Q&A for How to Care for a Soft Shelled Turtle

If it's full-grown, no, not really, you really have no idea. If it's a baby or one to five years old, you can make an educated guess just based on the size of it, but really, their growth depends on the temperature that they're being kept in and the food that they're being offered. So an animal that has optimal conditions might be full-grown in five years, whereas an animal that maybe didn't get enough heat or food might still be very, very small in five years. There's no way to know the age of your turtle unless you know when it came out of its egg.

Yes, they need it. They need it to hide so that they can feel secure. Sand also helps their shell to be healthy and stronger.

They are fully aquatic but should have access to a float or strip of sand. Soft shells need different food such as turtle pellets, live and pre-killed fish, squid, bloodworms, etc.

It depends on what particular kind of turtle you have, but most soft shelled turtle hatchlings will eat live bait, such as fish, shrimp, worms, and snails.

Guppies are okay. Pretty much anything else will kill it.

No. They are a freshwater species, and you also should not have any fish in the tank with them.

Turtles need good, clean water; a good filter, and water movement. Although they breathe air, the water can become infested with bacteria, including quite a few that can make you sick. Get an aquarium with a filter or you risk both the turtle's health and yours.

I would recommend taking your turtle to the vet or a pet store so they can recommend a product or treatment.

They should be fine, but it may be better to filter it first.

You can find them at a local pet supplier. Call pet stores around you to see if they have turtles with hard carapaces, rather than soft shelled turtles.

Feed your turtle wild gold or wild fish pellets. You can also feed flakes to your turtle.

No, they are different species.

Nothing really, but it can be hard for them to open and close their mouths over time.

In my opinion, I don't think turtles should be given fish food, but it really depends on the breed. It certainly shouldn't be the only thing in their diet.

No, you should not keep it unless it needs to be rescued/ nursed back to health.

Only if the rocks are completely smooth. Otherwise they could hurt your turtle.

A clean tank, any kind of dirt or sand and fresh water in its tank every day.

No. Only snakes have the reputation of doing that. Feed your turtle things that are smaller than its head.

While blood worms are a definite favorite of turtles, these should be avoided. Most are high in protein and lack the common nutrients that your turtle requires for its development. Turtles that have had a diet consisting of a majority of blood worms can have issues shedding scutes, can have white patches appearing on their shells, and overall have an unhealthy appearance.

No. If you are going to buy a soft shell turtle, you need water. Consider getting a tortoise, as they need less water than turtles do.

That's not good, it's throwing up parts of its intestine. Take it to the vet immediately.

Yes, the sand type doesn't matter.

Because soft-shelled turtles can be aggressive, you should not put them in tanks with other turtles or animals. Sometimes they can live in pairs, but only with enough space to ensure minimal bullying. It is probably best to have just one soft-shell turtle living in the tank.

Yes, this is needed for any aquatic reptile. The best type of filter would be a canister filter.

Yes, the hard-shelled turtle can harm the softer-shelled one, and could kill it.

No, the adult could harm or eat the baby. Avoid bigger hard-shelled turtles with smaller soft-shelled tank mates.

Turtle pellets and live bait such as live or freeze dried fish,or bloodworms.

Sand is safe to add. It will not harm the fish and most goldfish will enjoy having sand to sift through.

No, soft shell turtles spend a lot of time digging and hiding themselves in sand. If they try to bury themselves in gravel, the stones can easily damage their soft shell and lead to possible infections.

An aquarium siphon or gravel vacuum will work best for removing anything off the top layer of sand. A turkey baster can work well for spot cleaning small sections. To remove waste within the sand, you can gently rake or stir up the sand to release any trapped waste which you can then remove with the siphon or vacuum.