So, Dan (roommate's spiney softshell) has grown on me enough to acquire my own turtle of sorts (and to take on a new wing of exotics - aquaria). Did a bunch of caresheet research across the board, seems either semi-aquatics need the deep water or the 6-12" with lots of plants to hide in along with heavy filtration. Found what was told me a Cumberland yellow belly slider. I get home, I set up with things I had just laying around (nearly a complete setup) (yes I should have had it set up first; it was a drop of the dime adoption and I have all basics on hand for nearly anything after years of reptile care). I pull up pics because something just didn't set right with my gut, and it doesn't look like anything Google tells me should be a Cumberland slider. So, here first are some of the pics of Corki the whatever-it-is-as-of-yet. http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04526_zps82bf1d35.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04568_zps3c9db8d3.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04555_zps5a1c0f85.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1 Ok, now a few of the enclosure. 40g breeder with roughly 6 inches of water. He is able to stand from anywhere in the tank and reach up for air, while being able to completely submerge himself and also get from place to place quickly as well as climb on the branch and the fake plant I have in there currently. There is currently one 75g/h submersible filter altered with a piece of linen between sponge and carbon cartridge for polishing in there on high setting; at worst he has so far had a gay ol' time swimming against its output. I plan to pick up a 2nd one tomorrow to handle the other side as though it is strong, the nature of its design seems to be localized. Tube UVB bulb with 10.0 rating, brand new bulb. Placed UVB and basking in same spot as any UVB has got to be filtered out by the water anywhere except the basking spot. As I keep the house at roughly 74F, I had a 50W spotlight until the cats decided to play tug-of-war on the housing's cord; anything else I have is too strong so I am picking up a new one tomorrow with the 2nd filter and it's already 1AM right now. For the meantime I just let the house get a little bit warmer as it usually gets to around 76 in here anyway, and that seems to be the low end for water temps. The fake plant is the best of what I had on hand, figure the small crap I have isn't going to suffice so picking up a 2nd or 3rd tomorrow to create more hidey holes for he/she/it/shim. Log is real and one I've had on hand a couple years; been baked repeatedly and then again before putting in there (allowed it to cool completely) and the murkiness you may see is the tannins from it as I have not a pot big enough for this thing (never expected to use it in aquatics). Brick has been baked lightly and purchased brand new; I just keep a few on hand for random stuff. The caulking on the glass was from a separater for a lizard I had in the past, guess I put it on there good as I couldn't get it off without possibly damaging the glass - it is 100% silicone, just not clear. Top is actually cross-braced and has two screen sections that securely lock into place by means of a catch lip on the back of each screen and 3 twist locks on the front of each as well. Have a heater that I need to pick up a replacement protective cage for, going to do that tomorrow. It's one of those heaters that has an internal thermo to keep it at 72F, and I have a spare probe type digital thermo I will hook up once I have the cage for the heater. I'm just paranoid in case it gets too hot and the turtle touches it. http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04559_zps04f150d8.jpg.html http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04569_zpsca0a1c15.jpg.html http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04531_zps0798fa2f.jpg.html http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04535_zps21ab8e41.jpg.html http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04529_zps3d58540d.jpg.html Now for the pics I hope you can use to help me identify this guy/girl. I assume it is a Map of some subspecies, but as some of you are vetranarians who specialize with reptiles, you obviously have more expertise in this than I do and it clearly doesn't resemble the pics I saw of a Cumberland. I hope they are good enough pics for your determination. http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04541_zpsd2a2bde0.jpg.html http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04543_zps47548c33.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04542_zpsadcc1824.jpg.html?sort=3&o=11 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04546_zpsd5faae81.jpg.html?sort=3&o=8 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04545_zps7a99ec75.jpg.html?sort=3&o=9 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04548_zpsd28aa18f.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04553_zps2771c017.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04549_zpsc7264b8a.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04550_zps375fc86e.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04552_zpse178e2f5.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04551_zps3dc4fd6b.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4
Hello! I'm kind of in a rush but it definitely looks like a Northern/Common Map Turtle. Any idea on the age? Here is a basic care guide: http://www.austinsturtlepage.com/Care/caresheet-northern_map.htm Your setup looks great. My only change would be to raise the water level as I *think* maps are pretty strong swimmers and appreciate all the water space they can get. I'm going off memory here so please double check me on that. Alright sorry for the brusque reply. If you have any questions I'll check back later! Have fun!
