spiny softshells

Question
QUESTION: I have acquired 2 spiny softshell turtles.  The tank was goopy green when I got it and the female had a horrible wound on back of shell.  First we sold the huge plecostomus who was viciously attacking her back.  Next I went to the LFS and got a zoomed sulfa bath.  I also started taking them out in the sun every day for 20 minutes or so - it is really really hot here in central AZ right now.  I also took her to a vet who claimed knowledge but is questionable as he prescribed an iodine treatment.  I did it for a couple of days and then read that iodine is not recommended.  She is healing now and instead of jagged flesh it is getting smooth so I think getting rid of the attacker and the sun is the best Rx for her so far.

My question is that I am trying to learn about the life cycle of these creatures because basically they were dumped on me in a too small tank.  I picked up a 50 gallon cheap - (it needs alot of cleaning) but since I do not know how fast they grow I am thinking that maybe I should just get a 100 gallon and start to work on that.  From my reading on the internet so far I am not able to determine speed of growth.  Their shells are approximately 5 inches now, they still have the black spots and they are in a 38 gallon corner tank.  (Tank is awkward shape so determining capacity is difficult for me - it might just be 30 gallons.)  I purchased some rosie minnows for food for them but they have become friends with the turtles who love to watch them.  However I did cook some chicken pieces in water for them and they gobbled it so they can be carnivorous.  Food variety for them is still an unknown for me - especially in the vegetable department.  When I was a kid a huge snapping turtle came for the wild strawberries every year but I don't know if I can feed those to aquatics.

So my two biggest questions are what to feed them for variety for health and what is their growth rate so I can determine next size tank to be working on since I find this slow going for me.  I mean if the 50 gallon will work for them for a couple of more years I can search used furniture for a stand for it, clean it and start curing the driftwood and such.  But if they grow alot faster than that I need to keep my eye out for a larger used tank and stand.

A corollary question is - does anybody grow pond plants indoors with their turtles or will they just eat them all?  Also I am finding that the advice I am receiving is not to their liking.  Their tank came with sand and everybody advises to get gravel.  They burrow in the sand - they won't burrow in the gravel - so the sand allows them to do natural activity - especially when they are rosie minnow gazing (hee hee).  Also recommended was the turtle dock - that was a total waste of money!  They hate it - preferring to float on the fake asparagus plant.  Many sites say that these turtles need a low water level in their tank - low enough that they might have their feet on the ground and stick their heads out of the water.  These turtles do not mind low water levels but they prefer alot of water to be active in and it is wonderful to watch them in alot of water.  Also, if I make a larger set up for them do I need to provide a land area for this type turtle? - I have not researched breeding styles for them yet.  At what age/size do they become interested in breeding?

I was going to situate the tank by the front door of my house which does get a cold draft in winter.  I was advised not to and I am just not getting it.  After all, in their natural environment they encounter freezing temperatures.  I can of course put a heater in the tank and was thinking to bury it in the sand.  What do you advise for this situation?  I would like to try to figure it out before I start moving furniture around!
Also, since I may not be able to get out of the renting lifestyle I may wish to rehome them in the future to someone who would love to provide an outdoor habitat for them on land that they own.  Is their a favored way to find such people?

ANSWER: Hello, they grow fairly fast but the 50 will work fine. If you can get a large tank then its better. Its always bigger the better. A large pond is best though.

Here is some information on care and feeding:

http://www.anapsid.org/softshell.html

They will eat any vegetation in the tank so you need to be sure its on a safe/non toxic list.

Using sand is much better then gravel for burrowing purposes. be sure its clean and fine sand.

I think that there is a lot of questions here and a lot of information that I am unsure about so here is a link that should help with %90 percent of your questions

http://www.chelonia.org/articles/softshellcare.htm

If there is anything that the two links did not cover then let me know and I can clarify it for you.

Oh and do not house them next to the door the reason is the cold draft can make them sick. It can give them a respiratory tract infection which most of the time is un noticed until its too late. You go to the vet they give you medication and half the turtles wont survive from it. It must be caught right away and dealt with right away. Cold drafts are dangerous.

A heater is nice, not in the sand but in the water they sell some for turtles with plastic casing around it to prevent burns. But the cold draft will still get to them. Yes in the wild they encounter cold temperatures but the survival rate in the wild is a lot lower then in captivity.

You can try online like at Craigslist or Reptileauctions.com

Places like www.reptilegeeks.com has classified sections and a large reptile enthusiast database. I am also a member on there and I see turtles lizards and snakes being sold from there all the time.

Other then that newspapers and herpetological societies are best.

Good luck
Yexalen



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I purchased a basking lamp with the right spectrum of light so I don't have to take them outside every day anymore but it does not seem to give off any heat.  Their tank has no top and I need a top of some sort to keep warmth in, drafts out but don't want to create a poison environment or not enough oxygen.  What do people do?

ANSWER: The tank needs a screen top, sold at almost all pet stores and sometimes found at Wal*Mart. The UV light you purchased provides them with only UV spectrum lighting. No heat should be thrown off with this light. You will need a separate light for basking temperatures. A heat lamp or Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) will work fine.

The screen top will not help with heat but the heat light will. It wont keep drafts out, so dont house them near a door, or window. They need fresh air circulation so do not enclose the top. Keep it screened.

I hope that helps
Yexalen

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have a heat lamp that I use for baby chicks but not sure how much heat it gives off.  Are the lamps you mentioned regulated for turtles?  Or is it all in how far you position it above the tank and bears much watching?  So I need two thermometers?  One for the water and one for the air?

Answer
Yes, you do need 2 thermometers just as you said. The heat lamp used for baby chicks is fine. But you will have to play with the position of it over the basking spot in order to regulate the needed temperatures.

At pet stores they sell reptile heat lights that run about $20 each. any light bulb of any sort will do as long as the temperatures are accurate. Even a normal house bulb if you can get the temperature right.

Water temperature should be high 70s to mid 80s

Air/basking temperature should be around 90-95 degrees

Good luck
Yexalen