Ten gallon would be OK at least temporarily, for a softshell up to about 3". If it spends a lot of time swimming around out of the sand, judge your future space requirements accordingly. I have used Calcisand for smaller softshells (and smaller tanks - it is quite expensive) as an extra source of calcium if accidentally ingested. Otherwise ,a fine aquarium sand would be OK. Start with a water level low enough that the turtle can get its nose to the surface without uncovering. In a larger tank, you may have a bit of a weight and cleaning problem with a large amonunt of sand. DO NOT use an undergravel filter, in which waste is sucked down into the sand and broken down by aerobic bacteria BUT...if you lose power or proper flow to your filter for awhile, you have a food-rich environment that is quickly colonized by anaerobic bacteria, including the species that cause botulism. This happened to me twice many years ago before I figured out what was happening. The formerly active turtles showed a sudden onset of the classic paralysis associated with this condition. They were alive, but unable to move or respire. They are called spiny softshells because of an area of tubercules at the very front edge of the carapace, but these aren't very obvious from a distance.

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