Hi … I am new here and looking for help …

Hi there. You will probably all not be pleased with me from the “get- go” as I have four wild caught terrapins in my care. All four were rescued from crab pots on the Eastern Shore where there are so many terrapins I was told they hold a terrapin derby every year to weed them out. I broke the law when I noticed a dead terrapin floating in a crab pot in the narrows while kayaking. Freaking out at the thoughts of dead terrapins everywhere, I paddled madly around to check every crab pot on the line. I pulled every one and I report, with much sadness, there was dead turtles in every pot except two out of 30. The four turtles I saved are with me. I was afraid to turn them loose again for fear they’d just die the next day in another pot. To make matters even worse, I honestly and truly revived one with mouth to mouth when it was just hanging limply out of it’s shell and barely moving it’s head. It took her 40 minutes to revive completely once she started breathing and now she is happily paddling around in a brackish water tank here at my house. She is so tame she will come to me and let me touch and gently rub her head. The others are equally tame. I hope I will not isolate the group when I tell you that I am not ashamed for bringing these four home with me. I felt bad at first until I talked to some native fishermen who wanted them … to EAT. And I feel bad even less when I think of the next day … because I had left the Eastern Shore and wasn’t there to pull the pots again to try to save more. I want everyone here to know I am NOT an advocate of taking animals from the wild. I just felt that I would be sending them to their death there by releasing them again. Now … if I have any friends left here after my story … and I pray I do … I need the best possible advice on what to feed and what filtration everyone feels works best. I was thinking of a canister filter along with sponge, but didn’t know if sponge was a good idea. Comments? As for food, they are still confused, unsettled and not looking for much in the way of food yet. I want to be ready when they are. What should I stock up on to try first? These guys are all about 4-5 inches in length. I have been reading everything I can get my eyeballs on about these beautiful turtles. I have to admit my only turtles here now consist of rescue turtles … mostly native stuff. Although I do have a red foot as well. I have had assorted reptiles most of my life … collected the usual stuff as a kid for a few days to watch it then let it go, have had snakes of different kinds brought to rescue as well as iguanas, beardies, etc … I must say though that these little terrapins have to be my most exciting adventure yet. I want to do everything I possibly can for them. Especially after having one of their little turtle heads half in my mouth. They deserve the best care and hopefully meeting knowledgable people like yourselves will give me the best possible insight! Thank you for allowing me to join your group! Angela