was found?
<No. That's the one thing not to do. He won't heal any better where you found him, since that was the environment that allowed him to get sick in the first place, and he'd likely just become prey to some predator. Even for healthy animals, we never suggest that they be released into the wild>
I will be thankful for any help.
<Lots of things. First, the lump certainly sounds like an abscess and of course that's not good and will have to be treated, but he also sounds like he may have a fungal infection on his skin. Here is a link to an article about treating common illnesses in turtles. It's written more for Sliders and other hard shelled water turtles, but the basics will work for a Soft-shell as well. May a place for him that's warm and dry. Like even a cardboard box with a towel in the bottom and an ordinary incandescent bulb over part of it. The drier he is, the harder it is for the fungus to grow. Also, the direct warmth will stimulate him so that when you put him in shallow water (just barely covering his shell - no deeper!) every day for a few minutes, he may decide to try to eat something. One problem is that a wild caught soft-shell in a weakened condition may not recognize food when he sees it. In your case I'd go to my local pet store or bait shop even - and see if I could buy a small package of earthworms. I'd place the turtle in the water, give him 2 or 3 minutes to drink and hydrate, and then I'd place a worm in the water a few inches in front of him. The remainder of the worms will keep for a few days if you keep them dark and cool (refrigerated is best) and then you can put them out in the garden or lawn where they'll do wonders for the plants>
<After he's been dry and warm for a few days and maybe eaten - starting to gain any kind of strength at all, then you have to address the abscess.
Not something to do on a soft-shell especially if you have no experience.
The good news is that if you've found a Trionyx ferox - the Florida Soft Shell Turtle -- there is a turtle and tortoise club near you!! There are plenty in Florida and the internet is a perfect place to find one. I'd suspect that you can find an experienced "old hand" that can examine your turtle and see if it is an abscess or something else and give you some real 'hands on' help with him>
<Here is the link: please read the whole thing - and best of luck to you!!>
< http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/treating%20RES%20Dis%20DarrelB.htm>

Turtle Questions   9/6/2010
Hi! My name is Lindsey
<Hiya - Darrel here>
-- and I have a soft-shell turtle named Vinny (who, according to your sexing tips, is most likely a female) that I have had for about 3 years now. She seems very healthy and happy, and has grown from about the size of a half dollar to a 4" diameter. I had originally set up a basking area with a "natural sunlight" lamp, and she pushed all the big
rocks over so that she could burrow in the sand.
<Their favorite resting posture is to be buried in the sand with only their nose showing, and then when they need to breathe, they extend their necks up like a periscope to the surface. A soft-shell's neck is almost as long as their body and it's amazing to see this in action>
I have since taken all of the big rocks out- I still have the lamp on a timer but I am not sure if it does any good. I'm guessing this is normal behavior for soft-shells- if not please let me know.
<It's pretty normal. They DO haul out and bask occasionally however, so you should make the effort to structure something for her to be able to do this. The problem is that you may never see her actually doing it -- Trionyx (the soft-shelled turtles) are usually shy and easily frightened just in general, but they are EXTREMELY private in their basking. They'll leave the hauling out spot at the first NOISE, let alone movement.>
My main question is this- my dad found a very tiny (maybe the size of a quarter) snapping turtle that looked near death and was no where near water, so he asked me if I wanted it. I can keep them separated, but would it be okay for me to put them in the same tank?
<No it wouldn't. They're both attack-based predators, both have short tempers and both will try to eat the other. The bigger one will win. If they're the same size, the snapping turtle will take bites out of Vinny's shell and she'll die>
I will rebuild the basking area for the snapper if I need to --
<The same rules for soft-shells apply to the Chelydridae - they bask infrequently and rarely when anyone is watching.>
-- and we are planning on moving Vinny from a 30 gallon tank to a 50 gallon tank soon. I just want to make sure that they would not hurt each other, and that if they turn out to be of opposite sex, that they cannot crossbreed. I don't want any eggs or baby turtles, that is way beyond my level of expertise in turtle care and I don't want to try to take it on. I am planning on keeping them separate at first, until I can make sure that the snapper is healthy and will not put Vinny at any health risk.
<I keep both, Lindsey and the way I do it is with a plastic tank divider. I arrange the basking areas against the divider so that one heat lamp and one UB lamp shines on both "sides." What you have going for you is that they both enjoy the same water, water temps, water levels - gravel substrate, and even food -- and they're typically not upset to be in each other's view.>
After that, can I move them in together?
<no, sorry>
Vinny currently lives with a sucker fish that is approximately 3-4 inches long, and she doesn't harass the fish as far as I can tell. Can I put more fish in with them? My dad raises Cichlids and they are constantly having babies that he usually sells back to the pet store- obviously the babies would be eaten by the turtles, but once they are a couple inches long, can I put them in with one or both turtles? Our tank is a little boring with just Vinny and some sand.
<Both snapping turtles and soft-shelled turtles are serious predators, Lindsey. Both will sit in wait and if the sucker fish gets too close, will suddenly lunge forward, attack and eat, so the only fish I'd think of putting in their tanks would be food items and, if you've read these columns enough, you'd find that we rarely do it that way. Fish is a more balanced diet for both Trionyx and Chelydridae than for the Emydid (hard shelled) turtles, but even so a better diet is Koi pellets and an occasional earth worm.>
<Other things these two neighbors share, Lindsey: They both have VERY short tempers and sudden NASTY bites. Both have extremely long necks and the ability to strike anything close to the entire front half of their bodies. Both are safely handled ONLY from their rear half - and even that with extreme caution. I very much enjoy keeping them but it terms of handling them they're right up there with my alligators: Drop your guard for just a second and you're nickname will be Lefty, Scar or Stumpy.>
Thanks for all your help!
Lindsey

