@MsChibiKawaii the moss doesn't hurt the turtles. The moss starts out as moss balls which you can buy in many aquarium shops. I pile them up so the turtles can hide in them. Turtles will occasionally eat gravel or sand, probably to aid in digestion. I've never seen any problem associated with that practice. It is possible some large gravel could cause an impaction, but it has never happened to any of my turtles.
@MsChibiKawaii debris tends to collect on top of the sand, so you can siphon it up if you feel the need. My tank is fairly large and has moss on top of the sand so it is nearly impossible to clean - so I don't. Debris on the bottom eventually breaks down into ammonia byproducts and is dispatched by the wet/dry filter.
@MsChibiKawaii in time it can, but Algae can grow on the sides of an aquarium too, so what difference does it make? You can stir the sand with a long stick to break up the algae if you want. But the algae won't hurt anything. Sand is probably the favorite substrate for turtles. A bare tank is very unnatural for the turtles, hard to crawl on, no place to dig.
how do you clean the sand? I'm about to set up a 20 gal long aquarium for 2 hatchlings, and am wondering about substrate? Your tank looks amazing, and I like the sand, but how do you clean it?
@jschuettster I rarely clean the sand in my tank. But my tank is fairly large and there is something of an eco-system going on there. You need good biological filtration and large water volume to reduce tank maintenance. Even if you have a small tank, sand is pretty easy to care for. You can siphon up surface residue with a plastic tube. It's not that hard to keep sand clean. If you have a canister filter, keep the intake up high, away from the sand.
@coolbeansexplosion I am not a professional breeder. You might try visiting the Turtle Forum for good advice on that. I simply incubate the eggs, hatch them out, put them into a hatchling tank for a few weeks, then release them. I have several YouTube videos up on how I care for hatchlings.
@TheDamschroder if you watched the video, that is how I care for them before releasing. I don't sell turtles, I release them all, usually within a month.
@xLexiiPuppyx When first born, they are about the size of a nickle. I can't remember the mix in this video, but probably the size of a quarter or so. Very small. Very cute. Full grown they will be about 4 to 5 inches in length.
@BauriBob Thanks for replying . I'm adopting two 3-striped muds very soon. I have watched most of your videos. You are a great person, doing so much for the earth and its animals. Im 13 and i say this :D Subscribed
VERY KOO SET UP I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ?? (((WHAT ARE ALL THE NAMES OF WATER PLANTS U ARE USING )) ...CAN I USE THEM WITH RAZOR BACK MUSK TURTLES ..?
@donde1984 I have lots of anacharis which is a favorite of most aquatic turtles, also moss and mossballs. The turtles don't eat the moss but do hide in it. The other plants are potted and grow out of the water. Not sure what they are, possibly peace lilies I think. Am not sure what the care requirements are for the razor back musk. Visiit the ATP Care sheets on the web and find your turtle, see what they say.
Amazing setup! I love the natural look too compared to many other setups. The more natural the better though :-) This is the kind of stuff I see baby snappers and painteds around here hang out in.
there population as well as the over development of the woods in the area there is literally only a small patch of woods less then a mile in diameter around this lake in huge on wildlife preservation so i think the project i am considering would do some good, as well as trapping, measuring, photographing, tagging and releasing the much older turtles i recognize in the lake to help monitor lifespan how rapidly the population as a whole id declining, any tips?
@squirtzhub All I do is remove litter from the waterways and rescue/release turtles. Not sure what the point of tagging, measuring is going to do unless you are part of an official study with some organization that has political power. What will you do with your numbers? The real problem is population growth and the resulting development. Population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2100. It is nearly 7 billion now. Was only 1 billion in 1800. Do the math.
something that i am researching and considering to ensure there survival by 50% and helping maintain the lakes populations as i have seen less and less turtle over the years at the lake due to development of houses and strip malls around the lake and the increase in predators, as construction has driven alot of racoons and snakes from there habitat and forces them to live the very small wooded area around the lake, which are the turtles natural predators, which i know is a big part in reducing
thumbs up to your vid my friend you did an excellent job, i take in red ear slider and eastern painted turtles and sometimes im iffy about the size of the hatching's when i release them due to Predators, but i guess any size turtle is vulnerable, hatchlings start at about the size of a quarter, i know where the turtles nest in my local lake as i view there hatchlings every year, sometimes i wonder if taking fresh ones from the lake and captive growing then re releasing them would be good its
Is there a certain type of sand that I should get for my Red Eared Slider? I've never worked with sand in any of my aquariums. I've always stuck to rocks and pebbles. I plan on upgrading my 20 gallon when I have the money and would really love to experiment with sand instead of rocks. Any advice? Also with cleaning the sand?
@redearedslider1 I use ordinary play sand that you can buy at most hardware stores (try Lowes or Home Depot). Rinse the sand well before putting it in the tank. Embed a shallow bowl into the sand and pour the water into the bowl so you don't stir up the sand.
@CptWigglesVideos most everything in the hatchling tank is real. I probably had at least one plastic plant in the tank. Have a few tall plastic plants is a good idea so that a turtle can crawl to the surface if for some reason it cannot swim.
Do they really need a basking light ?? Ive heard not because like snapers they tend to stay inthe water under mud.If you know please let me know id like to give my mud turtle good care ,thanks.
