Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Everyone,

I have kept turtles for about 15 years but am new to softshells. I purchased 2 softshells (I think they are female -- so I know they get large!) at an expo today. The seller told me they are from Texas. One has small round spots and the other is kind of blotched but doesn't have distinct spots on it. I will try to post pictures if I can get my digital camera working, but if anyone wants to hazard a guess as to the species I would really appreciate it.

I know they are going to get large (they are about 7 inches now) and I was wondering if I may be able to keep them in one of those plastic ponds you can buy at hardware stores. I have one in my living room right now with a sulcata (obviously not with water in it) living there, and I think it may be easier to set up one of those (I think they are abaout 175 gallons) with rather shallow water and a sand substrate rather than buying a huge glass tank which will weigh quite a bit. Please tell me what you think of this idea.

I am currently keeping them in a 30 gallon tall tank with no substrate and a smooth rock for basking.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thank for your time!

Hey there. The 30 gallon would have to be temporary. Most likely you have Texas Spiny Softshells, I used to have a couple. They can be quite aggressive when kept in pairs, so keep an eye on them until you know for sure. I would say since they are 7 inches a piece, a 100 gallon or preferable larger water pond or aquarium would be good. They can be quite active swimmers, so make sure the water is deep enough for them. A basking rock or log is also appreciated. Mine used to bask for hours at a time. Sand is a great substrate and you can get the silica sand (a 50 pound bag) for like $2 at Lowe's or Home Depot. Make sure it is deep enough, say 5 or 6 inches, so they can bury themselves. As far as food goes, feeder fish, crawfish without pinchers, beefheart,chicken(cooked) and turtle sticks is what I fed mine for years. They grew quite fast on this diet. Hope this helps, Chris

i use those plastic preform ponds for many turtles but you will needa really big one for a softshell female. You might not be able to keep to females together at all. But a big pond with lots of cover might help. Plan on draining it frequently though as these guys tend to have lots of problems if the water isn't really clean.