Today's the day!!!! :-)

Moozillion

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Nelson is setting in nicely, just as Randy said he would. He's picking out his favorite places to hang out and to sleep. One of his favorite spots is on top of a broad-leafed plastic plant: he can easily stretch up to get some air without having to swim and he can slide deeper in between the leaves like a little turtle sandwich if he wants to hide. He says it gives him a nice panoramic view of the whole tank, too.


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He's much calmer and not zooming around like he was the first day. But he is still very active: every time I look in the tank, there's no telling where I'll find him- he covers the whole thing, from end to end. Here he is by the filter intake and the far left of the tank- one of his favorite hang outs. It's also where I drop the food pellets!!!

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And here he is at the complete opposite end of the tank about a half hour later, prowling around the plastic plants and the mopani wood.

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Pastel Tortie

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Anne, it is clamped to the end of the tank with a pair of metal lid clamps that are used to hold lids firmly on top of reptile terrariums.
They do rust over time, but they are nice a sturdy for the "egg crate" lighting covers that I use for lots of my tank "furniture." (Please excuse the smudged glass...)

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Here's a view of the clamps themselves. :

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Thanks, Bea! I like seeing how others set up 20 long tanks for mud and musk turtles. It gives me ideas... Although I'm afraid if I made such a long ramp in my turtle tank, Bold would take it ALL the way to the top... and over! ;)

Don't worry about the smudged glass. That's how much of our mud turtle tank looks, at least on the side with the filter. We get hard water stains on the glass above the water level, from the splashing from the filter/waterfall.
 

Moozillion

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SOMEONE was dozing on top of a leaf and suddenly noticed his mom sneaking up to take a photo. He dived off the leaf so quickly that he face-planted in the gravel!!!! :D His tumble did him no harm: he was immediately up and dashing off, and was heard muttering "...dang paparazzi!"


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CarolM

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SOMEONE was dozing on top of a leaf and suddenly noticed his mom sneaking up to take a photo. He dived off the leaf so quickly that he face-planted in the gravel!!!! :D His tumble did him no harm: he was immediately up and dashing off, and was heard muttering "...dang paparazzi!"


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[emoji23] [emoji23]
 

Moozillion

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This clever boy hasn't even been here a week and has quickly figured out where the "dining room" is! Yesterday and today he was up bright and early and in the corner of the tank where I drop the food for him and the cory catfish- I believe I even saw a version of the "Feed Me dance!" :D He's got a great appetite and had almost gobbled this kibble before I could snap a picture...

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Sorry, catfish- you were too slow: he beat you to it!!!! :p

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Toddrickfl1

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I wish I could keep fish with my turtles. I just set my little guys up in a 75g and I put in 20 fancy guppies, gone within minutes. Then I tried 15 zebra danios, gone by the next day. My turtles are SavagesIMG_20190402_091228584.jpg
 

Moozillion

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I wish I could keep fish with my turtles. I just set my little guys up in a 75g and I put in 20 fancy guppies, gone within minutes. Then I tried 15 zebra danios, gone by the next day. My turtles are SavagesView attachment 268791
WOW!!!! :eek: They really are PREDATORS!!!! But I'm sure they appreciated the picnic! :confused:
 

Moozillion

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I wish I could keep fish with my turtles. I just set my little guys up in a 75g and I put in 20 fancy guppies, gone within minutes. Then I tried 15 zebra danios, gone by the next day. My turtles are SavagesView attachment 268791
Once Nelson gets bigger, he may be more of a hazard to the fish: right now, the cory cats are bigger and heavier than he is so they have the advantage.
 

TammyJ

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Are you the lady that had a cute turtle named Jac.......OOOOPS!:eek::D
Nelson is too adorable for any words! Congrats, he is almost as adorable as Ja.......OOOOPS!!!
No, really. Nelson is shatteringly cute. Overload!!!:):<3:
 

Moozillion

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Are you the lady that had a cute turtle named Jac.......OOOOPS!:eek::D
Nelson is too adorable for any words! Congrats, he is almost as adorable as Ja.......OOOOPS!!!
No, really. Nelson is shatteringly cute. Overload!!!:):<3:

HAHAHAHA!!!!![emoji38]
Yes, he is!!!! [emoji38]
 

Ray--Opo

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Thanks, Bea! I like seeing how others set up 20 long tanks for mud and musk turtles. It gives me ideas... Although I'm afraid if I made such a long ramp in my turtle tank, Bold would take it ALL the way to the top... and over! ;)

Don't worry about the smudged glass. That's how much of our mud turtle tank looks, at least on the side with the filter. We get hard water stains on the glass above the water level, from the splashing from the filter/waterfall.
What type of filter do you use? What a wonderful tort.
 

