How many Diamondback Terrapins in a 150 and a few other questions.

[NOLAGT]

In a tank that was 5'x2'x2' with about 15" of water, overflow (like a reef tank), wet dry, and bare bottom. How many could you keep for good?

Can you keep all males to keep them smaller in size or will they fight?

Can I keep some western painted with them? If I wanted 2 of those how many DBT's? Again Males to keep them smaller?

What if the tank was 4' not 5'?

Daydreaming about a tnak build...thanks!

 

[coura]

In a tank that was 5'x2'x2' with about 15" of water, overflow (like a reef tank), wet dry, and bare bottom. How many could you keep for good?

Can you keep all males to keep them smaller in size or will they fight?

Can I keep some western painted with them? If I wanted 2 of those how many DBT's? Again Males to keep them smaller?

What if the tank was 4' not 5'?

Daydreaming about a tnak build...thanks!

Its better to keep on the 5´. A tank like that would house confortably 2 to 4 of thouse turts. I think you are able to mix male DBT but I wouldnt put my money on it. A male and a copple of females would be ideal. If you ad females make shure you ad a egg laying area out of water. As for painteds I wouldnt ad them to your tank, because you may need to ad salt to keep your DBT healthy and painteds and salt dont mix. Salt is a good way to avoid skin problems to wich this guys are vulnerable.

 

[NOLAGT]

I would rather the 5'...but its going to come down to the "WAF". I have a 12' wall....I am thinking about 2 tanks either a 120 (4') or a 150 (5') and the 2 tanks would be side by side on one stand and canopy to make it seem like one tank. Probably a thin strip of wood in the middle to hide where the 2 tanks meet. The other tank would be an african fish tank. So I would rather a total of 10' but the wife might only go for 8.

Do you have to do the salt thing that oftin?? I thought I could med in a seperate container if they got a skin condition. But if I keep the water clean I shouldnt have a issue with it. I could also run a UV to help.

I dont want to go through them breeding (couldnt properly do it at this time) so thats another reason I wouldnt mind all males.

I was thinking 4 total...2 western and 2 DBT's. But I could probably do just 4 DBT's if I had too.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

If you get captive bred DBT that were never kept in brackish water, then they should do fine in regular fresh water. But keep an eye on them to make sure they don't develop any skin fungus. I've never kept DBT so I don't know how well they do when you keep just males together. They could possibly fight but if given enough room and with no females to compete for, they should be fine.

 

[NOLAGT]

Ohh yes CB all the way on any turtles I get (ok other than the snapper that walked into my warehouse and my RES that was chuckin across the driveway). I have been doing some reading on them...I have always wanted one but never had one. Back when I first had seen them they were not as many CB. This was like late 80's early 90's....but now they are no so expensive and CB in fresh. I just know with my past run ins with RES they are mean little guys and nip tails...legs...and shells.

I really think the wife isnt not going to like the 5' idea...would I still be able to keep 4 in a 4x2x2 tank over filtered and bare bottom? I know they would be ok in it for a long while...but if I never can get a bigger tank I want it to be enough.

 

[coura]

Ohh yes CB all the way on any turtles I get (ok other than the snapper that walked into my warehouse and my RES that was chuckin across the driveway). I have been doing some reading on them...I have always wanted one but never had one. Back when I first had seen them they were not as many CB. This was like late 80's early 90's....but now they are no so expensive and CB in fresh. I just know with my past run ins with RES they are mean little guys and nip tails...legs...and shells.

I really think the wife isnt not going to like the 5' idea...would I still be able to keep 4 in a 4x2x2 tank over filtered and bare bottom? I know they would be ok in it for a long while...but if I never can get a bigger tank I want it to be enough.

A 4´ is small for 4 animals but 1,2 or 3 max is fine, that is if they are males. Im still scraching my head as to they may be agressive to one another. Ive seen several photos of setups in wich several males were being kept and semingly no figthing. But be prepared to put any turt apart if need be. Also you want to find a breeder that is willing to sell you several at least 3 year olds so that you are certain that you have males. Some breeders incubate for a certain sex but that is not 100% reliable.
As for salt I think I would keep them still in sligtly brackish condicions. Its like a insurance against error. Remenbar this guys are able to survive in the sea even if their normal habitat is mangrove and brackish lagons and old animals have barnacles on their shells
And yes is great to see all the captive breeding that has been recently developed with turts. Now you have species that just a few years ago were very hard to find reliably avaible.

 

[coura]

They could possibly fight but if given enough room and with no females to compete for, they should be fine.

Not necessarily amigo Vicious. Some male turts of certain species are complete sex bombs and most can be agressive when they want. A great example are male Cuora amboinensis wich must be kept apart, this guys make horrible wounds on the female´s neck (or just about any other turt ) when they try to mate with a female so to submit her, wich can lead to the death of the female. Male Mauremys and north american woods will drown females in a atempt to mate. The thing is when females are absent a excited male turt will try to mate with just about anything and tank mates are prime targets for arasement and agression Male sliders ,cooters and maps wich are related to diamonts can all be territorial. Its realy important to be carefull when atempting this. It may work today but in 2 years its a diferent story

 

[NOLAGT]

My plan was if I was going to end up with 4 turtles total (2 DPT and 2 WP) I was going to get 8 babies total. Grow them out some since I think that many "babies" would be ok in that size tank until I could sex them. Then get rid of the fem's and hope I have all males lol. How long till you can sex them properly?

 

[coura]

My plan was if I was going to end up with 4 turtles total (2 DPT and 2 WP) I was going to get 8 babies total. Grow them out some since I think that many "babies" would be ok in that size tank until I could sex them. Then get rid of the fem's and hope I have all males lol. How long till you can sex them properly?

By 3-4 years old you should be able to sex them with no doubt. But the caracteristics may start to show as earlier as one year old Depends on the turt and how you house them and take care of them Good food is absolutley excencial as it is UV ligth.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Not necessarily amigo Vicious. Some male turts of certain species are complete sex bombs and most can be agressive when they want.

Oh I'm well aware of how horny male turtles can be. I had male painted turtles that constantly harassed females with courtship displays. Heck I use to have a male EBT that would probably mount a soccer ball if you put it in front of him! But like I mentioned, if females are not present you SOMETIMES can get away with keeping multiple males together. But every species is different just like every turtle personality is different. Sometimes you're lucky, and sometimes your not.