Florida Soft Shell Turtle, party animal  -- 8/21/10
Dear Crew
<Hiya ! Darrel here>
During the hurricanes in 2004 we rescued 2 baby box turtles, about a year later another box turtle, then the following year my husband scooped up a baby soft shell turtle right before a big bird swooped down on it. We have had our soft shell since he was about the size of a half dollar in a 20 gal tank with 3 box turtles, yes box turtles. Somehow they adapted to being in a water only tank, we did not know they were land turtles only when we first saved them.
<I hope you corrected that as soon as you found out.>
<That said, I used to have a combination turtle & tortoise pen. Have was planted dirt, very much like a garden and the other half was a turtle pond. The sliders and cooters stayed near the water except to bask and lay eggs, and the box turtles and Russian tortoises stayed in the garden except to drink. But I had this one Florida Box Turtle named Clara that was ALWAYS in the water '¦ swimming around with the turtles. She even ate the Koi pellets I fed the water turtles! Every so often I'd fish her out and carry her to the far side of the garden and place her with the other box turtles. She's stay for a while - anywhere from an hour to a day -- but sooner or later I'd find her basking on a log with the sliders and diving into the water and swimming to me when I came to feed them. After a couple of years, I just gave up and let her be herself. That was years ago and she's long since passed, but he son Clem is wandering around my house as we speak and if I were to guess '¦ he thinks he's one of my cats.>
So for about 5 years all of our turtles have been together in a water tank with a floating deck. Our softshell is now about 8 in long and 5 wide, it was in the corner of the tank this morning and I thought he was sitting on top of one of our other turtles.
<Again -- I'm sincerely hoping that you've made proper homes for the Terrapenes -- maybe a fenced in outside garden during the spring, summer and fall? Just remember, they are INCREDIBLE climbers>
I went over to the tank to investigate and his tail was stretched almost to his neck along the underneath of his body and at the tip something had come out, it was dark and had like three tips, very alien like. It appeared to be coming out of the very tip as if the tip opened and this alien thing tried to come out. Do you know what that was??
<Why yes. I do happen to know what that is>
Since then it has went back into the tip of his tail but I've noticed that his tail is larger than usual. I have searched all over the web but not sure what it was I am looking for. I tried looking for the way turtles reproduce and eventually found your website. Your website seems to have the most info but no info on what was coming out of my turtles tail. If you could help I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance.-Natasha
<Natasha -- what you have is a male softshell turtle that has reached maturity! What you see there coming out of his tail is his '¦ um '¦ party animal. Unfortunately you won't find many pictures of turtle's reproductive organs on the internet (except perhaps for a few really twisted pay sites maybe "Honest honey!!! I was just doing research for an article I'm writing on turtles!!!") but that's what it is.>
<The important thing to realize is that even sometimes when it appears swollen, it can always go back in on it's own. Never try to force it back in>
<On another note -- always remember that your soft shell (Trionyx ferox) has a nasty bite and short temper '¦ so keep your fingers away from the his entire front half!>