@shampoo02 there is some discussion about that but it is best to side on caution. Mud turtles love to bask, all of my mud turtles bask under the UVA/B heat lamp. Even turtles that don't bask get UV from the sun when they are near the surface of the water, sea turtles for example. UV is probably absorbed through the skin (head, neck, and legs).
Plus the UV will inhibit fungus and bacterial growth on the shell. So I would recommend providing a UV heat lamp available.
@DESIdhillonJATT no one can ever know that. I'm sure a turtle would enjoy a life in a very large tank filled with vegetation, basking areas, places to explore, plentiful food, what's not to like. However, as a turtle matures it can become restless in a tank. Males go crazy looking for females. Females want to leave the water and search for a nesting place, most tanks have only a small land area. Turtles are natural foragers and that is hard to do in a small tank. Tough call.
@planbskata43 I have rooted plants in clay pots that are filled with gravel. The unrooted plants include moss on the bottom and free floating anacharis and hornwort. Sand is not a good substrate for plants but gravel works quite well. Gravel on the bottom of the tank would also work but you would need a good six plus inches of gravel to support the roots, any less and the turtles will easily uproot your plants.
@BauriBob thanks and im crrently housing two Musk turtle in a 20 gallon long but i am going out today to look at a 55 gallon is that to much to house them in ?
@planbskata43 there is no such thing as too much space. Turtles in the wild travel great distances, they are roamers by nature. The more space you give them they less stressed they will be, especially when you have more than one turtle. The larger your tank the easier it is to keep the water clean. Also you will have more options in how you set up the tank and what you can fit inside of it.
@ryan97303 I am no a professional breeder. If that's what you want to do, try visiting the Turtle Forum online and get some advice there for the species of turtle you have.
Do you feed your turtles in the same tank? If so, how hard is it to clean and keep the sand clean?
Also, how do you keep the plants like that? Lol, I have a 3 year old Red Eared Slider and a hatchling and they ate up about 3 bundles of Anacharis within 3 days!
@gnoultnecniv yes, I feed my turtles in the tank. Oddly, my hatchling tank is much harder to keep clean than my big tank, especially when I have 5 or 6 hatchlings at the same time. I do partial water changes every other day and clean the filter every few days. Mud and musk turtles are not that big on eating plants, so my plants last a long time.
A few questions. Do you know what could cause my canister filter's tubes to turn a darkish pink?
What do you believe are absolutely essential to a turtles tank? I currently have a canister filter and an internal filter, a heater, a UVB and UVA lamp, an air pump going to a bubble stone, a floating basking log/dock, and a few fake plants and large rocks.
In the tank I have a 4" RES and a 1 1/2" RES, 2 Chinese Algae Eaters, and a Black Molly.
@gnoultnecniv not sure what the pink is, perhaps some kind of mold. Probably harmless, it is certainly common. If you have a large enough canister, you won't need the internal filter. Other than that, perhaps an internal heater if the water gets cold. And of course space...lots and lots of space, especially for a RES, they get quite large. If you have any females, a sand box for egg laying once they are mature enough. Tall plastic plants would be nice, in case they need help surfacing.
@BauriBob Do you use a siphon pump to do water changes? If so, do you pick up the sand and let it go to pick up the waste? I'm really interested in adding a sand substrate to my tank, since I have a bare bottom with just a few rocks and shells. I just don't want to break my back cleaning the sand unless it isn't that bad as people make it seem.
@gnoultnecniv I use the pump in the sump to do my water changes. When I turn off the pumps, there is about 30 gallons of water left in the sump. I then connect a hose to the sump pump and drain it outside, use it to fertilize in the shrubs and plants. Then connect the hose to the spigot outside and refil the sump.
I don't clean the sand. Waste settles on the top then dissolves. The wet/dry filter then removes the resulting ammonia byproducts
@BauriBob Hmm, does this go for your fish waste too? The main problem in my tank is the fish waste, as the Black Molly I have in the tank eats my turtle's waste. I usually scoop up the fish waste off of the bare bottom but I can't get all of it most of the time. Will the fish waste dissolve also? and if so will a canister filter remove the ammonia like the wet/dry?
@gnoultnecniv the problem with most turtle tanks is that they are too small, too little water volume. If there is too little water, it takes longer for the waste to dissolve, doesn't matter fish or turtle. If the canister is set up properly it should provide some biological filtration. You can test for ammonia and nitrites with test kits, both should be zero. There will be some nitrates but water changes can control that.
wow where do you buy all the real plants that the baby turtles climb in or do you just go in the forest and pick them? i want to have a big tank like that
@MicroMouse007 I live in Florida so the turtles and plants are all native here. Trouble with wild aquatic plants is that they often contain mosquito larvae and it can take a while to clear them out. On occasion I will purchase plants at an aquarium shop.
Hi Bob I really enjoy watching your vids . I have a 3stripped not quite sure if its a male or female. I found it swimming on my pool right before I moved. we had it for a year now and he was just a hatchling back then smaller than a bottle cap. I know turtles like to scratch their shell, but lately I've notice that his shell is peeling more than usual. I know he might be shedding, but I think he might be overdoing it. Is there anything I can do to help?
Hi Bob I really enjoy watching your vids . I have a 3stripped not quite sure if its a male or female. I found it swimming on my pool right before I moved. we had it for a year now and he was just a hatchling back then smaller than a bottle cap. I know turtles like to scratch their shell, but lately I've notice that his shell is peeling more than usual. I know he might be shedding, but I think he might be overdoing it. Is there anything I can do to help?
