Turtle Tank Update January 2015

Has been a while since last doing a turtle tank update.  Basic configuration is pretty much the same.  Have added a large piece of Cypress wood to create a large basking area and twin caves.  

Have released many turtles over time, just three 3-striped mud turtles remain.  Muddy, an eleven year old female rescued off the street as a hatchling, Fern, an injured female hit by a car a few years ago, and Romeo, the only male, rescued from behind the house.  The rear of his shell is mostly chewed away, possibly raccoons.  

Same tank.  8 feet long, 3 feet wide, 17" high, 12" of water.  Filter is a wet/dry sump filter.  An overflow and return in each back corner.  Roughly 200 gallons of water including the sump.   Sand substrate.  

A mix of live and plastic plants.  Live plants include java fern, anacharis (hydrilla), and some I can't identify.  A lot of Mopani wood on the sand, turtles love this.  They can crawl on, hide behind, and use to scratch their shells.  

Lighting includes heat, UVA/UVB, but there is plenty of shade as well.  Mud turtles are shy by nature and do not light bright lights except during basking.  

also have guppies, Cory catfish, and ghost shrimp in the tank.

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