Soft-Shell Turtle Dying!!!! pls help.  11/22/09 Hi, <Hiya - Darrel here> My Turtle is FAMILY: TRIONYCHIDAE (Softshell Turtles) Indian Flapshell Turtle (Lissemys punctata andersoni). My Turtle's age is 4-5 years old & its Single Female. The problem is since last 1 month my turtle eats very small amount after 2-3 days only & sleeps whole day (is this because of winter season?) <That would depend entirely on the conditions and temperature in her situation> And also its shell & skin has started pealing off, & its bottom shell is breaking also...I'm really worried now...because since last month they are getting worse. <Yes, these pictures show a turtle in distress> Here you can see current now Skin** pealing off**,Shell & bottom shell breakage pictures pics( its Hands & Feet Skin is getting Extremely Dry day by day): http://yfrog.com/j793125143jx <Yes. These pictures show a long term care issue, either diet or water conditions - or both> what do I need to do, to help my soft-shell turtle? <The immediate care is to get her warm and dry. Cover her sores and skin tears with iodine twice daily and allow them all to dry thoroughly. I am enclosing a link for care of common illnesses in Read Eared Sliders and what you should do is follow the same treatment as for FUNGAL INFECTIONS -- except you'll need to hydrate her more often.> <The Trionyx Family are fairly hardy animals, Rehan, but once they contract a skin disease the outlook is not good. If you can keep her dry, the ulcerations (sores) washed in peroxide and then covered in iodine, the skin may have a chance to start to heal ... but unlike an Emydid (hard shelled water turtle) your Softshell shouldn't have her skin completely dried -- so you'll need to put her in water twice daily, while at the same time allowing the iodine to dry over the sores.> <By keeping her warm & dry (around 80(f) / 27(c)) and then twice daily into water about the same temperature, you might stimulate her appetite - which brings us to the other half of the problem. She appears to be obese ... meaning she's eaten too much and gotten fat, which can lead to internal organ deterioration which in turn leaves them open to skin infections. Give her a light diet or Koi pellets or Repto-Min food sticks and very little protein and perhaps after a month or so we might see improvement. Best of luck to you> waiting for your help. thanks in advance. <here's the link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/treating%20RES%20Dis%20DarrelB.htm>

My turtle laid 4 eggs. how to take are of them????  11/22/09
Hi,
<Hiya - Darrel again>
My Turtle is FAMILY: TRIONYCHIDAE (Softshell Turtles) Indian Flapshell Turtle (Lissemys punctata andersoni).
<Another one?>
my turtle laid 4 eggs on 20th September 2009. so I 1st keep it rapped in towel & cotton cloth after 5 days. then I got sand from the river & put it the box , which I filled with moist river sand. what other things I need to take care of it? do I need sun, water, room, rooftop & what else location & things for it???
<Well, we have a link here for freshly laid turtle eggs>
< http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/TurtleReproArtDarrel.htm>
it has been 3 months now how do I check the progress of my Turtle Eggs or they wont hatch now?
<But it's a little late for this care>
- 1st I kept them(in plastic box with river sand) in a Normal room with normal room temperature.
- Then later for 3 week I kept it on my roof top where it got direct sun light in morning & cold temperature at night(that might be same situation in its natural place/habitat right??)
- since last 2 weeks I brought it back to normal room temperature, because of extreme cold season at night & a lot of rains last 2-3 weeks.
<That's a lot of change and stress on the eggs, Rehan. My GUESS is that they're not fertile or they would have hatched by now -- HOWEVER, we have a saying "incubate until they go rotten" because stranger things have happened to eggs that did indeed hatch.>
<Unless the eggs look black or smell rotten, you have very little to lose by continuing to try. Treat them as stated in the article for 90 more days before giving up>
thanks in advance.

