Conflicting info regarding dry basking place? Help?

[Tortoisesturtles]

So I'm planning on buying a striped musk turtle baby and before I do that I'm making the aquarium ready. I find conflicting info regarding the basking situation...

Is a dry basking place and uvb necessary for a musk turtle?

Is a dry basking place enough without uvb?

Is uvb enough without a heat bulb?

Do they need a basking place?
(I know if its female its gonna require a place to lay the eggs later)

Can I keep it without a basking place?

D3 through pellets possible?

Thanks for reading

 

[DoubleD1996!]

So I'm planning on buying a striped musk turtle baby and before I do that I'm making the aquarium ready. I find conflicting info regarding the basking situation...

Is a dry basking place and uvb necessary for a musk turtle?

Is a dry basking place enough without uvb?

Is uvb enough without a heat bulb?

Do they need a basking place?
(I know if its female its gonna require a place to lay the eggs later)

Can I keep it without a basking place?

D3 through pellets possible?

Thanks for reading

You want that basking place with uvb, light(the light can be a regular incandescent bulb or flood light bulb) and a heated water. My musk lives in a pond outdoors and I hardly see her, but she basks when she thinks I'm not around. You don't have to buy a basking dock. You can get creative. Maybe a rock, some driftwood, maybe a mound of sand, but it would need some structure around it like rocks or something.

 

[Moozillion]

Hi!
I have both a mud turtle and a musk turtle. It's my understanding that regardless of the food, they do need UVB light, and both of mine have heat and light set up. Heat along with UVB is supposed to be good because they can raise their body temperature to increase their metabolism which helps digest food and ward off disease. Mine have both heat and UVB light on one area of their tanks (they're in 2 different tanks) and both can get completely OUT of the water (but not out of the tank! ha!) so that they can dry off if they ever want to.
Some species bask more than others: my Mississippi mud turtle LOVES to bask and dozes off under her heat and UVB lights. But my razor backed musk turtle has never shown any interest in basking. That doesn't mean he never basks- it just means I've never seen him at it. Razor backs are said to be the shyest of the musk turtles, so he may engage in "stealth basking" when I'm not around!
Good luck with your musk turtle!

Austin's Turtle Page, if it's still going, gives ranges for tank water and basking area.
If you haven't already got one, the infrared thermometers are an easy way to check the temperatures of the water, basking spots and the turtles themselves!!!

 

[Tortoisesturtles]

Ok thanks! then I'm gonna go with a log with heat and uvb above so he can dry off and get uvb.

I have a 75 gallon tank with sand substrate. And I'm currently searching for local water plants.

Can u recommend me a lamp? For uvb and heat or should it be separate bulbs?

 

[DoubleD1996!]

Ok thanks! then I'm gonna go with a log with heat and uvb above so he can dry off and get uvb.

I have a 75 gallon tank with sand substrate. And I'm currently searching for local water plants.

Can u recommend me a lamp? For uvb and heat or should it be separate bulbs?

For uvb I use a fixture that stretches along the entire tank for my baby red ears, It's the zilla desert fixture. For heat I have a regular incandescent bulb or flood light in a dome fixture. I'm not sure what brand of aquarium heater I have. Just be sure to look up a good one that won't potentially burn your turtle. I'm sure someone can recommend better.

 

[Moozillion]

DoubleD has a good suggestion!