Already had, just was busy all day and researched in between tasks. You are correct, though the exact level is questionable as it is still small. Still researching that much. Any idea on the sex of this turtle? If not, exactly what part do I need to take a snapshot of? Also, no idea on age but length of carapace is just over 4".
I woke up today and that filter I have is trash, it's a Penn-Plax Cascade 300. Thought it needed a polisher since it's got such large cell foam and that didn't even do the trick overnight; guess the fish I had before as a first attempt were just that hardy. Picked up an Aqueon QuietFlow model AT15 (66gph) and was literally watching the water get clearer as I sat there. The guy at the store told me he has a Map and that I should go with the AT40, which I am debating on getting instead of an actual canister filter. Only thing I don't like the idea of is constantly buying the cartridges for it, whereas a canister type can be altered with custom media. Added water to it, it's roughly half full now and the little guy hasn't really made any difference in regard to his activity: pokes his head out, looks around, climbs up on log and basks, slides back into water and chills out. Any advice on a good 100-150g canister, if such a small one even exists?
I believe eheim makes small canister filters that are supposed to be very efficient. Also pretty inexpensive for what you get. (Not cheap by any means, but not ridiculously overpriced.) We have an AT40 that I literally just set up a couple weeks ago in the store turtle tank. Honestly I'm not a huge fan. Not that it's a bad filter; it does its job well. But the cartridge thing is a major drawback for me. Even if you just jam a bunch of generic fiber media into the space where the cartridge goes, there doesn't seem to be a lot of total space for filter media, and turtles need all the surface area of filtration they can get. Again, it's not a bad filter. I love the slim design and power, just not for a turtle. That's just my two cents. If it works for you, go for it.
Somehow I missed this post, oops! If I had to guess I would lean towards calling it a male, but it's hard to say without knowing age. It could be a fully grown male, or it could be a still growing sub adult female based on size. It has a very keeled shell which tends to be a more male trait...but its tail looks short, which usually means it's a female, haha. Is the vent outside the shell ledge or inside?
Vent is outside, now that you mention it. Also, the pics didn't do a very good justice to that trait; the tail is actually kinda fat at the base and is longer than the pics give it credit for. I took that filter back and skipped the AT40. The cartridge thing isn't my taste either, but I set up this 100gph SunSun off of Ebay before I did. Just made the return today, and came back (nearly 2 hours) and no leaks, better filtration than the Aqueon. Pain in the rear to prime if you decide not to suction it through by mouth (why the box description tells you to do that is beyond me) and doesn't come with instructions, but it's a very basic canister filter. It's their model HW-602B and came with a spray bar as well as your typical output spout. External motor, which is a plus if the motor dies. Besides the intake and output accessories being not exactly the sturdiest (it's not a hammer, I figure) it's still pretty nice scaled down variant. I even had to cut length off the hose that came with it, and it came with two lengths. The fittings are screw-down compression type, so if you get one to try out, be careful not to overtighten them against the barbs. $33 plus free shipping on Ebay and I'm not complaining. I'll try to include some pics if I can find a better way to rig up my setup, right now I have it in a large pot beneath the stand (low-sitting stand). Metal pot and can't even hear it, lol.
Thirty three bucks for a canister filter??? That is a steal! Good find! Your description makes me more confident that it's a male. Males have longer tails with a wider base and the cloaca is located farther down the tail, plus he has the prominent keeled shell. You can also look at nail length and plastron shape. Males usually have more concave plastrons and longer nails suited for mounting and holding onto females during mating.
