Softshell Turtles

[Ransom]

Hay all i have had a soft shell turtle

i kinda rescued him about 3months ago he was only about 1" at the time
hes' about 3.5 - 4" now and active he has a right pair of claws on his front an back feet

he's healthy an when i look at him its like he knows he's my pet follows me from side to side on the tank.

the reason for this post is i would like some information on him

rough size ?
i know he likes (loves) to dig in sand but i currently have a clear bottom tank due to some cloudy sand

how fast do they grow?

just any information anyone has i ill post a pic later of my little guy,

on a side note he does NOT attack any fish an eats on prawns by ripping chunks out of them

i hope someone has some info on them

he looks almost identical to this .

 

[paul112]

Hay all i have had a soft shell turtle

i kinda rescued him about 3months ago he was only about 1" at the time
hes' about 3.5 - 4" now and active he has a right pair of claws on his front an back feet

First off, what kind of softshell turtle are we talking about? There are many different kinds, if you are not sure, a pic of yours would be most useful. The photo you have shown looks like a chinese but it's not very clear.

rough size ?
i know he likes (loves) to dig in sand but i currently have a clear bottom tank due to some cloudy sand

Depends on the species. Chinese softshells get around 9 inches as male, 13 inches as female. Other softshell species can grow anywhere from slightly smaller to several feet long.

how fast do they grow?

If they are fed a good, high protein diet (the softie's diet in the wild mainly consists of fish and aquatic insects), and are kept in proper conditions, (clean, warm water, UVB lighting can be beneficial) then they may be fully grown in just a few years.

just any information anyone has i ill post a pic later of my little guy,

on a side note he does NOT attack any fish an eats on prawns by ripping chunks out of them

Looking forward to pics. Softshells are delicate, it seems you are keeping him with some potentially dangerous fish. A fish tank is not a turtle tank, I've heard of baby softshells being sold as feeders for large fish, and I've seen my softy kill and eat fish much bigger than itself. Please set up a separate tank for your little guy, or your rescue might not be so safe. A turtle should have 10G of swimming space for every inch of shell length, so a 4" turtle should be in 30G of water.

Everything in the tank should be smooth, they easily injure themselves and this makes them prone to infection.

Paul

 

[Gourami Swami]

Sounds to me like an "impulse rescue". What exactly did you rescue him from? As adults they need at least a 75g for themselves, no fish. I can pretty much guaruntee they will kill any fish as they grow.