@perla123 sorry, not sure what that could mean, probably nothing. Is your turtle getting adequate calcium and vitamin D3? Those are needed for bone, shell, and egg growth. Perhaps your turtle is having a growth spurt and is shedding more than usual. Are you over feeding? You can get extra help by visiting the turtleforum, there are plenty of experts there.
@LeopardTurtle1 In my main turtle tank I have a 16" x 10" acrylic box, 4" deep, filled with sand. I keep the sand slightly moist so it is easy to dig. I have some plastic plants along the back of the tank to provide shade and cover and plastic plant in the sand box itself to provide more privacy. The females lay their eggs in the sand, usually in the early morning before the tank lights come up.
@airsoftmaster333 We released the four largest hatchlings on 9/5 and the last three on 9/19. Since then we have rescued two musk turtle hatchlings. They will be released in a couple weeks.
@MrHarryjerry123 basically they like soft bottoms like sand, variable depths, shaded areas as they often avoid the bright light as do mud turtles. Largely carnivorous, like earthworms, snails, shrimp, fish, scallops, sinking wafers. The more space you can provide the better. Temps in the mid to upper 70s. Visit the ATP turtle care website and click on common musk turtle for more specific info.
@MYTURTLE123 I have shown this tank in other hatchling videos. There are slight differences each time I set it up, I am always experimenting. I used to use a brick as a basking area but have found the turtles love the Mopani wood and bask more with it. The mossball patch in the middle of the tank I've used for a couple years now. The tank is only activated during hatchling season, mostly July, August and September.
@BauriBob yea i got a big peice of maogany wood in my tank and my turtles like to rub there shell on it alot like yours do and i cant find any were to get moss balls r i would have some to
What kind of sand do you use for the substrate and where do you get it? Do you put the sand in the tank empty or pour slowly with water already in? Thanks!
@AngelsEdge I use ordinary play sand that you can get at most hardware stores like Lowes or Home Depot. I rinse the sand first, multiple times. I then add the sand to the tank. I place a good sized, shallow bowl on top of the sand. I pour the water directly into the bowl allowing the water to gently spill over onto the sand. If you are careful enough, there should be no clouding at all. If you use a submersible filter, place the filter in a shallow, plastic tray to keep the sand out.
@BauriBob Thanks so much!!! I've got a wet/dry trickle similar to yours (not quite as nice but it does a good job!). Your tanks and efforts for your turtles are awesome and say volumes about you!
@Rsour4Life I buy hornwort, anacharis, and Brazilian swords but the others I get from the creek behind my house. Mud and musk turtles rarely eat plants. Lack of bright light (muds and musks don't like bright light), and a lack of CO2 are why my plants don't last. I am fortunate that I can walk about 50 yards and pluck more from the water if needed. Actually, the Brazilian swords are doing fine with low light and the mossballs don't require much light either.
@9912699125 a small Cascade submersible filter. The smallest one they make I believe. But any submersible will work. Duetto makes a nice submersible filter with a low profile for shallow water.
@9912699125 yes, only a sponge. there is enough structure and plants in the tank to grow nitrifying bacteria. ammonia and nitrites are always zero. I do partial water changes every other day or so.
@BauriBob oh....i just cant get my water white,although it is clear on the first few days,it is green, after a few days,it turns cloudy -.- how can i get the water color like urs?
@9912699125 there is a lot of tank chemistry going on and I don't know what your setup looks like. Usually there is a bacterial bloom as nitrifying bacteria establish themselves. The cloudiness eventually goes away. If you use chlorinated water or do 100% water changes, then you may be destroying the nitrifying bacteria each time. Algae is probably due to your lighting. Just scrape the algae off the tank sides with one of those aquarium algae cleaners. Adding live plants will help too.
@BauriBob i dont have a big tank,i have them in a plastic container,the water level are low as i dont have a basking dock for them but i let them roam my house every day or the other day,so i literally annot do partial water changes.....
@9912699125 sounds like you have a very small tank and no filter? Just empty and refill the container on a daily basis and the water will always be clean. Add some plants for cover so they can hide if they want and not become stressed. Don't forget the nutrtional needs of your turtles like calcium and vitamin D. Most turtle pellets contain that, but a UVA/UVB basking lamp helps a turtle make its own vitamin D (needed for bone and shell growth). You will need to add a basking area.
@BauriBob okay,i noe,but they are big and the thing i bought before sunk........i have quite a small tank but i have a filter,it is jus because my turtles are quite big
@9912699125 you can always use a rubbermaid type tub, very inexpensive, until you can get a larger aquarium. If you want to see your turtles behaving like they are in the wild, you need to give them plenty of space, some plants, wood, sand substrate, variable water depths, a basking area AND a shaded area. And of course you'll need filtration.
@BauriBob i dont see rubbber maid in my country,i dont really liked substrate as mine is res and they ate 3 pcs of gravel bfore......i will try to make a basking top as in making a hole in the board where i place the container,like this this is the board ---------------------------------------------------,hole is here --------------------- --------------
at the hole,i put the container and on the board i will get big stones,but i wonder what will happen if the turtle poos there?
@9912699125 sand is very fine, not like gravel, and it is not likely to cause impactions. I used to use gravel and my turtles ate it all the time with no problems. Sand is easier to clean since the waste stays on top. just siphon it away - but If you have good biological filtration, the waste dissolves, becomes ammonia, and is processed by the filter. contractor tubs used to mix cement, etc., are also available and inexpensive. frequent water changes can dilute any waste materials.
