Is my mud turtle sick? What tank size is best for two mud turtles?

Thanks for reaching out about Curtis. The most likely cause is pneumonia where the lungs are filled with fluid and unable to inflate adequately for buoyancy. A veterinary visit is recommended, most of these are bacterial and the correct antibiotic could be curative. Good luck.

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Great question! Yes, a 24 gallon tank is too small. Map Turtles like to swim a lot so therefore, they need a lot of space. A full grown Map Turtle will need at least a 75 gallon tank. Be sure to include a dry basking area. It is recommended that you have a sloped ramp leading up the basking area to allow for easy access. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes.

Check the water, ambient and basking spot temperatures. Low temps can affect activity in reptiles. Ideally, the turtle should be in a 10 gallon tank. Water depth should be no more than twice the shell length. Use a filter to maintain water quality and a small heater to keep it between 82F and 85F. There should also be a basking area easily reached out of the water that should range between 85F and 88F. A UVB light source, proper diet and calcium and vitamin supplementation will promote shell health. If all this is provided and the turtle is still lethargic, consider a physical exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. You can find one at the link below. The second link will provide more information regarding the care of sliders. http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661 http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

If the tank is large enough, the two could be kept IF they get along. Musk turtles can be aggressive, even with other musk turtles, so you'll need to monitor for any aggression. That said, if there is a significant size difference, they should be separated for the safety of both of them. You may find the smaller one will eat better and grow more if housed alone. Males can be differentiated from females by comparing tails. Males will have a thicker, longer tale than females. You can confirm species specific environmental parameters by reading the article at the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Common-Musk-Turtle-Care-And-Information/

Thanks for your question about Jade! A 20 gallon tank is likely appropriate for him while he is young, however this species of map turtle can get to be about 10 inches or so in length, and due to this size, will need a larger tank as he gets to be full size. Ideally, the water level should be at least as deep as Jade is long, and more ideally it would be 1.5x deeper (ex: if Jade is 10 inches long, the water would be 15 inches deep). There would also need to be enough space for two haul out areas, one on the cool end of the enclosure and one on the warm end of the enclosure. There will also need to be space for a water heater to be present. With all of these items, it can get quite crowded in a small tank! I hope that helps to answer your question, and good luck!

Thanks for reaching out about your turtle. There is no such thing as too big a tank, but the minimum will be determined by the size of the animal, and will change as it grows. The larger the water volume, the more stable the water quality. Turtles will probably need a water heater, haul out area, basking lamp with heat and ultraviolet B radiation. Good luck.

That hinge on her plastron (bottom shell) is normal. It is supposed to appear "split". That allows her to close up securely when she retracts her head. These turtles do not get as big as other species, but a 10 gallon tank is too small. She also needs a UVB light source. Windows will block most of the sun's beneficial rays. You can find a UVB light source in most pet stores. A popular brand is the ZooMed ReptiSun light. They are good eaters, eating a wide variety of animal protein, plant matter and commercial diets. The link below leads to a care sheet providing additional information. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Three-toed-Box-Turtle-Care-and-Information/