Newbie Q's, Musk Turtles.

[Chris Cooper]

My partner and I decided we wanted to keep tropical fish so took a trip to our local aquatics, we noticed a tank with a few Musk Turtles inside, both of us instantly fell in love with them but neither of us have ever had any experience of any kind of reptile. We asked the guy in the aquatics for some information, he was helpful, but sensing the possibility of a big sale,(tank, heaters,lamps,etc) he was concentrating more on putting us a good deal together than giving us the confidence in our ability to keep them properly.

We left the Aquatics to do some research and make sure that we were suitable people to keep Musk Turtles and of course that they would suit us too. From what we've read and seen we are still happy to go ahead with getting 2 Musk Turtles.We would like more information though, what common problems can we expect? Are there any pitfalls we should be aware of? Common beginners mistakes?

We would also like some advice on preparing our new pet's home. We didn't buy anything on our trip to the aquatics, so still have no tank or any equipment what so ever. Could anyone give some advice on what we should be spending our money on? i.e which tank, filter, heater etc. We have about £100-£150 to spend.

Thanks in advance.

[Demonsnapper]

well filter a good external canister. lighting i would go with combi bulbs, basking area. water not to deep easy area's for the musks to rest (they are not the best swimmers) and no lid on the tank! this is some of the stuff. but wait for a expert in the field to pop along and prob would not have to wait long. also what size tank you have at moment!

[Chris Cooper]

We don't have a tank yet, looking for advice on that too, is a standard fish tank, with less water and a basking area suitable?

[zekee]

Hi and welcome to the forum, great choice for a starter turtle, great to watch and stay small, I would suggest you only get the one though, as they can be aggressive, which is a hassle you don't want if starting out. I would avoid a combi bulb and go for the arcadia t5 strip light and a seperate heat spot, I use the halogen bulbs from poundworld for the heat light. Look at the page in my signature plenty of info on there for you to have a good read of.

[Chris Cooper]

When I first buy a tank do I need to set it up and let it run for a week, then test the water as I would for tropical fish? The guy in the aquatics was trying to sell me the tank and the Turtles all at once.

[zekee]

No you won't, you will need to use water conditioner to remove chlorine etc but apart from that you should be ok.

[Chris Cooper]

Ok thanks a lot for that Zekee.

Another question I have is, would it be ok to build up the substrate at one corner of the tank to be above the water level to give a basking area?

I read that childrens play sand is best for substrate.

[sharpstrain]

play sand is good as a substrate - for a basking area it is best to either have a lump of wood that sticks out of the water that he can access. or buy a turtle dock that you attach to the side of the tank underneath the spot lamp

You need a water heater and water temps aroung 75 deg for a baby - this can be switched off as it gets older.

A basking spot that is about 10 degrees warmer than the water - mine variies from 82-88 degrees

No lid on the tank

I also have lots of floating plants for cover, to hide in and to eat

They are awesome creatures and pretty easy to keep if you get your set up right and cleaning routine sorted from the start

[Chris Cooper]

So if I'm using a regular fish aquarium, how do I go about lighting? The light is usually in the hood, that I'm not going to be using.

Thanks again for all the advice, really helpful.

[sharpstrain]

I have a swan neck adjustable light fitting for my basking spot - got it off ebay for 13quid ish.

I got an arcadial luminaire to go over my tank - cost a bit though. But I like it - it looks good and provides uv along the whole length of the tank without compromising ventilation.

some people use compact uv bulbs but I dont like them myself