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

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Is there a way I can tell how old my turtle is?

Audra Barrios
Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist
Audra Barrios is a Marine Biologist and owner of Lick Your Eyeballs, a business offering experiences, reptiles, supplies and plants. With over 15 years of experience, Audra specializes in reptiles and exotic animals, environmental education, marine biology, conservation issues, and animal husbandry. Audra earned a BASc in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and studied Natural Sciences at the College of Marin. She is the founder and Executive Director of Things That Creep, a non-profit dedicated to herptile conservation through education. She has spent the last nine years working as a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences.

Audra Barrios

Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist

Expert Answer

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.

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Question

Do soft shelled turtles need sand to survive?

Mourya Cheggoju

Community Answer

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.

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Question

My soft shell turtle is not eating anything plus should I always keep him in water?

Birds101

Community Answer

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.

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Question

What do softshell hatchlings eat?

Community Answer

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.

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Question

Can I put the soft shell turtle with fish?

Community Answer

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

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Can they live in a salt water tank with salt water fish?

Community Answer

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

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Can my baby soft-shell turtle live in a drum for a few days?

Community Answer

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.

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Question

What can I do about shell rot on a soft shelled turtle?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Can I put the turtle in well water?

Birds101

Community Answer

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

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Question

Where can you find non-soft shelled turtles?

Community Answer

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.

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Can I feed my turtle any kind of fish food pellets?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Are they the same instructions for a pig-nosed turtle?

Birds101

Community Answer

No, they are different species.

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Question

What happens if their beaks aren't trimmed?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Is it OK to feed my turtle fish food pellets?

Holly

Community Answer

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.

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Question

Can I keep a turtle that I found outside as a pet?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Can soft shells go in a tank with rocks?

Community Answer

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

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Question

What are the requirements for red ear slider turtles?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Can a soft shell turtle eat something that is bigger than it is?

FutureHow

Community Answer

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

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Question

Do soft shelled turtles eat blood worms?

Payton Maguire

Community Answer

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.

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Question

Will soft shell turtles live without water?

FutureHow

Community Answer

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.

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Question

My soft shell turtle is throwing up a sack of bloody stuff. What should I do?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Can a fresh water turtle use salt water sand?

Birds101

Community Answer

Yes, the sand type doesn't matter.

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Question

Should I take my soft-shelled turtles out for basking in the sun? If so, for how long and how many times a week? If not, how long should I keep their basking lamp on?

Community Answer

Your turtles need a basking lamp and a UVB lamp on for about 12 hours a day to prevent health issues and ensure their well-being.

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Question

Is it okay if I use dirt instead of sand? I don't have any sand available in my area.

Damien

Community Answer

No. Dirt might contain unsafe bacteria or pebbles that could irritate your pet's skin.

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Question

What kind of vegetables can a soft shelled turtle eat?

Julia

Top Answerer

Soft shelled turtles are primarily carnivorous, but can be offered romaine lettuce or aquatic plants such as duckweed, water lettuce, or water hyacinth as a treat. However, many soft shelled turtles prefer their carnivorous diets and might ignore any vegetable snacks you offer them.

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Question

How to clean sand which is mixed up with food and turtle waste in the turtle tank?

Julia

Top Answerer

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.

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Question

Can I replace the sand with gravel?

Julia

Top Answerer

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.

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Question

I have a soft shelled turtle and goldfish living in a large pool outside. Should I still put sand in or would that harm the fish?

Julia

Top Answerer

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

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Question

What do soft shelled turtles eat?

Community Answer

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

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Question

Could a baby soft-shelled turtle live in a 40-gallon tank that is already occupied by a 14-year-old hard-shelled aquatic turtle?

Community Answer

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

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