Moozillion

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What type of filter do you use? What a wonderful tort.

I have 2 filters in this 20 gallon long tank. A ZooMed 511 cannister and a TopFin undergravel filter with a single Marineland maxi-jet 600 powerhead.
Those brands are just what was available in my local stores: they seem to work just fine, but other brands are undoubtedly as good or better.
I know it's overkill, but that's what I kind of do, oftentimes.

I was afraid that the powerhead was causing too much turbulence for that size aquarium, but the guppies and the corys INTENTIONALLY swim into the current as if they enjoy it! And it doesn't seem to bother Nelson: earlier today I saw him sitting down in the corner where the turbulence is strongest, and has actually pushed the gravel away, forming a valley. Nelson just sat there, gently rocking in the force of the current, and didn't run off til I got close with my camera. [emoji12]
 

Moozillion

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Nelson is downright intrepid!!!
I had worried a bit that the turbulence from the powerhead on the under gravel filter was too much for the fish and Nelson to be comfortable. The fish (guppies and corys) put my mind at ease the first day by swimming happily in their little groups into the current and hanging out there, swimming vigorously against it several times.
Nelson had swum directly into the current several times the first day and I see him in that end of the tank, but not as often as I see him in the quieter end- which is where he sleeps and where I put the food.
Today I found him in the turbulent end: sitting in the little gravel valley that the current flow has created. He was just sitting there, rocking gently back and forth as the current pushed him. Clearly not bothered at all, and not afraid of the strong water flow. :)

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Moozillion

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Gang, I am :eek: fricking NOT BELIEVEING how alert, bright and responsive this little guy is!!!!
This morning, when i came in to feed Nelson and the fish, everybody was down at the turbulent end of the tank. Nelson looked up, saw me down at the quiet end where I feed them. HE RAN ALONG THE GRAVEL LIKE A LITTLE 1 AND 1/2 INCH LONG PUPPY DOWN TO THE QUIETER END and started gobbling his food!!!!!
In 1 week's time this little turtle has 1) adjusted to a totally new environment that is 9 times larger than anything he has ever seen in his little life, 2) adjusted to TOTALLY STRANGE new creatures (cory catfish and guppies) all around him, 3) learned which end the food always appears in and 4) learned that I feed them first thing in the morning.
As if that wasn't enough, he'll be 3 months old on the 10th of this month.
I am TOTALLY impressed and amazed: I have never had a turtle like this!!!!

AAAAND (in case you hadn't guessed:rolleyes:) I am TOTALLY IN LOOOOVE!!!!!!:):tort::<3::<3::<3::<3:
 

JoesMum

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Gang, I am :eek: fricking NOT BELIEVEING how alert, bright and responsive this little guy is!!!!
This morning, when i came in to feed Nelson and the fish, everybody was down at the turbulent end of the tank. Nelson looked up, saw me down at the quiet end where I feed them. HE RAN ALONG THE GRAVEL LIKE A LITTLE 1 AND 1/2 INCH LONG PUPPY DOWN TO THE QUIETER END and started gobbling his food!!!!!
In 1 week's time this little turtle has 1) adjusted to a totally new environment that is 9 times larger than anything he has ever seen in his little life, 2) adjusted to TOTALLY STRANGE new creatures (cory catfish and guppies) all around him, 3) learned which end the food always appears in and 4) learned that I feed them first thing in the morning.
I am TOTALLY impressed and amazed: I have never had a turtle like this!!!!

AAAAND (in case you hadn't guessed:rolleyes:) I am TOTALLY IN LOOOOVE!!!!!!:):tort::<3::<3::<3::<3:

Kind of different to Jacques! [emoji23] I am so pleased he has settled in quickly :)
 

Moozillion

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Kind of different to Jacques! [emoji23] I am so pleased he has settled in quickly :)
Yes, VERY different from Jacques!
It's been hard not to get totally consumed by Nelson and forget to pay much attention to Jacques.
In all fairness to her, mud turtles are built very differently from the razor back musk: muds have small feet and are poor swimmers (Nelson has big webbed feet and is a good swimmer) and muds are NOT stream-lined to move through the water: they are shaped rather like a potato...CUTE potatoes, but potatoes nonetheless. Nelson's high keel adds to his maneuverability.
So their ability to deal with the hazards of aquatic life are very different, and their personalities go along with that: muds tend to creep around in quiet shallows and climb things to get to the surface for air, whereas the razorback musks can venture farther afield.
And Randy had described Nelson to me as the most active of the hatchlings he had from that bunch.
 

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