Assuming the "keeling" is the indented (?) ridge between the domed part of the carapace and the scutes (?) along the edge of it, I thought that was some sort of deformality. Is this the part you are saying is a male trait? And I can't say to the length of the nails as I've not seen a female yet in person to be able to compare. As far as the $33, ya, but my roommate with with an Odysea 500 for Dan, her softshell, and it has given us nothing but issues. Just cleaned it, gonna just toss it and replace it with an FX5 next month. There were a couple of weak points that have yet to say whether it's going to be worrisome or not.
Just reread the concave part. Ya, he has a strip that looks like an indentation on his plastron, assuming that is the bottom half of the shell as the carapace is the top half.
Ok, here are pics of the filter torn down as well as a couple of them as it's installed. I tried to get close up pics of features I thought were important, like the latch-downs so you can see how I think they are kinda weak. So far they seem to hold up though, just need gingerly hands. And although I have repeatedly connected and disconnected the hoses from the spraybar and intake, they seem to still have solid connections. One thing I think I am going to do next though, is install ball valves on both lines near the ends, that would help with eliminating the need for a 2nd set of hands. Also, the blue and yellow sponges were of the same density so I removed one when I reinstalled the filter so I could have room for my carbon and bio this time. http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04575_zps29778494.jpg.html?sort=4&o=0 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04582_zps49e4b34c.jpg.html?sort=4&o=1 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04583_zpsb2973553.jpg.html?sort=4&o=2 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04584_zps0c4391b7.jpg.html?sort=4&o=3 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04585_zps278dcf6b.jpg.html?sort=4&o=4 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04586_zps24563e6b.jpg.html?sort=4&o=5 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04587_zps647ec8aa.jpg.html?sort=4&o=6 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04588_zps2ce06768.jpg.html?sort=4&o=7 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04589_zps0d674502.jpg.html?sort=4&o=8 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/filter/DSC04590_zpsd5c6c982.jpg.html?sort=4&o=9 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04591_zps73c675a3.jpg.html?sort=4&o=10 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04592_zps60338fed.jpg.html?sort=4&o=11 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04593_zps53d307f8.jpg.html?sort=4&o=12 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04594_zps0e0ee0b8.jpg.html?sort=4&o=13 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04595_zpsd9bc1ece.jpg.html?sort=4&o=14 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04596_zps147d1f43.jpg.html?sort=4&o=15 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04603_zpsa3f5f1dc.jpg.html?sort=4&o=16 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04605_zps6bd7230c.jpg.html?sort=4&o=18 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04607_zps4bd97ffe.jpg.html?sort=4&o=20 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04608_zps4e683aa0.jpg.html?sort=4&o=21 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04627_zpsa3d94292.jpg.html?sort=4&o=22 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04628_zps547dec04.jpg.html?sort=4&o=23 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04629_zps5dc21252.jpg.html?sort=4&o=24 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04630_zpscb399bdd.jpg.html?sort=4&o=25 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04631_zps92199a23.jpg.html?sort=4&o=26 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04633_zps4e36a380.jpg.html?sort=4&o=28 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04635_zps5511b94e.jpg.html?sort=4&o=30 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04636_zpsd72e4b29.jpg.html?sort=4&o=31 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04639_zpsdbcf7baa.jpg.html?sort=4&o=34 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04640_zps57ae849e.jpg.html?sort=4&o=35 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04641_zps3243a9d9.jpg.html?sort=4&o=36 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04643_zps5267f17a.jpg.html?sort=4&o=38 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04644_zps6062bfef.jpg.html?sort=4&o=39 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04578_zpsfefd3a6d.jpg.html?sort=4&o=41 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04579_zps91231a7b.jpg.html?sort=4&o=42 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04580_zps9782710f.jpg.html?sort=4&o=43 http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/G...ter/DSC04581_zps97a8e180.jpg.html?sort=4&o=44 Ya this is a lot of pics, I personally like every little feature covered when I can't have something physically in my hands to look over it. So, here what I hope is a pretty good visual documentation of this $33 canister.
Finally got one of him basking too. Here it is. I'm guessing he's still growing, took him to a vet about his shell and she said it wasn't fungus. Do turtles really "shed" off their shell or is this vet not that good? http://s1343.photobucket.com/user/George_Oneal/media/DSC04647_zpsf6a9d096.jpg.html