@9912699125 just a plastic tub for holding debris, etc. They come as large as 3' x 2'. But any plastic tub should work to give you more space in an affordable way. Be careful about tubs that can hold a lot of water, if you fill them too high, like over 12", you run the risk of the plastic failing and having a flood. The plastic used in some of these tubs gets brittle with time and can crack.
@9912699125 what board are you talking about? don't know what you mean. if you are talking about the basking area, no they never poo there, only in the water. it dissolves, turns into ammonia mostly, and is broken down by the biological filter into nitrates. partial water changes keeps the nitrates under control. live plants help as well.
@9912699125 turtles will poo when they are stressed or while eating. Generally turtles do not like to be handled or removed from their tanks. You cannot house break a turtle, they are not like dogs and cats. They keep their wild instincts all their lives. You must learn to accommodate natural turtle behavior in your turtle setup.
@9912699125 that is up to you. If you feel you can care for your turtles and you enjoy having them, then keep them. If you don't feel ready right now or it just seems like too much work, perhaps letting them go or adopting them out is best. were they wild caught or store bought? don't release non-native species or turtles that might be sick.
@9912699125 I do my water changes from the sump, not the tank, so that's not a problem. But if I did do them from the tank, I would siphon above the sand. With practice you can learn to siphon debris and waste off the top of the sand without actually losing any sand.
beautiful video bob 5* as usual i love to see people who care about their turtles i'm setting up my new 40 gallon breeder for my baby male map and my southern painted turtles they were in a 20 gallon but they are about 1 1/2 inches now so time to upgrade and in about 2 years they will be getting a 75 gallon please look at my turtles when they were in my 20
DEAR BAURIBOB, do u feed them earthworms that u catch or what??
sammytheshark1 1 week ago
@sammytheshark1 sometimes I catch them but usually I buy them from a bait shop, much easier that way. I feed them fish and chicken also.
BauriBob 1 week ago
@MsChibiKawaii the moss doesn't hurt the turtles. The moss starts out as moss balls which you can buy in many aquarium shops. I pile them up so the turtles can hide in them. Turtles will occasionally eat gravel or sand, probably to aid in digestion. I've never seen any problem associated with that practice. It is possible some large gravel could cause an impaction, but it has never happened to any of my turtles.
BauriBob 1 month ago
would u sell any of them
mrturtle5681 1 month ago
@mrturtle5681 I release all my hatchlings back into the wild. The hatchlings in this video were released back in 2010. Sorry, I don't sell turtles.
BauriBob 1 month ago
@MsChibiKawaii debris tends to collect on top of the sand, so you can siphon it up if you feel the need. My tank is fairly large and has moss on top of the sand so it is nearly impossible to clean - so I don't. Debris on the bottom eventually breaks down into ammonia byproducts and is dispatched by the wet/dry filter.
BauriBob 1 month ago
@MsChibiKawaii in time it can, but Algae can grow on the sides of an aquarium too, so what difference does it make? You can stir the sand with a long stick to break up the algae if you want. But the algae won't hurt anything. Sand is probably the favorite substrate for turtles. A bare tank is very unnatural for the turtles, hard to crawl on, no place to dig.
BauriBob 1 month ago
do you only have mud turtles??
XxxeverythingmexxX 2 months ago
@XxxeverythingmexxX yes, only mud turtles.
BauriBob 2 months ago
Do Those Plants Need Extra Care .?
TurtleRez2 3 months ago
@TurtleRez2 Brighter lights would help but mud turtles don't really like bright light so I just relpace the plants as needed.
BauriBob 3 months ago
@BauriBob Cool Thanks,
TurtleRez2 3 months ago
how do you clean the sand? I'm about to set up a 20 gal long aquarium for 2 hatchlings, and am wondering about substrate? Your tank looks amazing, and I like the sand, but how do you clean it?
jschuettster 3 months ago
@jschuettster I rarely clean the sand in my tank. But my tank is fairly large and there is something of an eco-system going on there. You need good biological filtration and large water volume to reduce tank maintenance. Even if you have a small tank, sand is pretty easy to care for. You can siphon up surface residue with a plastic tube. It's not that hard to keep sand clean. If you have a canister filter, keep the intake up high, away from the sand.
BauriBob 3 months ago
@BauriBob OK. Thanks. One more thing, do you just use regular play sand?
jschuettster 3 months ago
@jschuettster yes, ordinary play sand that you can buy at most hardware stores.
BauriBob 3 months ago
Can you make a how to vid on breeding water turtles
coolbeansexplosion 3 months ago
@coolbeansexplosion I am not a professional breeder. You might try visiting the Turtle Forum for good advice on that. I simply incubate the eggs, hatch them out, put them into a hatchling tank for a few weeks, then release them. I have several YouTube videos up on how I care for hatchlings.
BauriBob 3 months ago
i want to live in a place were i find turtles on the street
AwesomeAssassin1000 4 months ago
Do you ever keep any of the hatchlings?
everydaysaholiday82 6 months ago
@everydaysaholiday82 no, I release all of them. Four turtles is all I can handle. Remember, these guys live 30 or 40 years.
BauriBob 6 months ago
How do you prepare your baby turtles for releaser do you sell or keep them?
TheDamschroder 6 months ago
@TheDamschroder if you watched the video, that is how I care for them before releasing. I don't sell turtles, I release them all, usually within a month.