Problems/Questions with Florida Soft-Shelled Turtle 10/25/2009
Hello there,
<Hi Abi.>
I found a Florida Soft-Shelled Turtle on my sidewalk the other day, and since it is a baby (a little less than two inches long), I decided to keep him for a few days.
<Yep, have a bunch of them around my house as well.>
One of the problems I'm having is that he doesn't eat at all.
<Could be a number of things, stress, illness, or you aren't providing what it sees as food. These turtles are carnivores.>
I've tried everything. And recently he's developed "hiccups".
<Not a good sign. This usually means a respiratory infection of some sort.
The turtle will need to be taken to a vet.>
I'm not sure if he's doing that to try and scare me or if its because he hasn't eaten. Any advice would be appreciated.
<If you want to keep it You can start by reading here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/turtrespart.htm
also here:
http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/cs-flsoft.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/softshell.html
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/turtlesysfaq2.htm >
<One thing to keep in mind as well, soft shell turtles can give a nasty bite>
Thanks.
<MikeV>

Re: Problems/Questions with Florida Soft-Shelled Turtle  10/27/09
Hi again.
<Hiya - Darrel here>
Thank you for responding to my message and for giving me some advice.
<your are welcome!>
I've tried feeding him cooked chicken, ham, bologna, lettuce (I've read that some do eat vegetation), and turtle pellets. I'm not too interested in keeping him. I just wanted him to be off the sidewalk for a bit. I don't
think I'll be able to take him to a vet either. I've come in contact with a fully grown soft-shell, but it didn't bite me. It bit the woman carrying it. And yes, the bite seemed terrible. I've held my turtle many times, and
he doesn't seem aggressive or scared. Obviously he does hide is head in his shell, but he warms up after a bit. As for the "hiccups", there's no coughing or sneezing, nothing coming out from his nose, nothing out of his mouth, he still has balance while swimming, and looks to be breathing normally.
<Abi - Softshells can be interesting pets, but yes they can and do bite and they are not for everyone. I commend you for wanting to get him off the sidewalk and to help him. Unfortunately the one thing we should never ever do is release an animal that we're kept, even for just a day or two, into the wild again.>
<What I suggest you do is look on the internet for a turtle and tortoise club in or near your town. The little guy you have will probably require more care than you can give him without making a permanent commitment to him, but your local turtle and tortoise club will probably have someone that would like to have him and has the facility and experience to care for him.>

Spiny soft shelled turtle  05/27/09
Dear Crew,
<Hiya Angie... Darrel here>
We found a spiny soft shelled turtle at the creek.
<How big?>
Will straight tap water hurt him?
<Not a bit. In fact the clean, chlorinated water is better for him than stagnant water.>
Also, what kind of habitat do I need to set up for him?
<Soft shell turtles are one of the most interesting of all the turtles.>
<WATER QUALITY: They're a quite bit more sensitive about water quality than what a Red Eared Slider will tolerate, so you need to have good filters and change the water/clean the tank more frequently. The water should look clean and pure and have ZERO odor of any kind.>
<LIGHTING: Contrary to popular notions, soft shells ( the genus is now called Apalone but it used to called Trionyx) DO haul out and bask and DO require heat and UV lighting just like a Red Eared Slider would .. it's just that they are shy and nervous creatures and will retreat to safety
(the water) almost any time someone is around. Even after they are accustomed to humans, many still find 'sunbathing' to be a private thing and will slip into the water even as they swim up to the glass as a human approaches.>
<FOOD: Again, they are a bit more carnivorous than a Slider, but I've raised them from hatchlings to breeders on nothing more than high quality Koi pellets and the occasional (once a month) night crawler/earthworm.>
<HOUSING: The same basic instructions for Red Eared Sliders apply here (link enclosed) with just a few reminders (1) Water Quality is critical to their long term health. (2) Care must be taken that their bottom, basking area, etc. be free from sharp or rough objects because their skin is much more sensitive to abrasion.>
<HIDING: This is one thing not strictly REQUIRED, but your Spiny Soft shell (Apalone spinifera) will love you for it: Take a glass or plastic dish around 4 inches deep, fill it with very fine aquarium sand and place it in such a manner as to be now more than an inch below water level in the tank or pond. Usually this means placing it on top of rocks or even upside down garden pots. The soft shell finds security in burying his entire body in the sand and sticking only his very long neck up to the surface (very much like a snorkel). The more security they find in their ability to hide, the more secure they will be when they're out and about where you CAN see them.>
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/RESCareBarton.htm>

