Also has little in the way of minerals, I would use dechlorinated tap water, also keep in mind: UVB is very important for turtles, even fully aquatic ones.That is going to be real expensive right fast
Alligator Snapping Turtle Help Requested
- Thread starter Joshua H1
- Start date
I've got a UVB bulb centered on the tank on a 12 hour timer.
Unfortunately I can't use dechlorinated tap water though. I live in San Antonio, and we have some of the hardest water in the country. It comes up through a limestone aquifer. According to the guy I bought the turtles from and another AST keeper here in SA, hard water is deadly for AST babies. It literally makes them fall apart. First the tails start to go, then the claws.
I really hope that they're just shedding... love these little guys.
TBH, had I known how sensitive these guys were to hard water I wouldn't have bought them in the first place. Am a bit peeved at the seller, as he clearly knows this is an issue in this part of the country and really gives no "heads up" as to the water quality issue. He wasn't able to tell me what the appropriate GH ppm should be for the water!! And he's been breeding the turtles for over a decade!!!
Thanks for following up. Plastrons are still shedding. Both tails are shedding as well, though one of them has lost one of the ridges/spikes about 2/3 of the way down his tail. I'm checking them and the water parameters daily... will post new pics later this evening
Can you test the water in local rivers? Maybe that will be better
Sending them back to the breeder.
Very disappointed. NOT easy turtles to keep!!!Sorry to hear that. Wish you could send them to me. But I want to avoid divorce papers lol.Sending them back to the breeder.