BauriBob 6 months ago
This made me thing like a child going to college when they were released!!!!
TWhite2345 6 months ago
They are so tiny and cute
SternyCam 7 months ago
Do you keep all your turtle hatchlings? Awesome Video!
24cameraman 8 months ago
@24cameraman no, I release all of them back into the wild. I keep them only about a month or so.
BauriBob 8 months ago
How big are they in this video? Very cute. xx
xLexiiPuppyx 8 months ago
@xLexiiPuppyx When first born, they are about the size of a nickle. I can't remember the mix in this video, but probably the size of a quarter or so. Very small. Very cute. Full grown they will be about 4 to 5 inches in length.
BauriBob 8 months ago
@BauriBob Thanks for replying . I'm adopting two 3-striped muds very soon. I have watched most of your videos. You are a great person, doing so much for the earth and its animals. Im 13 and i say this :D Subscribed
xLexiiPuppyx 8 months ago
VERY KOO SET UP I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ?? (((WHAT ARE ALL THE NAMES OF WATER PLANTS U ARE USING )) ...CAN I USE THEM WITH RAZOR BACK MUSK TURTLES ..?
donde1984 9 months ago
@donde1984 I have lots of anacharis which is a favorite of most aquatic turtles, also moss and mossballs. The turtles don't eat the moss but do hide in it. The other plants are potted and grow out of the water. Not sure what they are, possibly peace lilies I think. Am not sure what the care requirements are for the razor back musk. Visiit the ATP Care sheets on the web and find your turtle, see what they say.
BauriBob 9 months ago
Amazing setup! I love the natural look too compared to many other setups. The more natural the better though :-) This is the kind of stuff I see baby snappers and painteds around here hang out in.
codeythesilent 9 months ago
there population as well as the over development of the woods in the area there is literally only a small patch of woods less then a mile in diameter around this lake in huge on wildlife preservation so i think the project i am considering would do some good, as well as trapping, measuring, photographing, tagging and releasing the much older turtles i recognize in the lake to help monitor lifespan how rapidly the population as a whole id declining, any tips?
squirtzhub 9 months ago
@squirtzhub All I do is remove litter from the waterways and rescue/release turtles. Not sure what the point of tagging, measuring is going to do unless you are part of an official study with some organization that has political power. What will you do with your numbers? The real problem is population growth and the resulting development. Population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2100. It is nearly 7 billion now. Was only 1 billion in 1800. Do the math.
BauriBob 9 months ago
something that i am researching and considering to ensure there survival by 50% and helping maintain the lakes populations as i have seen less and less turtle over the years at the lake due to development of houses and strip malls around the lake and the increase in predators, as construction has driven alot of racoons and snakes from there habitat and forces them to live the very small wooded area around the lake, which are the turtles natural predators, which i know is a big part in reducing
squirtzhub 9 months ago
thumbs up to your vid my friend you did an excellent job, i take in red ear slider and eastern painted turtles and sometimes im iffy about the size of the hatching's when i release them due to Predators, but i guess any size turtle is vulnerable, hatchlings start at about the size of a quarter, i know where the turtles nest in my local lake as i view there hatchlings every year, sometimes i wonder if taking fresh ones from the lake and captive growing then re releasing them would be good its
squirtzhub 9 months ago
Is there a certain type of sand that I should get for my Red Eared Slider? I've never worked with sand in any of my aquariums. I've always stuck to rocks and pebbles. I plan on upgrading my 20 gallon when I have the money and would really love to experiment with sand instead of rocks. Any advice? Also with cleaning the sand?
redearedslider1 10 months ago
@redearedslider1 I use ordinary play sand that you can buy at most hardware stores (try Lowes or Home Depot). Rinse the sand well before putting it in the tank. Embed a shallow bowl into the sand and pour the water into the bowl so you don't stir up the sand.
BauriBob 10 months ago
@CptWigglesVideos most everything in the hatchling tank is real. I probably had at least one plastic plant in the tank. Have a few tall plastic plants is a good idea so that a turtle can crawl to the surface if for some reason it cannot swim.
BauriBob 11 months ago
Where can you buy them in Canada?
halo39991 11 months ago
@halo39991 sorry, I have no idea.
BauriBob 11 months ago
Do they really need a basking light ?? Ive heard not because like snapers they tend to stay inthe water under mud.If you know please let me know id like to give my mud turtle good care ,thanks.
shampoo02 11 months ago
@shampoo02 there is some discussion about that but it is best to side on caution. Mud turtles love to bask, all of my mud turtles bask under the UVA/B heat lamp. Even turtles that don't bask get UV from the sun when they are near the surface of the water, sea turtles for example. UV is probably absorbed through the skin (head, neck, and legs).
Plus the UV will inhibit fungus and bacterial growth on the shell. So I would recommend providing a UV heat lamp available.
BauriBob 11 months ago
@shampoo02 thanks all go ahead and get one , is there any kind of bulbs or lamp brands that are better than the next
shampoo02 11 months ago
@shampoo02 try to find bulbs that emit both UVA and UVB. I use Megaray brand which produce both UVA and UVB and heat.
