Anyone ever keep Twist Neck Turtles?

methos75

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I received a group of them and a few have some pretty bad shell rot that I am treating. My question is being new to them should they be dry docked like more aquatic turtles? I know they spend considerable time on land and in currently keeping them much like I do my CA Wood Turtles with half and half enclosures. But the ones being treated I'm keeping more dry and only allowing them access to water in the morning when I feed them. Is this the proper course of action or should I still allow them full access to water?D5117A3A-EE12-4BE8-8EEB-9FF17B79FE24.jpeg
 

mark1

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i've kept them , for some reason shell rot was common in the ones i got and were seeing also , and this was a long time ago ......as i said a long time ago , i used betadine , i now know way better ways to treat it ..... i think water parameters are more important for them than for most turtles ......... i kept discus type parameters , is probably the only turtle i ever kept where i was concerned with water ph , tannins and such ........

you might like to read stuff like this

Ecology of the chelid turtles Platemys platycephala,
 

methos75

Active Member
10 Year Member!
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Dec 27, 2010
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Location (City and/or State)
Lawrenceville, IL via Walker, LA
i've kept them , for some reason shell rot was common in the ones i got and were seeing also , and this was a long time ago ......as i said a long time ago , i used betadine , i now know way better ways to treat it ..... i think water parameters are more important for them than for most turtles ......... i kept discus type parameters , is probably the only turtle i ever kept where i was concerned with water ph , tannins and such ........

you might like to read stuff like this

Ecology of the chelid turtles Platemys platycephala,
Oh yeah, their water conditions are pretty much the same as Mata Matas. I'm treating with antibiotics and betadine as well. Surprisingly enough the ones with shell rot/ fungal infections have pretty much already seen vast improvements with their carapaces and are mostly cleared up now, I'm just concerned more about the one female above who has pretty bad plastron ulceration. I'm cleaning it out twice a day with antiseptic and using antibiotic creams and betadine once every other day and keeping her dry. Other than that she is active and eating well, though it is stressing her out when I treat her.
 

methos75

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Lawrenceville, IL via Walker, LA
Really thanks for that study. I thought I might be mistreating them by limiting their exposure to water and only using a small bowl they can soak in during the morning, but that same behavior is what they commonly observed in the wild as well with them usually spending more time on land hidden under leaves which mimics what I've been observing in their enclosures as well. That lifts a ton of weight of my shoulders. It's also interesting that the wild ones will capture food on land but go into the water to swallow it which is also what I've seen these ones do. It's quite funny to watch.
 

mark1

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chlorhexadine and silver sulfadiazine cream penetrates really well , i've also used aquarium fluconazole to soak them in , in a tub with lots of leaf cover floating in it .......
 
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