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>

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.>

Pig Nosed River Turtle Questions, sys.   4/16/07 Hello guys, I hope you can bear with me and try to answer my questions, I am really sorry I have so many questions and taking up your precious time. Really appreciate your help and time and efforts! Thank you in advance! My pig nose turtle has been really restless for the past month, swimming from one end to the other in the tank and flapping water furiously but stopped once I go over or pat it on its head. Last time it (I am still not sure of its gender, I know a long tail and long nails at front flippers should indicate a 'he' but I am not sure how long exactly is considered long enough.) used to calm down after I fed it but food doesn't work anymore so I really don't know what my turtle is asking for now. I have seen similar questions posted in the forum but the replies did not directly explain this behaviour. I have varied the diet but it didn't help. I have kept the turtle for years and this hasn't happened before. There's no hiding place for my turtle and I will try to get one because it's difficult to find a cave-like structure big and light enough for the glass tank. My turtle is about 22cm from head to tail and 17cm in width.. Do you know how old it is?. < They grow very slowly and no literature is available on the growth rate of this turtle.> When I bought it, I believed it was just a hatchling, no bigger than about 10cm from head to tail. And is it also 80F for the water temperature for Pignose turtle? < That sounds like it is in the range for this species.> Can you tell me how many Celsius degree is 80F? <Around 27 C.> Should the basking area be higher in temperature? < Generally the basking areas are always higher so the animal can increase its body temp to fight disease and to aid in digestion.> And aside from the basking light, do I also need another lamp for the tank? < You need heat and another lamp to provide the proper lighting spectrum for vitamin development.> Are these two kinds of lamps different? < Usually yes although some lamps can provide both heat and some UV radiation.> And should I keep the lights on during the day and off at night? < Yes.> I also don't have a basking area for it, because the water level of the tank is about three quarter full and I have no idea how to build a basking area so high above the water. If I keep the water level lower, will it deprive my turtle in terms of swimming space? < Yes try and build a shelf on which the turtle can get out on. ZooMed makes a Turtle Dock for just such a situation but it is not big enough for a turtle like yours.> If I put it out in a tub for basking, is half an hour enough? < Only the turtle itself knows how long it needs to bask.> It doesn't really get a lot of direct sunlight because I stay in a flat and have no garden or porches or anything in kind. Do I need to add a bit of water in the tub? < This is a very aquatic turtle that in the wild would spend hours swimming around in a big river. If you are going to confine it to a tube then I would still and try to provide as much swimming are as possible.> So sorry I have so many questions. I hope you can answer to them all. So sorry to take up so much of your time and efforts, really appreciate any help given!.. Thank you soo soo much! Lost and frantic owner, Jaz Singapore < This is a very rare turtle and I believe on some CITES lists too. Very scarce and very expensive in the U.S. The cool thing about these turtles is they look and act like ocean sea turtles but are found in fresh water instead. They get pretty big for a pet turtle. The shell can get up to almost 20 inches and they can weigh up to 35 lbs. There is very little known about these turtles and literature is scarce. Since they get soo big and are very aquatic I would try and give them as much swimming space as possible. They may come out to bask occasionally but I don't think they will use a basking spot very often. Some people in the US that are fortunate enough to have this turtle have told me that they are totally aquatic and don't require a basking spot. But I would still provide UVB and UVA over the basking site to cover my bases. The basking site should still be around 85 to 90 F. The water temp should be around 80 F. The diet may need to be modified for minerals that it may not be getting. Try adding a few vitamins to the food to see if that helps settle him down.-Chuck>