BauriBob 11 months ago
@BauriBob cool , thanks
shampoo02 11 months ago
What if one preferred living in the tank, could you tell or do they prefer their natural habitats :)
DESIdhillonJATT 1 year ago
@DESIdhillonJATT no one can ever know that. I'm sure a turtle would enjoy a life in a very large tank filled with vegetation, basking areas, places to explore, plentiful food, what's not to like. However, as a turtle matures it can become restless in a tank. Males go crazy looking for females. Females want to leave the water and search for a nesting place, most tanks have only a small land area. Turtles are natural foragers and that is hard to do in a small tank. Tough call.
BauriBob 1 year ago
are any of your plants rooted ? like do you plant them in ur sand or just put them in the tank?
planbskata43 1 year ago
@planbskata43 I have rooted plants in clay pots that are filled with gravel. The unrooted plants include moss on the bottom and free floating anacharis and hornwort. Sand is not a good substrate for plants but gravel works quite well. Gravel on the bottom of the tank would also work but you would need a good six plus inches of gravel to support the roots, any less and the turtles will easily uproot your plants.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob thanks and im crrently housing two Musk turtle in a 20 gallon long but i am going out today to look at a 55 gallon is that to much to house them in ?
planbskata43 1 year ago
@planbskata43 there is no such thing as too much space. Turtles in the wild travel great distances, they are roamers by nature. The more space you give them they less stressed they will be, especially when you have more than one turtle. The larger your tank the easier it is to keep the water clean. Also you will have more options in how you set up the tank and what you can fit inside of it.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob thanks alot
planbskata43 1 year ago
@BauriBob thanks alot and is there a " specific kind of sand" you use or will any reptile sand do?
planbskata43 1 year ago
@planbskata43 just play sand you can buy at Lowes or Home Depot.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob im hoping to get that tank :)
planbskata43 1 year ago
@planbskata43 ordinary play sand you can buy at any hardware store. Reptile sand is much more expensive.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob yeah thanks i just went to the store to look at the tank and the sasnd one small bag is 20.00 dollars! what a rip off
planbskata43 1 year ago
@planbskata43 a 50lb bag of play sand at Lowes or Home Depot is just a few bucks. Rinse it well, it works fine.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob ok thanks for your help
planbskata43 1 year ago
are any of your plants rooted ? like do you plant them in ur sand or just put them in the tank?
planbskata43 1 year ago
how do you breed turtles
ryan97303 1 year ago
@ryan97303 I am no a professional breeder. If that's what you want to do, try visiting the Turtle Forum online and get some advice there for the species of turtle you have.
BauriBob 1 year ago
Do you feed your turtles in the same tank? If so, how hard is it to clean and keep the sand clean?
Also, how do you keep the plants like that? Lol, I have a 3 year old Red Eared Slider and a hatchling and they ate up about 3 bundles of Anacharis within 3 days!
gnoultnecniv 1 year ago
@gnoultnecniv yes, I feed my turtles in the tank. Oddly, my hatchling tank is much harder to keep clean than my big tank, especially when I have 5 or 6 hatchlings at the same time. I do partial water changes every other day and clean the filter every few days. Mud and musk turtles are not that big on eating plants, so my plants last a long time.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob awesome, thanks for the quick reply.
A few questions. Do you know what could cause my canister filter's tubes to turn a darkish pink?
What do you believe are absolutely essential to a turtles tank? I currently have a canister filter and an internal filter, a heater, a UVB and UVA lamp, an air pump going to a bubble stone, a floating basking log/dock, and a few fake plants and large rocks.
In the tank I have a 4" RES and a 1 1/2" RES, 2 Chinese Algae Eaters, and a Black Molly.
gnoultnecniv 1 year ago
@gnoultnecniv not sure what the pink is, perhaps some kind of mold. Probably harmless, it is certainly common. If you have a large enough canister, you won't need the internal filter. Other than that, perhaps an internal heater if the water gets cold. And of course space...lots and lots of space, especially for a RES, they get quite large. If you have any females, a sand box for egg laying once they are mature enough. Tall plastic plants would be nice, in case they need help surfacing.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob Do you use a siphon pump to do water changes? If so, do you pick up the sand and let it go to pick up the waste? I'm really interested in adding a sand substrate to my tank, since I have a bare bottom with just a few rocks and shells. I just don't want to break my back cleaning the sand unless it isn't that bad as people make it seem.
gnoultnecniv 1 year ago
@gnoultnecniv I use the pump in the sump to do my water changes. When I turn off the pumps, there is about 30 gallons of water left in the sump. I then connect a hose to the sump pump and drain it outside, use it to fertilize in the shrubs and plants. Then connect the hose to the spigot outside and refil the sump.
I don't clean the sand. Waste settles on the top then dissolves. The wet/dry filter then removes the resulting ammonia byproducts
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob Hmm, does this go for your fish waste too? The main problem in my tank is the fish waste, as the Black Molly I have in the tank eats my turtle's waste. I usually scoop up the fish waste off of the bare bottom but I can't get all of it most of the time. Will the fish waste dissolve also? and if so will a canister filter remove the ammonia like the wet/dry?
gnoultnecniv 1 year ago
@gnoultnecniv the problem with most turtle tanks is that they are too small, too little water volume. If there is too little water, it takes longer for the waste to dissolve, doesn't matter fish or turtle. If the canister is set up properly it should provide some biological filtration. You can test for ammonia and nitrites with test kits, both should be zero. There will be some nitrates but water changes can control that.
