The remarkable effects of "Brackish Water"

[Redfoot NERD]

I live in Louisiana and have been wishing I would come across one of these beauties! So far, tons of sliders, muds and boxies. Mind you, I am NOT really complaining! I'm very grateful to live in an area that has so many wild turtles.
After all, I've always got "Nerd's" incredible Terrapins to enjoy viewing!

A Louisiana male Mooz -



And a really beautiful female -

 

[Minos90]

Wow amazing results

 

[Moozillion]

A Louisiana male Mooz -



And a really beautiful female -

Wow!!!! Just...WOW!!!

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Over what time frame should the transition from fresh to brackish water be?

Are you thinking about setting up a "Brackish Water Terrapin" habitat @GotTort - with Terrapins too?

 

[GotTort]

Yes. I currently just have a Russian tort. I've been researching water turtles and fell in love with DBTs. Trying to learn best keeping practices and looking to purchase one.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Yes. I currently just have a Russian tort. I've been researching water turtles and fell in love with DBTs. Trying to learn best keeping practices and looking to purchase one.

[SIZE=5]@GotTort[/SIZE] You were going to email?

 

[TammyJ]

Wonderful "solution"!!!!!

This supports my methods too, for years I have been using "salt water" baths on my turtles from time to time, and on other peoples' turtles when they brought them to me to try and help them (no reptile vets in Jamaica!!!) with an injured or sick turtle.

Fabulous turtles shown here! Love them!

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Wonderful "solution"!!!!!

This supports my methods too, for years I have been using "salt water" baths on my turtles from time to time, and on other peoples' turtles when they brought them to me to try and help them (no reptile vets in Jamaica!!!) with an injured or sick turtle.

Fabulous turtles shown here! Love them!

The main difference @TammyJ .. is these turtles LIVE in "Brackish Water" - take them out of their NATURAL element and keep them in fresh water.. and their 'system' breaks down and eventually they react!!!... and it's not pretty...

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

You probably already got this sorted out, but I'll share it anyways for whoever else might read it.

The Wetlands Institute has/does work a head-start program for DBT, and source eggs from road hit females. 100's, to 1,000's annually. On boom years many neonates we here placed out at other institutions than R. Stockton State U. (home academic institution with affiliation with WI).

The husbandry method at Stockton was to use formulated brackish water changed frequently, but the tanks were hosed out with fresh water, as the brackish water was more 'rare' in the lab. Other institutions just did a dump and fill program, no rinse. Those other institutions had heavy losses.

Guess why??

The babies drank fresh water while the rinse was going on and the dump and fill places never offered fresh water. The solve was that the dump and fill places placed the neonates into shallow baths of freshwater while the dump and fill process occurred. Problem solved, losses abated.

They do need fresh water.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Yes Will.. they do need fresh water to "DRINK" ! ALL ages

My adult set-up is "Brackish Water" that has "at-will" access to fresh water 24/7 .. the 9 months and prior .. including hatchlings LIVE in fresh water and fed in a separate tank of fresh to EAT.

Advocating "Brackish Water" .. is mainly how they live - how / when they drink is a small part of that maintenance.