Floating Soft Shell Turtle    10/6/06 Hello, My Florida Soft Shell is buoyant. He can't seem to stay down no matter how hard he tries... He keeps floating up to the top of his tank. Usually he acts starving when I feed him and is very vigorous and tonight at dinner time he didn't even budge. Finally I got him to eat 2 brine shrimp cubes (he normally eats 3), but he is just floating at the top of his tank. Could he be dying? Also, our power   went out the other day and I had to add water to the filter area to get the pump to stat pumping again.... when I did this, it added the pump debris in to his water. Could he have gotten sick from this if he ate it? Please help answer my questions if you can. < Could be sick from something he ate, but the problem is the water is too cold. Put a quality water heater in the aquarium and turn it up to 80 F. Soft shells really don't bask so the water needs to be warm all the time for them.-Chuck>

Re: Burping Turtle   10/5/06 Thanks.  Any reason for the big air bubbles (burping)? <Gas is usually a associated with food  being decomposed by microbes as opposed to being digested by the stomach juices.-Chuck>

Re: Burping Turtle II    10/6/06 I'm assuming that food decomposed by microbes as opposed to being digested by stomach juices is bad? < It means that the bacteria are breaking down and digesting the food and not the turtle.> She spends a considerable amount of time under her basking lamp, which is at the correct temperature, so I'm not sure what else to do. Thanks, Matt < Check the basking spot with a thermometer. It should be at least 85 F. If it is too cold then increase the wattage of the basking light or move the source closer to the spot.-Chuck>

Chinese Soft Shell Turtle in a Pond?  6/9/06 Dear WWM Crew, <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I have a female Chinese soft shell turtle that I love dearly. I am moving into my boyfriend's house and he doesn't want her. :( <Guess you love the boyfriend more?> I don't want to give her up, so I am trying to find a compromise to keep her with me. I live in the UK, so its pretty warm here at the minute, but as you know the winters can be bitter. So, my boyfriend has a pond, with nothing in it. I was wondering if I could build an enclosure that was kept at a constant temperature to house her in? I'm a designer and he is an electrician - I'm sure we could come up with something! Do you think so long as the temperature was controlled and the water filtered she'd be ok? Are there any other considerations we should take into account? <Would work but very expensive to heat, IMO.  ~PP> Thanks guys, I look forward to hearing from you

Soft Shell Turtle Throwing Up  - 5/11/06 Hi, I'm located in Singapore, and the general attitude here towards reptiles are that if they are sick, throw them away and get a new one. Which means that.. there are no vets who can treat my Softshell turtle! I'm not sure what type it is, but I am pretty sure its a breed that's from southeast Asia. I keep it outdoors, in a tank where it can get sunlight from 7am till 12noon.It is roughly 3 years old, and 6 inches long. Problem is, for the past 3 weeks, it have been throwing up. Not immediately after feeding, maybe 5-6 hours later. It's eating Tetra ReptoMin, 8 sticks per feeding. I tried feeding it iceberg lettuce, the only vegetable it will eat. But that comes out too, after 12 hours. It used to be very active, but its just lying around these days, don't even try to bite me anymore. What can the problem be? I really don't want to lose it.. I can't tell if its male or female either.. Thank you for your time, Tasha < Too bad you have no access to a vet. Clean the tank and move it to where it gets some warm afternoon sun. The peak UV period is between 10 and 2. You turtle may not be getting warm enough to digest its meal and it has begun to rot in its gut and cannot pass it.-Chuck>