BauriBob 1 year ago
wow where do you buy all the real plants that the baby turtles climb in or do you just go in the forest and pick them? i want to have a big tank like that
MicroMouse007 1 year ago
@MicroMouse007 I live in Florida so the turtles and plants are all native here. Trouble with wild aquatic plants is that they often contain mosquito larvae and it can take a while to clear them out. On occasion I will purchase plants at an aquarium shop.
BauriBob 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hi Bob I really enjoy watching your vids . I have a 3stripped not quite sure if its a male or female. I found it swimming on my pool right before I moved. we had it for a year now and he was just a hatchling back then smaller than a bottle cap. I know turtles like to scratch their shell, but lately I've notice that his shell is peeling more than usual. I know he might be shedding, but I think he might be overdoing it. Is there anything I can do to help?
I have an old vid u can watch if you want
perla123 1 year ago
Hi Bob I really enjoy watching your vids . I have a 3stripped not quite sure if its a male or female. I found it swimming on my pool right before I moved. we had it for a year now and he was just a hatchling back then smaller than a bottle cap. I know turtles like to scratch their shell, but lately I've notice that his shell is peeling more than usual. I know he might be shedding, but I think he might be overdoing it. Is there anything I can do to help?
I have an old vid u can watch if you want
perla123 1 year ago
@perla123 sorry, not sure what that could mean, probably nothing. Is your turtle getting adequate calcium and vitamin D3? Those are needed for bone, shell, and egg growth. Perhaps your turtle is having a growth spurt and is shedding more than usual. Are you over feeding? You can get extra help by visiting the turtleforum, there are plenty of experts there.
BauriBob 1 year ago
what do you set up so your musk turtles can lay there eggs.
LeopardTurtle1 1 year ago
@LeopardTurtle1 In my main turtle tank I have a 16" x 10" acrylic box, 4" deep, filled with sand. I keep the sand slightly moist so it is easy to dig. I have some plastic plants along the back of the tank to provide shade and cover and plastic plant in the sand box itself to provide more privacy. The females lay their eggs in the sand, usually in the early morning before the tank lights come up.
BauriBob 1 year ago
hey bob can u do an update on the mud and musks plz
airsoftmaster333 1 year ago
@airsoftmaster333 We released the four largest hatchlings on 9/5 and the last three on 9/19. Since then we have rescued two musk turtle hatchlings. They will be released in a couple weeks.
BauriBob 1 year ago
im really interested in stinkpot musk turtles. can you pm me and give me some info? thanks!
MrHarryjerry123 1 year ago
@MrHarryjerry123 basically they like soft bottoms like sand, variable depths, shaded areas as they often avoid the bright light as do mud turtles. Largely carnivorous, like earthworms, snails, shrimp, fish, scallops, sinking wafers. The more space you can provide the better. Temps in the mid to upper 70s. Visit the ATP turtle care website and click on common musk turtle for more specific info.
BauriBob 1 year ago
Hiya Bob what sand do you use?
walsallcrew 1 year ago
@walsallcrew just play sand that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes.
BauriBob 1 year ago
first time you have shown this tank i think
MYTURTLE123 1 year ago
@MYTURTLE123 I have shown this tank in other hatchling videos. There are slight differences each time I set it up, I am always experimenting. I used to use a brick as a basking area but have found the turtles love the Mopani wood and bask more with it. The mossball patch in the middle of the tank I've used for a couple years now. The tank is only activated during hatchling season, mostly July, August and September.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob yea i got a big peice of maogany wood in my tank and my turtles like to rub there shell on it alot like yours do and i cant find any were to get moss balls r i would have some to
MYTURTLE123 1 year ago
@MYTURTLE123 if you can't find them in local aquarium shops in your area, you can buy them on the web.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob ok thanks
MYTURTLE123 1 year ago
I love that hatchling set up, your set ups have inspired me so much.
Boneyman 1 year ago
What kind of sand do you use for the substrate and where do you get it? Do you put the sand in the tank empty or pour slowly with water already in? Thanks!
AngelsEdge 1 year ago
@AngelsEdge I use ordinary play sand that you can get at most hardware stores like Lowes or Home Depot. I rinse the sand first, multiple times. I then add the sand to the tank. I place a good sized, shallow bowl on top of the sand. I pour the water directly into the bowl allowing the water to gently spill over onto the sand. If you are careful enough, there should be no clouding at all. If you use a submersible filter, place the filter in a shallow, plastic tray to keep the sand out.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob Thanks so much!!! I've got a wet/dry trickle similar to yours (not quite as nice but it does a good job!). Your tanks and efforts for your turtles are awesome and say volumes about you!
