Photo Gallery :: My new 3 Striped Mud :)

[Tenodera]

Wow! adorable!! She looks so different from a slider

[zero_tails]

a d o r a b l e

[Breigh]

I redid Sydney's tank today, adding sand and some more plants and raising the water level slightly. I also put in the new heater and filter I got for the tank.

I made sure the rock and basking area are at the bottom of the tank rather than on the sand so she can't burrow under them and get stuck. I also made sure that the heater is protected and both that and the filter are high enough that she can't get stuck under them if she digs in. She has fake plants and real anacharis floating (which actually seems to be growing, I've never had anacharis last long enough to grow in any of my tanks haha) I also put a rock barrier around the back and one side of the basking area so she doesn't run off and into the glass, the only way she can go off is either into the plants on the right side of her basking area or off the front where it's safe.

I made the basking area smaller so there is more room for water and plants, as she doesn't spend that much time up there anyway (but I HAVE seen her basking a number of times). She REALLY likes climbing around and hiding in the big blob of plant next to the basking spot.

Anyway, here you go!

The whole tank from the top:


A closer view:


View from behind the basking area (psssst can you spot Sydney? Look in the plant on the left!)


A view from the side:

[Aqua8]

She's soooooo cute WOW and so TINY!!!

[DavidY]

Cool setup! So she won't eat the sand? I assume mud turtles like to have a dirt substrate of some kind. Is that so they can burrow into it? I'm thinking of getting one or two baby 3 stripe muds someday.

[grey goose]

I somehow missed this post......but WOW what a beautiful little turt!
And once again, a beautiful setup.
How many turtles/setups are you up to? You may have to reconsider your living quarters.

[DavidY]

I know, I've been looking around for a 3 stripe mud and haven't seen any as nice looking as Breigh's.

[Breigh]

*BANGS HEAD ON TABLE* :angry:

Lesson 1 when using sand... make sure your filter is stuck well to the side.

This morning I woke up and saw the filter laying in the bottom of the tank, and it wasn't working. I guess with it being on its side instead of upright the little suction cups didn't hold as well as they should so when it came undone it was sitting in the sand and must have sucked some up into the motor or something.

We took it out and tried to turn the turny thing but it wouldn't turn so we tried to turn it manually and finally got it spinning. We put it back in the tank and it worked for ooooh 5 minutes before it just stopped dead again.

Mind you, it's a very cheap filter. A Superfish Aqua-Flow 1 (it's only for about 10 liters of water) and was less than 10 euros, but still... not what I wanted to wake up to.

Otherwise I'm loving the sand in with her, it looks MUCH more natural and she really seems to love it.

Lesson learned. When we get another filter I'm gonna have so many suction cups on that baby I'll never get it off haha

DavidY, here in the Netherlands they use river sand for ALL of their turtles... Sliders, painteds, you name it. I have never seen any stories of impaction or any issues like you see all over the english forums. They all swear by it. They are against gravel, but believe sand to be the true turtle substrate

I've been hesitant to try it but they finally talked me into it, so time will tell I guess. I'm putting it in two of my tanks but not in my 95 gal as I can't reach the bottom of that and it would be a huge pain to clean out if I don't like it. If it goes well with my 55g and my mud tank then I'll consider putting it in there too

Grey Goose, I currently have 5 setups in my livingroom hehe a 55g for my 1 inch painted turtle (the one with the big basking area that my sliders used to be in), a 95g corner tank with my 2 3-inch sliders, the baby tank with my mud, a 30g fish tank breeding guppies and a 120x60x60 terarrium for my 2 inch hermann's tort.

It's nice having them surrounding me like this, I can watch them all every day. Any more will have to go in the bedroom or spare room now as there's no room left in here.

In a year or two we plan to sell our flat and move to a house with a garden, then there is no stopping me. POND POND POND! hehe

[turtlelover95]

Could you put this species with a RES?

[N4784N R4613]

No, a RES gets up to 12 in. long, while a 3SM only reachs 4 to 5 in. long.

[DavidY]

A baby RES could probably eat a baby 3SM.

[untsmurf]

Wow that is a beautiful enclosure. Where did you get those big dark rocks that used to be the substrate and is now in the pot?

[malekogirl]

i know you posted this a while ago. but i really LOVE this setup you created!! I have been mighty lazy about putting my 2 RES in their new home. i have a donated 55gallon tank. I hope you dont mind me replicating your tank setup for my Genevieve & Elena!!

[Caelestis]

The thing I love about red eared sliders though, is that they can become big. It's just interesting to see how small things grow huge, like turtles.

[SaweetTURTLE:)]

I used to have a 4" Mississippi Mud Turtle.... Her name was Naiia.... I miss her SOOOO much...... Here is a pic of her



I MISS HER!!!


here's another!



she's singing!! lol :'(