Re: Adding some Musk into the mix
I will step in here for a second. A lot of people believe that Musks should not be kept in deeper water but I disagree. I have been keeping Musk turtles for quite a while now and as long as you afford them easy access in and out of the water and give them a nice ledge just below the water’s surface they do quite well in deeper tanks. Although 10 to 12 inches deep isn’t extraordinary it is quite a bit more then the typically recommend 3 or 4 inches. As you know they live in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams and have access to water much much deeper then we will ever provide in an aquarium. Now, beyond that point. I personally keep my Diamondbacks in brackish water so I wouldn’t want to add Musks to that environment but I do like having a Musk in a “basking” tank. I think a Musk or Mud turtle cruising the bottom adds depth to a tank with a couple of sliders, cooters, painted turtles or map turtles. I feed my aquatics a mix of commercial foods supplemented with goodies such as worms, crickets and feeder fish. Some commercial foods such as Turtle Brittle have a tendency to sink. This works perfectly for my Musk turtles. Not only do they get a nice supply of food but they get the Turtle Brittle which is a little higher in protein. I personally believe Musks and Mud turtles do better with a little higher protein diet then my Sliders and Cooters. If a slider or cooter or map turtle can climb onto a basking area, in a tank, a Musk or Mud turtle can easily do the same. They are excellent climbers and very strong little turtles. I do a lot of fishing and love to watch turtles while I am on the lake. I have seen Mud and Musk turtles two to three feet up limbs that you can’t even believe they could balance on much less climb. When mixing species you must be very careful that your turtles are compatible. I have seen a slider just constantly badger one Musk turtle while ignoring another or a painted turtle doing the same to a slider while ignoring others. You must be observant to protect your turtles. To end with I would highly recommend 60 to 90 days quarantine Jimmy