AngelsEdge 1 year ago
do u buy all your plants or how do u get them? cause u have so many and i imagine the turtles eat a decent amount of it
Rsour4Life 1 year ago
@Rsour4Life I buy hornwort, anacharis, and Brazilian swords but the others I get from the creek behind my house. Mud and musk turtles rarely eat plants. Lack of bright light (muds and musks don't like bright light), and a lack of CO2 are why my plants don't last. I am fortunate that I can walk about 50 yards and pluck more from the water if needed. Actually, the Brazilian swords are doing fine with low light and the mossballs don't require much light either.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob moss balls dont require too much light?if my aquarium is place beside the window,can i have moss balls?(dont have a light now)
9912699125 1 year ago
@BauriBob what filter do you use?for this tank
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 a small Cascade submersible filter. The smallest one they make I believe. But any submersible will work. Duetto makes a nice submersible filter with a low profile for shallow water.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob then how often do you have to change the water?there is only sponge in the filter?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 I do partial water changes every other day. I have a small Cascade submersible filter and an aerator in the tank.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob i mean is there only sponge as the filter material
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 yes, only a sponge. there is enough structure and plants in the tank to grow nitrifying bacteria. ammonia and nitrites are always zero. I do partial water changes every other day or so.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob oh....tats nice,how many percent do you change each time?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 small tank, easy to do water changes. Usually 50% each time. I only change about 25% in my large turtle tank but I do that twice a week.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob oh....i just cant get my water white,although it is clear on the first few days,it is green, after a few days,it turns cloudy -.- how can i get the water color like urs?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 there is a lot of tank chemistry going on and I don't know what your setup looks like. Usually there is a bacterial bloom as nitrifying bacteria establish themselves. The cloudiness eventually goes away. If you use chlorinated water or do 100% water changes, then you may be destroying the nitrifying bacteria each time. Algae is probably due to your lighting. Just scrape the algae off the tank sides with one of those aquarium algae cleaners. Adding live plants will help too.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob i dont have a big tank,i have them in a plastic container,the water level are low as i dont have a basking dock for them but i let them roam my house every day or the other day,so i literally annot do partial water changes.....
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 sounds like you have a very small tank and no filter? Just empty and refill the container on a daily basis and the water will always be clean. Add some plants for cover so they can hide if they want and not become stressed. Don't forget the nutrtional needs of your turtles like calcium and vitamin D. Most turtle pellets contain that, but a UVA/UVB basking lamp helps a turtle make its own vitamin D (needed for bone and shell growth). You will need to add a basking area.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob okay,i noe,but they are big and the thing i bought before sunk........i have quite a small tank but i have a filter,it is jus because my turtles are quite big
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 you can always use a rubbermaid type tub, very inexpensive, until you can get a larger aquarium. If you want to see your turtles behaving like they are in the wild, you need to give them plenty of space, some plants, wood, sand substrate, variable water depths, a basking area AND a shaded area. And of course you'll need filtration.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob i dont see rubbber maid in my country,i dont really liked substrate as mine is res and they ate 3 pcs of gravel bfore......i will try to make a basking top as in making a hole in the board where i place the container,like this this is the board ---------------------------------------------------,hole is here --------------------- --------------
at the hole,i put the container and on the board i will get big stones,but i wonder what will happen if the turtle poos there?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 sand is very fine, not like gravel, and it is not likely to cause impactions. I used to use gravel and my turtles ate it all the time with no problems. Sand is easier to clean since the waste stays on top. just siphon it away - but If you have good biological filtration, the waste dissolves, becomes ammonia, and is processed by the filter. contractor tubs used to mix cement, etc., are also available and inexpensive. frequent water changes can dilute any waste materials.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob what is contractor tubs?what is it for?do you mean tube?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 just a plastic tub for holding debris, etc. They come as large as 3' x 2'. But any plastic tub should work to give you more space in an affordable way. Be careful about tubs that can hold a lot of water, if you fill them too high, like over 12", you run the risk of the plastic failing and having a flood. The plastic used in some of these tubs gets brittle with time and can crack.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob oh.....will the turtle poo on the gravel on the board?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 what board are you talking about? don't know what you mean. if you are talking about the basking area, no they never poo there, only in the water. it dissolves, turns into ammonia mostly, and is broken down by the biological filter into nitrates. partial water changes keeps the nitrates under control. live plants help as well.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob yes,i am talking about the basking are,why do they not poo there?i let my turtle roam and they poo on the floor/////
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 turtles will poo when they are stressed or while eating. Generally turtles do not like to be handled or removed from their tanks. You cannot house break a turtle, they are not like dogs and cats. They keep their wild instincts all their lives. You must learn to accommodate natural turtle behavior in your turtle setup.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob oh......i will try to...i just cannot do anything to it now,thinking of releasing them into a pond,what do you think?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 that is up to you. If you feel you can care for your turtles and you enjoy having them, then keep them. If you don't feel ready right now or it just seems like too much work, perhaps letting them go or adopting them out is best. were they wild caught or store bought? don't release non-native species or turtles that might be sick.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob they are bought in a pet store,i think i dont want to release them now,i will get a bigger tank next time thought....
9912699125 1 year ago
@BauriBob wont u suck the sand out along with the water and waste when u do water change?
9912699125 1 year ago
@9912699125 I do my water changes from the sump, not the tank, so that's not a problem. But if I did do them from the tank, I would siphon above the sand. With practice you can learn to siphon debris and waste off the top of the sand without actually losing any sand.
BauriBob 1 year ago
@BauriBob oh............
9912699125 1 year ago
@BauriBob what is the contracter tub?
9912699125 1 year ago
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@BauriBob how many percent do you change each time?
9912699125 1 year ago
hey Bob what sand do you use? i dont like the play sand and i would like some white sand, and a mud turtle haha, but what sand do you use?
EcBuddy123 1 year ago
Great great great!
EddieBrockVenom 1 year ago
beautiful video bob 5* as usual i love to see people who care about their turtles i'm setting up my new 40 gallon breeder for my baby male map and my southern painted turtles they were in a 20 gallon but they are about 1 1/2 inches now so time to upgrade and in about 2 years they will be getting a 75 gallon please look at my turtles when they were in my 20
mark2109111 1 year ago
nice video buddy. I just got my 1st turtle, a baby musk he's so cute
bankrobber89 1 year ago